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An federal judge has determined that the effective closure of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has ordered the reinstatement of many of its reporters.

Court Order Sets One-Week Deadline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to restore the broadcaster's operations.

Wartime Origins and Recent 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 defund the broadcaster, which his officials accused of political bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, calling for them to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”.

Leadership Changes and Widespread Firings

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

Lake then terminate the vast majority of the agency's employees—over 1,000 staff at VOA alone—leaving just a handful of employees in their jobs.

Most of the dismissed staff have been on leave with pay since last year. This included Persian Service reporters who were temporarily|called back to work after Israel attacked Iran last June.

Judge’s Rationale and Ruling

Last week, Judge Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the authority to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been confirmed by the US Senate.

In Tuesday's decision, the federal judge described the decision to sack the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had failed to consider legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve.

“The government have provided no a reasonable basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote.

Journalists’ Legal Challenge and Reaction

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 continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda,” she said to reporters.

Uncertain Next Steps and Wider Context

It is uncertain if Lake's nominated successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will challenge the ruling.

Prior to its shutdown, the VOA transmitted TV, radio, and digital content in nearly 50 languages.

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