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An US judge has declared that the practical shutdown of the VOA last year was unlawful and has directed the return of hundreds of its staff.

Judicial Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline

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

Wartime Roots and Trump-Era Closure

The VOA was first set up during World War Two to counter Nazi disinformation.

Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his administration accused of political 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 Shake-Up and Mass Dismissals

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

Lake proceeded to sack over 85 percent 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 paid administrative leave 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 Rationale and Decision

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

In this week's ruling, the judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation that dictate what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“The government have provided no a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.

Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Reaction

Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against 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 journalism, not propaganda,” she said to reporters.

Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Context

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

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

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