An federal court has determined that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has directed the reinstatement of hundreds of its staff.
Court Order Sets 7-Day Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to get the VOA broadcasting again.
Wartime Roots and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was first created in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.
Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.
Leadership Shake-Up and Mass Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake proceeded to terminate more than 85% of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number of employees remaining.
Most of the dismissed staff have been on paid administrative leave 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 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 not taken into account laws that determine 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 Reaction
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being 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 reporters.
Uncertain Future and Wider Context
It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his broader attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.
