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An US judge has determined that the practical shuttering of the Voice of America last year was “illegal” and has commanded the return of many of its journalists.

Court Order Issues 7-Day Deadline

District Court Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to get the VOA broadcasting again.

Wartime Roots and Recent Shutdown

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

Only a short time after returning to office as president, Donald Trump signed an executive order to defund the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had political bias. The order also included networks such as Radio Free Europe and Radio Free Asia, stating they should be phased out as much as legally possible.

Management Changes and Widespread Firings

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

Lake then sack the vast majority of the agency's employees—more than 1,000 staff at VOA by itself—leaving just a handful of employees in their jobs.

Most of the affected 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.

Judge’s Reasoning and Decision

Last week, Judge Lamberth found that Lake lacked the authority to order the suspension of the USAGM workforce, as she had not been approved by the US Senate.

In this week's decision, the judge labeled the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had not taken into account legislation 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 Reaction

Three VOA journalists had sued 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 factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she said to reporters.

Unclear Next Steps and Wider Context

It is not clear if Lake's nominated 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 are part of his wider attacks against the US media, which research indicates American news consumers view as highly polarised.