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A US court has determined that the practical shuttering of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has ordered the return of many of its reporters.

Judicial Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline

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

Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown

The VOA was first created in World War Two to combat Nazi disinformation.

Just weeks after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an presidential directive to shut down the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also targeted outlets such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to 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 parent company that manages and finances the VOA and related networks.

Lake proceeded to sack the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—with only a small number of employees in their jobs.

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.

Court’s Reasoning and Ruling

Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled 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 Tuesday's ruling, the federal judge labeled the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had ignored laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

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

Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Response

Three VOA journalists had sued the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being deeply grateful 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 Wider Implications

It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment needs 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 form part of his broader attacks against the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.