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A federal judge has determined that the effective shuttering of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has directed the reinstatement of hundreds of its reporters.

Court Mandate Issues 7-Day Timeline

Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.

Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Shutdown

The VOA was first established in World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.

Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his officials accused of left-wing bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.

Leadership Shake-Up and Widespread Firings

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

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

Most of the dismissed staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This even applied to 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 suspend the operations of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.

In this week's ruling, the judge described the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had failed to consider laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

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

Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Reaction

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

“We hope the American people will keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to reporters.

Uncertain Future and Wider Implications

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

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

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