🔗 Share this article US Jurist Orders Trump Administration to Reopen VOA. Media equipment in a studio. (Image Courtesy: Stock Image) An US court has ruled that the effective shutdown of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has ordered the return of many of its journalists. Court Mandate Issues One-Week Deadline Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has granted the government one week to restore the broadcaster's operations. Historical Roots and Trump-Era Closure The VOA was first established during World War Two to combat 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 administration 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 Changes and Mass Firings President Trump named Kari Lake to head the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent company that manages and finances the VOA and related networks. Lake then terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA alone—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 Decision Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake lacked the legal power to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved 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 laws that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve. “The government have provided nothing approaching a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion. Reporters’ Legal Challenge and Response Three VOA journalists had filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. One of them, Patsy Widakuswara, expressed being 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 told reporters. Uncertain Future and Wider Implications It is not clear if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal. Before being wound down, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages. Trump's criticisms of the VOA form part of his wider criticism of the US media, which studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.