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An federal court has ruled that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its staff.

Judicial Order Sets One-Week Timeline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.

Historical Roots and Recent Closure

The VOA was originally set up in World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.

Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his officials accused of left-wing bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.

Leadership Changes and Mass Dismissals

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

Lake then terminate 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.

Court’s Rationale and Ruling

Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have 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 described the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had not taken into account laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“Defendants have provided no a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.

Journalists’ Lawsuit and Response

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

“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to reporters.

Uncertain Future and Broader Context

It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.

Before being wound down, the VOA broadcast TV, radio, and digital content in almost 50 languages.

Trump's attacks of the VOA are part of his wider criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.