On the Media A Good Sign For the VOA?
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Mar 11, 2026 Nicole Hemmer, a political historian at Vanderbilt who studies U.S. political media and presidential history, traces Voice of America’s origins in WWII and its use of news and culture to project American values. She discusses VOA’s commitment to truthful reporting, its Cold War and post–Cold War roles, debates over cultural imperialism and bias, and recent political moves to reshape or dismantle the service.
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VOA Used Culture To Build Credibility
- Voice of America combined truthful news with cultural programming to build credibility abroad.
- Nicole Hemmer explains VOA aired straightforward reports alongside jazz and American culture to model freedom and attract listeners.
VOA Pivoted To Support Fragile Democracies
- Post–Cold War VOA adopted a mission to model a free press for new and fragile democracies.
- Hemmer says VOA shifted to supporting transitions where countries risked becoming totalitarian rather than assuming democracy had won.
Soft Power Is Influence Not Proof
- VOA's effect is hard to measure but works as soft power by providing services audiences otherwise lack.
- Hemmer frames VOA's influence as making people think more warmly of the U.S. through access to accurate information.