American Judge Orders Former President Trump's Administration to Reopen the VOA broadcaster.
An US judge has declared that the practical shutdown of the VOA last year was unlawful and has commanded the return of hundreds of its reporters.
Judicial Order Sets One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Closure
The VOA was originally established in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Shake-Up and Widespread Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate over 85 percent of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a small number of employees remaining.
Most of the affected staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This even applied to Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Court’s Rationale and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the legal power to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's decision, the judge described the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored laws that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Response
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was deeply grateful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Unclear Future and Wider Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Before being wound down, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his broader criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
