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A federal court has declared that the effective shuttering of the VOA last year was against the law and has commanded the reinstatement of hundreds of its staff.

Judicial Mandate Sets 7-Day Timeline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.

Historical Origins and Recent Closure

The VOA was originally established in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda.

Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration accused of left-wing bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.

Leadership Changes and Widespread Firings

President Trump named Kari Lake to lead the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that oversees and funds the VOA and other networks.

Lake proceeded to terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a small number of employees remaining.

Most of the dismissed staff have been on paid administrative leave since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.

Judge’s Reasoning and Ruling

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

In this week's ruling, the federal judge described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had ignored legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.

Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Response

Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was deeply grateful for the judge's decision.

“We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told the Associated Press.

Unclear Next Steps and Wider Implications

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

Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.

Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his wider attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.