An federal judge has determined that the practical closure of the VOA last year was against the law and has commanded the reinstatement of many of its reporters.
Court Mandate Sets One-Week Timeline
District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.
Wartime Origins and Recent Closure
The VOA was first established during World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.
Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.
Management Changes and Widespread Firings
President Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.
Lake then fire the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a handful of employees remaining.
Most of the affected staff have been on leave with pay 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 Ruling
Last week, Judge Lamberth found 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 Tuesday's ruling, the federal judge described the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had failed to consider legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.
“Defendants 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 said to reporters.
Uncertain Future and Broader Context
It is not clear if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.
Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.
Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his broader criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.
