A federal court has determined that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has commanded the return of many of its reporters.
Judicial Order Sets 7-Day Timeline
Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.
Wartime Origins and Recent Closure
The VOA was originally created during World War Two to counter Nazi propaganda.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to close the broadcaster, which his administration 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”.
Management Shake-Up and Mass Firings
President Trump named Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.
Lake then sack over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only 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 Reasoning and Decision
Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the authority to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.
In this week's decision, the judge described 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 principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.
Reporters’ Lawsuit and Response
Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being profoundly thankful for the judge's decision.
“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she told the Associated Press.
Uncertain Next Steps and Wider Implications
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will appeal.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's attacks of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
