A US court has determined that the effective shuttering of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has commanded the reinstatement of hundreds of its journalists.
Court Order Issues 7-Day Timeline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was originally set up in World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing 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 Mass Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.
Lake then fire over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a handful of employees remaining.
Most of the dismissed staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.
Judge’s Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the authority to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In Tuesday's decision, the federal judge described the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Response
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being deeply grateful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she told the Associated Press.
Unclear Future and Broader Implications
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 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.
