🔗 Share this article

A US judge has determined that the effective closure of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has commanded the return of many of its reporters.

Court Order Issues One-Week Deadline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.

Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown

The VOA was originally set up during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.

Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.

Management Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals

President Trump named Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.

Lake then terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only 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.

Court’s Reasoning and Decision

Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the legal power 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 labeled 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 no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.

Reporters’ Lawsuit and Response

Three VOA journalists had sued 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 Next Steps and Wider Implications

It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs 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 form part of his wider attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as deeply divided.