An federal judge has declared that the practical shuttering of the VOA last year was “illegal” and has commanded the return of many of its reporters.
Judicial Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Origins and Recent Shutdown
The VOA was originally created during 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 administration 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.
Management Changes and Widespread Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.
Lake proceeded to sack more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a small number of employees in their jobs.
Most of the affected 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 Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the legal power to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's ruling, the federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“The government have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Response
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 factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.
Unclear Future and Wider Context
It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his wider attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
