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A federal court has determined that the effective shuttering of the VOA last year was against the law and has ordered the reinstatement of hundreds of its reporters.

Judicial Mandate Sets One-Week Deadline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities seven days to put the international broadcaster back on air.

Wartime Roots and Recent Closure

The VOA was first created during World War Two with the aim of countering Nazi disinformation.

Only a short time after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his officials claimed had left-wing bias. The order also targeted networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be phased out as much as legally possible.

Management Changes and Mass Dismissals

President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the oversight body that manages and finances the VOA and other networks.

Lake then sack over 85 percent of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—with only a small number of employees remaining.

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 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 approved by the US Senate.

In Tuesday's ruling, the judge described the decision to fire the journalists as “arbitrary and capricious,”, 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’ Lawsuit and Response

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

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

Uncertain Next Steps and Broader Implications

It is uncertain if Lake's nominated 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 criticisms of the VOA form part of his broader attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as deeply divided.