An federal court has determined that the effective shuttering of the VOA last year was unlawful and has commanded the reinstatement of many of its reporters.
Judicial Mandate Sets 7-Day Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Shutdown
The VOA was first set up during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration accused of 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 appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake then terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a handful of employees remaining.
Most of the dismissed 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 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 ruling, the judge described the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had ignored legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Reaction
Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Wider Implications
It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast 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 research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
