每日评论0424 法官下令美國之音恢復播出

法官下令美國之音恢復播出

2025年4月22日，美國哥倫比亞特區的聯邦法官羅伊斯·藍伯斯（Royce Lamberth）裁定，川普政府關閉美國之音（VOA）及其母機構——美國全球媒體總署（USAGM）的行為可能違法，命令政府立即恢復VOA的運作，並讓被解雇或停職的員工復職。

此事件源於川普政府在3月14日發布的行政命令，大幅削減USAGM的職能與預算。約1300名VOA員工被強制停職，另有500名合同工被解約，使VOA自二戰以來首次全面停播。

藍伯斯法官指出，政府的決定「武斷且缺乏合理分析」，違反了國會對該機構的授權與資金用途。他強調，美國之音的使命是向全球傳播準確、客觀、全面的新聞，並弘揚美國核心價值，如新聞自由與言論自由。

VOA記者對此判決表示歡迎，並認為這不僅是對新聞自由的捍衛，也與國家安全息息相關。目前VOA已開始逐步恢復播出，員工也陸續回到工作崗位。但川普政府是否會提起上訴，仍有待觀察。

A Judge Orders Voice Of America To Resume Broadcasting

On April 22, 2025, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., Royce Lamberth, ruled that the Trump administration’s move to shut down Voice of America (VOA) and its parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), may have been unlawful. The court ordered the government to resume VOA’s operations and reinstate all employees who had been laid off or suspended.

This came after a March 14th executive order by the Trump administration that drastically reduced the scope of USAGM’s activities. About 1,300 VOA staff were furloughed, and 500 contract workers were let go, resulting in the first full shutdown of VOA broadcasts since World War II.

Judge Lamberth stated that the administration’s decision was, “arbitrary and capricious,” violating congressional mandates and funding laws. He emphasized that VOA plays a crucial role in promoting press freedom and delivering accurate and objective news to global audiences.

VOA journalists welcomed the ruling, viewing it as a defense of journalistic independence and national security. While VOA has begun resuming broadcasts and restoring staff, it remains to be seen whether the administration will appeal the decision.