🔗 Share this article

A federal judge has ruled that the effective closure of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has ordered the return of hundreds of its journalists.

Judicial Order Sets 7-Day Timeline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.

Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure

The VOA was first set up during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda.

Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.

Leadership Changes and Widespread Dismissals

President Trump named Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.

Lake proceeded to sack over 85 percent of the agency's employees—more than 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 Rationale and Decision

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 approved by the US Senate.

In Tuesday's ruling, the federal judge described the decision to fire 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 nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.

Reporters’ Legal Challenge 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 Broader Context

It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal.

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

Trump's criticisms of the VOA are part of his wider criticism of the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.