Voice Of America

The Voice of America (VOA) is a dynamic multimedia broadcaster funded by the U.S. Government, broadcasts news and information to an international audience. It started in 1942 as a radio news service for people living in closed and war-torn societies. It has grown into a multimedia broadcast service. VOA now reaches people on mobile devices and Facebook, through Twitter feeds and call-in programs – using the medium that works best for specific audiences. There are over 20,000 titles of VOA broadcasts dating from 1945 through 1974 available by title or date on the NARA website. The U.S. Information Agency (USIA) was established by Reorganization Plan No. 8 and an Executive order of August 1, 1953. On. Oct. 1, 1999, USIA’s non-broadcast functions were merged into the U.S. Department of State, and the agency ceased operations. The media services of the USIA included the Voice of America.