🔗 Share this article

A US court has ruled that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its staff.

Judicial Mandate Sets 7-Day Timeline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.

Historical Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown

The VOA was originally created during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda.

Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had political bias. The order also included networks 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 oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.

Lake proceeded to terminate over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a handful of employees in their jobs.

Most of the dismissed staff have been on paid administrative leave 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 Rationale 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 decision, the federal judge described the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“Defendants have provided no a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.

Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction

Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against 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 the Associated Press.

Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications

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

Before being wound down, the VOA transmitted 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.