US Jurist Mandates Trump Government to Resume Operations at Voice of America.

A federal judge has determined that the effective closure of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has commanded the return of many of its staff.

Judicial Mandate Sets 7-Day Deadline

Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government seven days to restore the broadcaster's operations.

Historical Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown

The VOA was first established during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi propaganda.

Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an presidential directive to defund the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had left-wing 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 Mass Firings

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

Lake then sack over 85 percent of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a handful of employees remaining.

Most of the affected 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 Reasoning and Decision

Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake did not have 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 federal judge described the decision to sack the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, adding that the government had failed to consider legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“The government have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion.

Reporters’ 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 keep support our mission to produce factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to the Associated Press.

Uncertain Future and Wider Implications

It is not clear 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 almost 50 languages.

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