The voice of America began during World War II, when Germany was broadcasting a radio program to get international support. American believed they should answer the German broadcast with words that they thought were the facts of world events. The first VOA news report began with these words in German:”The news may be good or bad, but we shall tell you the truth.” Within a week, other VOA announcers were broadcasting in Italian, French and English.
After World War II ended in 1945, some Americans felt VOA’s purpose had to be changed, considering that the Soviet Union had become the new enemy. They wanted to reach Soviet listeners. Then VOA began broadcasting in Russian.
In the early years VOA began adding something new to its broadcast that was called “Music USA”. Another new idea came along in 1959. VOA knew that many listeners did not know enough English to completely understand its normal English broadcast. So VOA invented a simpler kind of English, which uses about 1,500 words and is spoken slowly. Of course, it is Special English.
In the opinion of most VOA listeners, the most important program is the news report. News from around the world flies into the VOA newsroom in Washington 24 hours a day. It comes from VOA reporters in major cities and also from other broadcasts like the BBC.