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A federal court has determined that the effective closure of the VOA last year was unlawful and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its reporters.

Judicial Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline

Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.

Historical Roots and Trump-Era Closure

The VOA was first established during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.

Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his officials accused of left-wing 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 Changes and Widespread Dismissals

President Trump appointed Kari Lake to run the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.

Lake proceeded to fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a handful of employees remaining.

Most of the affected 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 Reasoning and Decision

Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the legal power to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.

In Tuesday's decision, the federal judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that dictate 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 Reaction

Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.

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

Unclear Next Steps and Broader Context

It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.

Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.

Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his broader attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.