(2006-0165-F) Voice of America

The materials in FOIA 2006-0165-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials.

FOIA request 2006-0165-F contains materials from several agencies and individuals, including the National Security Council. The VOA was founded in 1942 to combat Nazi propaganda. It played a crucial role in the struggle against communism during the Cold War. VOA broadcasts reach 100 million regular listeners in English and 52 other languages. The VOA and the BBC World Service are the two most important international broadcasting agencies.

During the Clinton Administration the VOA experienced a period of transition and consolidation. Language services and staff were reduced in Europe as a result of the end of the Cold War. However, expansion took place in other parts of the world such as Asia and Africa. The NSC considered the VOA to be an important tool in its efforts to introduce democratic principles to fledgling republics and countries where repressive regimes held power. As a consequence, it was a key player in the decisions determining which areas of the globe would receive VOA broadcasts.

The White House Office of Records Management (WHORM) Alpha Files contain four records relating to the VOA. There is material concerning a memorial tribute for Willis Conover, an invitation for the President to speak at HEARTLAND USA, a cassette tape, and a request for an invitation to a State Dinner.

The WHORM Subject Categories for VOA contain sixteen different subject file classifications. These categories have correspondence pertaining to Radio Free Asia and VOA in China and the use of the Presidential Seal for an exhibit at VOA. Lists of H.R. and Senate bills, schedules, briefing materials, talking points, speech cards, speeches, information on VOA’s budget, and thank you letters can also be found in these records. Invitations to address VOA events such as ―Talk to America‖ and ―Press Conference USA‖ show up throughout the collection. In addition, the WHORM subject files contain a considerable amount of unrelated material in the form of booklets, reports, resumes, and letters requesting either employment or recommendations.

The White House Staff and Office Files contain correspondence, memos, testimony, talking points, and articles maintained by individual staff members. Included in these records are VOA reconciliation files from the White House Travel Office, a memo recommending someone for a position with the VOA, material for a speech to be given to Jazz/VOA by President Clinton, and two files from the President’s Daily Diary. The files of Cameron Munter consist primarily of correspondence dealing with the reduction of European language services in an effort to make the VOA more efficient. Mary DeRosa files include printed materials concerning the airing of VOA programs in Iran and China. Information about the creation of the VOA/Department of Justice ―International Most Wanted‖ project can be found in the records of Matthew Gobush. His papers contain memos, press releases, and public service announcements highlighting the theme of interagency cooperation as a way of fighting international crime and terrorism.

The Automated Records Management System (ARMS) Emails deal with a number of topics related to the operation of the VOA during the Clinton Administration. These matters include staff changes and assignments, particularly the appointment of Evelyn S. Lieberman as the director of the VOA in 1996. Of special note here is the coverage by the VOA of the spread of AIDS in Africa.
The NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management Systems give an overall picture of the activities of the VOA during the years that President Clinton was in office. VOA journalists interviewed world leaders on a daily basis, constantly sought the expertise of NSC staffers, and became involved in controversies attributed to biased reporting on their part. Throughout these records the independence and integrity of the VOA is stressed.