journalist

reporter

VOICE OF AMERICA

Be aware that if you are a production contractor you will be paid 35% to 70% less than full time government employees doing the exact same work. It is a fast-paced, high-pressure work environment where you may go from show to show with little or no breaks except for the minimum required by law. They regularly try to do too many shows with too few people. 

You will be working side by side with full time employees and required to be equally proficient but you will be paid less hourly, will have no fringe benefits and will be considered by some to be a second class employee. This situation creates a very toxic work atmosphere.  Morale is low. VOA regularly is at the bottom of government agency employee satisfaction ratings.  What could be a big happy family is a soul-less, every-man-for-himself hive for drones.  Unlike government employees you will get no increased rate of overtime pay, no paid holidays, no paid vacation, no sick leave, no insurance, no savings plans, no health insurance, no pension, no contribution to unemployment insurance, and you will have to pay self-employment tax. You will be paid nothing close to what you would make as a freelancer at that level of production any place else in town.

It's a big news operation, but top level management does not come from broadcasting - more often they are from newspapers - so they have little understanding of production requirements and don't care to find out.  Language services staff generally have little training and although they may be eager are essentially amateurs at every position.

First level supervisors come from the ranks of technicians which is good in that they understand the job requirements, but that doesn't mean they know much about management.  Often in over their heads and inattentive to staff.

A typical day at VOA is fast paced if you work in the news division, have several deadlines and live broadcasts.

I've learned you get out of it, what you put in.  However, there are cliques and personalities one would have to navigate.

Management draws quite a bit of criticism for not listening to employees or seeking insight from seasoned personnel in making crucial decisions the organization.

Co-workers are eager and productive, some with a hint of sarcasm. Others are just pressing there way towards pay day or retirement.

The hardest part of the job is watching deserving employees get passed over for promotions. 

The most enjoyable part of the job is that one can find his or her own silver lining.

VOA is a worldwide multimedia news organization with output in 45+ languages, dedicated to accurate news, comprehensive coverage of the USA, and balanced coverage of US foreign policy.  Most journalists speak 2-3 languages; support staff are in regular contact with language services and senior management.  The organization is mission-driven in accordance with the VOA Charter - a law passed by Congress and signed by President Ford in 1976.  The hardest part of the job is also the best part of the job:  collaboration between professionals from different cultures to provide honest, accurate, balanced and comprehensive coverage of events, issues, and trends taking place in the United States and around the world.

I started as a broadcaster and writer. I ended as Assignment Editor.
Along the years I accumulated a great experience dealing with news related to different countries and situations. I interviewed presidents, senators, physicians, engineers, astronauts, etc.
The hardest part of the job was when we have to learn and apply a new software, or working with new equipment. Also doing different tasks at the same time. 
The most enjoyable part of the job has been the trips to other States and abroad covering important national and/or international events.
In my time the management was really good, and in general, co-workers were cooperative and with a sense of team-work.

Many of the reviews are from temporary contractors, interns and a few b-nosers. Many managers have no experience in what they are overseeing and have only watched "how to be the boss" videos. Social promotion is rampant and there is no quality control on the programs that are produced. Many of the personnel lack basic skills in journalism or news gathering, but have plenty of "fake it til you make it. I've seen many a career professional lose his or her job by trying to initiate new ideas, be creative or correct or solve problems. And when that happens, management circles the wagons and the person is regarded as "disgruntled," "a trouble-maker," or some other negative influence. When you're a new hire, or just starting it seems great. The older, mature staff person knows where the bodies are buried.

A typical day was never a typical day, each day was something new and different in public relations you deal with the current events going on at the moment from within the organization and because VOA is a global international news agency who audiences stretch over 54 different languages, you can imagine that there is always something going on everywhere. 
I learned alot about how to understand and communicate with different cultures and different ethnic backgrounds. My co workers were great, we were like one big think tank of ideas. The most enjoyable times where when we would celebrate a cultures heritage with pot luck luncheons to sample their foods and understand what the celebration of the occasion really meant.

The Voice of America was a great place to work and learn about the ins and outs of television news and broadcasting.

The staff was friendly and super supportive, however, because of all of the government cuts, some were always very nervous about losing their jobs.

The hardest part of the job was learning how all the equipment worked together as they had numerous cost-effective systems that worked in unison.

The most enjoyable part of the job was seeing my productions being used on various news productions for different language services (Spanish/Russian/Tibetan).

What is the best part of working at the company?
That I NO LONGER work there.  They do not support there employees.   Management sucks, HR is no help, and the Union is almost non existent  and only chimed in when there voice made no impact 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management and the lack of support to there employees

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Do ad I day  not what your knowledge base had thought or trained you

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Being frustrated, no one to assist you  being bullied.  Under appointed and overworked

I worked as a contractor and was laid off in May 2025. I loved working here. The  federal government is in the process of shutting it down. We had a strong contractor team on the night Central Editing desk -- we were all former professional journalists and really helped raise the bar for the entire agency. There was room for improvement, of course. More training was needed to keep up with journalism industry changes and standards, but the entire agency didn't deserve to be shut down. It played an important role delivering news to countries that did not have press freedom. 

Productive and fun to work with seasoned journalists who speak different languages and have different cultures. It feels like working for the United Nations. The hardest past of the job is going through so much red tape in order to go and cover an event since it is funded by the government, one is never free to go and cover an impromptu incidence.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Journalist 3 salaries reported	$70,000 per year
Reporter 2 salaries reported	$114,351 per year

Working at VOICE OF AMERICA: Company Overview and Reviews

VOICE OF AMERICA

VOICE OF AMERICA Ratings

Popular jobs at VOICE OF AMERICA

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected