Judge orders restoration of Voice of America, putting hundreds of journalists back to work

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration on Tuesday to restore operations at Voice of America, ending a year-long effective shutdown that had left hundreds of employees on administrative leave.

U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth gave the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) one week to develop a plan for returning Voice of America to the airwaves. The international broadcasting service has been functioning with minimal staff since President Donald Trump issued an executive order to shut it down last year.

The ruling follows Lamberth’s decision from a week earlier, which found that Kari Lake, Trump’s appointee to lead USAGM, lacked legal authority for her actions at the agency. Tuesday’s order specifically addressed Lake’s response to Trump’s executive order, which had sidelined 1,042 of VOA’s 1,147 employees.

“Defendants have provided nothing approaching a principled basis for their decision,” Lamberth wrote in his ruling, highlighting the arbitrary nature of the administration’s actions against the broadcaster.

USAGM, the agency overseeing Voice of America, has not yet commented on the decision. Lake had previously criticized Lamberth’s March 7 ruling and indicated it would be appealed. In the interim, Trump has nominated Sarah Rogers, the undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, to head USAGM, though this appointment still requires Senate confirmation—a step not taken with Lake’s appointment.

Patsy Widakuswara, Voice of America’s White House bureau chief and a plaintiff in the lawsuit seeking the broadcaster’s restoration, expressed gratitude for the judge’s decision.

“We are eager to begin repairing the damage Kari Lake has inflicted on our agency and our colleagues, to return to our congressional mandate, and to rebuild the trust of the global audience we have been unable to serve for the past year,” she said.

Widakuswara acknowledged the challenges ahead, noting, “We know the road to restoring VOA’s operations and reputation will be long and difficult. We hope the American people will continue to support our mission to produce journalism, not propaganda.”

The shutdown has represented a significant blow to global information access, as Voice of America has historically served as a vital source of independent news in regions where press freedom is limited. Founded during World War II, VOA had grown into one of the world’s largest international broadcasters prior to the shutdown, operating in 49 languages and reaching an estimated audience of 362 million people worldwide.

The agency has long operated under a congressional mandate to provide accurate, objective, and comprehensive news to international audiences, particularly in countries where government-controlled media dominates the information landscape. Its mission includes promoting democratic values and ensuring access to factual reporting about the United States and global events.

Media advocacy groups have been monitoring the case closely, as it represents a significant test of government influence over publicly funded media organizations. The restoration of VOA operations comes at a critical time in global information warfare, with authoritarian regimes increasingly restricting independent journalism and spreading disinformation.

The court’s decision has implications beyond Voice of America itself, potentially affecting how future administrations interact with government-funded media entities that operate with editorial independence. Legal experts suggest the ruling reinforces the principle that even government-funded media organizations must maintain operational independence from direct political control.

As VOA prepares to resume full operations, it faces the challenge of rebuilding staff morale and reestablishing trust with its global audience after a year of uncertainty and limited programming.