🔗 Share this article American Jurist Orders Former President Trump's Government to Resume Operations at Voice of America. Media equipment on a desk. (Image Courtesy: Stock Image) An US court has ruled that the practical shuttering of the Voice of America last year was unlawful and has directed the reinstatement of hundreds of its staff. Court Mandate Sets One-Week Timeline Federal Judge Royce Lamberth has given authorities one week to get the VOA broadcasting again. Wartime Origins and Trump-Era Shutdown The VOA was originally created in World War Two to combat Nazi propaganda. Just weeks after being sworn in again as president, Donald Trump issued an executive order to close the broadcaster, which his administration claimed had political bias. The order also targeted networks 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 oversees and funds the VOA and related networks. Lake proceeded to terminate more than 85% 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 affected staff have been on paid administrative leave 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 Rationale and Decision Last week, Judge Lamberth found 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 this week's ruling, the federal judge described the decision to fire the journalists as unreasonable and impulsive, adding that the government had ignored legislation that determine what languages and regions the VOA must serve. “Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth stated in his opinion. Journalists’ Legal Challenge 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 factual reporting, not biased messaging,” she told reporters. Uncertain Future and Wider Implications It is uncertain if Lake's proposed successor, Sarah Rogers—whose appointment requires Senate confirmation—will appeal. Prior to its shutdown, the VOA broadcast 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 studies suggest American news consumers view as highly polarised.