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A US judge has declared that the practical shutdown of the VOA last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its reporters.

Court Order Sets One-Week Timeline

Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to get the VOA broadcasting again.

Historical Origins and Trump-Era Closure

The VOA was first created in World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.

Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had 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 Mass Firings

President Trump appointed Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.

Lake proceeded to fire more than 85% of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number of employees in their jobs.

Most of the affected 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 Rationale and Ruling

Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked 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 federal judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.

Journalists’ 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 factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to reporters.

Unclear Next Steps and Broader Context

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

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

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