American Judge Orders Former President Trump's Administration to Restart VOA.
A federal court has ruled that the effective shutdown of the VOA last year was “illegal” and has directed the return of hundreds of its staff.
Judicial Order Sets 7-Day Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Historical Origins and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was first established during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.
Management Shake-Up and Mass Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake then terminate over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a small number of employees in their jobs.
Most of the affected staff have been on paid administrative leave since last year. This even applied to Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Judge’s Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the authority to order the suspension 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 legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction
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 keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Context
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his broader attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
