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Doug Bernard, VOA English Division


Abyei residents, who fled to northern Sudan during the war, came back in their droves ahead of a referendum that was supposed to be held in January 2011 to determine if the region should be part of South Sudan or Sudan.<br />
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Abyei residents, who fled to northern Sudan during the war, came back in their droves ahead of a referendum that was supposed to be held in January 2011 to determine if the region should be part of South Sudan or Sudan.<br /> <br />
What happens to our online self after we die? These are the kinds of thought-provoking questions Doug Bernard explores for the audience of his blog, Digital Frontiers. “Certain human experiences we go through have not yet caught up to the digital world, and I explore that.” Bernard’s inquisitive mind prompts him to push the boundaries of blogging. “When I write, it’s not in ‘news speak,’ but in a distinct language for the web. Online pieces have to be constructed differently, because it’s another form of media with its own presentational style—one that you hope people connect with, since they can see through a phony. Readers appreciate the honesty of an individual and that voice, so I try to reflect that with Digital Frontiers. It’s the best job. The audience is the one who is curious; I am the one who gets to be curious for them.

Doug Bernard was named a journalism fellow in 2000 at the University of Michigan where he lectured and conducted media research. Prior to joining VOA’s English division in 2002, he wrote for The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Christian Science Monitor. Bernard was deemed “International Presenter of the Year—Radio” by the Association of International Broadcasting for his work as host of VOA’s Talk to America program. Shortly after, he created The Daily Download, VOA’s first video webcast that featured downloadable news highlights. His most recent project, Digital Frontiers, covers the ever-changing issues of security, freedom, privacy, and identity on the web.

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