July 27, 2014, Washington D.C. – Turkic American Alliance was given a tour of the Voice of America (VOA) headquarters in Washington DC.
VOA is an international news organization which provides objective, accurate, and reliable news to areas of the world where local news may have questionable integrity, if any. In order to do this successfully, they adhere to a charter signed in by President Gerald Ford. The charter is comprised of three tenets; in VOA pledges to provide accurate news, balanced representations of American opinions, and clear examples of American policies. They broadcast to all corners of the world in over forty different languages, allowing people who don’t have access to genuine information to acquire imperative knowledge. Being able to see the heart of this network was a wonderful experience for TAA staff and interns. As the heralds of truth for the world, VOA works to ensure that all people of the world have access to information.
The tour began in a room that had a plethora of VOA memorabilia, as well as a large display featuring their charter. They were shown broadcasting rooms, behind the scenes areas, and control centers. The group was fortunate enough to catch a live Ukrainian news broadcast as it was being delivered, as well as to gain insight in various stages of news production.
The chaperone took the group through the VOA offices, including various regional broadcasting rooms, specifically the Urdu and Uzbek offices. The group was luckily able to meet with the heads of both of these offices. This glimpse into the world of journalism gives a marvelous perspective of the fruits that are born of the labors that the journalists at VOA bear in the pursuit of truth.
