🔗 Share this article

A US court has declared that the effective shuttering of the VOA last year was unlawful and has commanded the reinstatement of hundreds of its journalists.

Judicial Order Issues One-Week Timeline

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

Wartime Roots and Recent Closure

The VOA was first established in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.

Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials accused of left-wing bias. The order also included outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.

Leadership Shake-Up and Widespread Dismissals

President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and related networks.

Lake proceeded to sack over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just 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.

Judge’s Rationale 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 approved by the US Senate.

In this week's decision, the judge labeled 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 nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.

Journalists’ Lawsuit and Response

Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.

“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she told reporters.

Uncertain Future and Wider Context

It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.

Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.

Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his broader criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.