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An federal judge has ruled that the practical shutdown of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has directed the reinstatement of many of its reporters.

Court Mandate Sets 7-Day Timeline

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

Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure

The VOA was originally established in World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi disinformation.

Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had political bias. The order also included outlets 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 Widespread Dismissals

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

Lake then terminate more than 85% of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only 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 Decision

Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the legal power to suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.

In Tuesday's decision, the judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

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

Journalists’ Lawsuit and Response

Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, said she was 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.

Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications

It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.

Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 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 deeply divided.