JournalismPakistan.com | Published March 29, 2025 at 07:20 pm | Source: TheHill.com
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NEW YORK—A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Trump’s administration from moving forward with plans to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), preventing the termination of over 1,200 reporters and staff who had been placed on paid leave earlier this month, thehill.com reported. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken on Friday, halts the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) from disbanding the VOA and its associated programs.
Judge Oetken found that the Trump administration’s actions likely violated the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) by failing to provide adequate justification for the sweeping changes to USAGM. He stated that the plaintiffs had demonstrated a "likelihood of success" on their legal claims. The judge’s order also prohibits the withdrawal of funding for other U.S. government-backed media outlets like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Radio Free Asia.
This decision followed a lawsuit filed by unions, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and VOA employees, arguing that the move to close VOA violated multiple laws. The plaintiffs sought the court’s intervention to reinstate the international broadcasting service, which has been off air since employees were placed on leave.
President Trump and other Republicans have long criticized VOA, claiming the network’s coverage is biased against conservatives. VOA broadcasts in nearly 50 languages and has been an essential news source globally. Kari Lake, a former Arizona gubernatorial candidate appointed by Trump as a senior adviser for VOA, emphasized plans to modernize the outlet and align it more closely with U.S. diplomatic policies.
In the court’s ruling, Judge Oetken underscored that the administration’s actions, including withholding funds and effectively closing a congressionally created agency, could not be justified under the Constitution. The judge criticized language used by VOA's new leadership, suggesting that their actions fell outside the statutory parameters laid out by Congress.
In the meantime, VOA employees received an email offering them the opportunity to "voluntarily transition out of federal service" through the Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), with benefits and pay intact until September 2025.
This significant ruling is seen as a victory for press freedom advocates, with NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss calling it a "powerful rebuke" to an administration that has faced criticism for undermining the press’s independence.
TheHill.com continues to follow developments on this important case.
ایک وفاقی جج نے صدر ٹرمپ کی انتظامیہ کو وائس آف امریکہ (وی او اے) کو ختم کرنے کے منصوبے کو عارضی طور پر روک دیا ہے، جس کے نتیجے میں اس ماہ کے شروع میں 1,200 سے زیادہ رپورٹرز اور دیگر ملازمین کو پےڈ چھٹی پر بھیجے جانے کے بعد ان کی برخاستگی کو مؤخر کر دیا گیا دی ہل ڈاٹ کام نے رپورٹ کیا
جمعہ کو یو ایس ڈسٹرکٹ جج جے پال اوٹکن نے یہ حکم جاری کیا، جس میں یو ایس ایجنسی فار گلوبل میڈیا (یو ایس اے جی ایم) کو وی او اے اور اس سے منسلک پروگراموں کو ختم کرنے سے روک دیا۔ جج اوٹکن نے کہا کہ ٹرمپ انتظامیہ نے یو ایس اے جی ایم میں وسیع تبدیلیوں کی وضاحت دینے میں ناکامی کے بعد، ممکنہ طور پر ایڈمنسٹریٹیو پروسیجر ایکٹ (اے پی اے) کی خلاف ورزی کی ہے۔
اس فیصلے میں وی او اے کے ملازمین کو دوبارہ کام پر واپس لانے کا مطالبہ کیا گیا تھا۔ ان ملازمین کو اس ماہ کے شروع میں پےڈ چھٹیوں پر بھیجا گیا تھا۔ اس کے علاوہ، جج نے رےڈیو فری یورپ/ریڈیو لبرٹی اور رےڈیو فری ایشیا کے لیے فنڈنگ کو بھی روکا ہے۔
ٹرمپ اور دیگر ریپبلکنز نے وی او اے کی تنقید کی ہے اور دعویٰ کیا ہے کہ یہ نیٹ ورک قدامت پسندوں کے خلاف جانبداری سے خبریں فراہم کرتا ہے۔ وی او اے کو دنیا بھر میں 50 زبانوں میں نشریات فراہم کرنے والا ایک اہم ادارہ سمجھا جاتا ہے۔
وی او اے کی نئی قیادت کے متعلق جج اوٹکن نے کہا کہ اس کے اقدامات کانگریس کی جانب سے طے شدہ قانونی ضوابط کے تحت نہیں ہیں۔
اس فیصلے کے بعد وی او اے کے ملازمین کو ایک ای میل موصول ہوئی جس میں انہیں "وفاقی سروس سے رضاکارانہ طور پر علیحدہ ہونے" کی پیشکش کی گئی تھی، جس میں ان کی تنخواہیں اور فوائد برقرار رہیں گے۔
یہ فیصلہ پریس کی آزادی کے حامیوں کے لیے ایک بڑی کامیابی کے طور پر دیکھا جا رہا ہے۔ نیوزگلڈ سی ڈبلیو اے کے صدر جون شلیئس نے اسے ٹرمپ انتظامیہ کی جانب سے پریس کی آزادی اور قانون کی حکمرانی کے خلاف کی جانے والی کوششوں پر "ایک طاقتور جواب" قرار دیا۔
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