US Court Orders Reinstatement of Voice of America Following Controversial Shutdown

A judge in the US has ruled that the effective closure of the Voice of America (VOA) last year was illegal and that hundreds of its journalists should be reinstated.

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

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

Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to close the broadcaster, accusing it of left-wing bias. Trump also targeted other outlets, such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, intending to eliminate them to the maximum extent allowed by law.

Upon taking control, Trump appointed Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the organization overseeing and funding the VOA along with other international broadcasters.

Lake proceeded to terminate more than 85% of the agency's workforce, leading to over 1,000 staff at VOA being sidelined. Many have since been on paid administrative leave, including key reporters from the Persian Service.

Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not possess the authority to suspend the USAGM workforce as she had not been confirmed by the Senate.

In Tuesday's ruling, the federal judge described the decision to sack journalists as arbitrary and capricious and noted that the government failed to consider existing legislation concerning the VOA's broadcasting obligations.

Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision, Lamberth commented.

Three VOA journalists had initiated a lawsuit against the Trump administration. Patsy Widakuswara, one of the plaintiffs, expressed gratitude for the ruling, highlighting their commitment to produce journalism rather than propaganda.

It remains uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers, will appeal the ruling once she is confirmed.

Before its abrupt shuttering, the VOA provided TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages to audiences worldwide.

Trump's criticism of the VOA reflects his broader challenges against the US media landscape, characterized as politically polarized by research.