An federal judge has ruled that the practical shutdown of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has directed the reinstatement of many of its staff.
Judicial Mandate Sets One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Recent Closure
The VOA was originally created in World War Two to counter 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, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Leadership Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals
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 sack more than 85% of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a handful of employees in their jobs.
Most of the affected 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 Reasoning and Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the legal power to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.
In this week's ruling, the judge described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Journalists’ Lawsuit and Response
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 continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Uncertain Future and Wider Context
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Before being wound down, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his wider attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.
