VOA’s Reporting on U.S. Reaction to Putin's Recent Attacks on Ukraine Engages the Audience
VOA’s comprehensive coverage of Putin’s attacks on Ukraine following the destruction of the bridge connecting Crimea to Russia, as well as exclusive footage from Ukraine’s liberated Kherson and Vysokopillya regions, generated wide interest, garnering more than 1.7 million views and tens of thousands of interactions on social media. Locals described to VOA life under Russian occupation and recounted atrocities committed by Russian soldiers. Coverage also featured analysis by U.S. experts and UNGA’s emergency special session on Ukraine was livestreamed with simultaneous translation into Russian and was highlighted in VOA Russian’s Current Time America.
VOA's Reporting on Russia's Threat to Use Nuclear Weapons Reposted by Several Media Outlets
The threat of Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine continues to attract people's attention. VOA News Center reporter Henry Ridgwell’s video report “Putin Faces ‘Most Perilous Moment’ As Russian Forces Retreat In Ukraine” got more than 736,000 views on YouTube. Also, a video and web report by Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine with analysis by nuclear experts on how likely Russian President Vladimir Putin is to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine got more than 70,000 views in English on YouTube and more than 23,400 views on Shenja TV (Somalia) and was reposted westobserver.com (Netherlands), cna.al (Kosovo), and topchannel.tv (Albania) among other outlets.
VOA Persian's Reporting on Iran Protests Engages the Audience
In the fourth week of nationwide protests in Iran, VOA Persian reported that university students and schoolgirls have joined the protests. The service interviewed Nasreen Shakarami, mother of Nika Shakarami, the 16-year-old girl who was beaten to death by security forces. Kourosh Aladin reported social media users’ reaction to Nika’s death; Afshar Sigarchi reported on the government’s pressure on Nika's family. In Mahtab Vahidirad’s special program, experts said that some young people face certain death based on their actions. However, political analyst, Jamshid Barzegar, told VOA Persian that this is the beginning of a revolution in Iran. Total engagement on digital platforms for this programming surpassed 3,432,600.
VOA Reporting on Burkina Faso and Russian Wagner Group Relations Draws Audience Numbers
In a statement issued by U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel, the United States has strongly advised Burkina Faso's new military government not to cooperate with the Russian paramilitary organization, Wagner group. VOA Bambara on-the-ground reporting included reactions from citizens and analysts in Burkina Faso, drawing more than 100k video views on Facebook.
Reporting on ANIM's First Concert After Fall of Kabul Popular with Audience
VOA Afghan produced a 2-hour documentary covering the first performance in exile of Afghanistan's National Institute of Music from their new home in Portugal. The gala concert, titled "Light and Hope," was performed in Lisbon’s prestigious Gulbenkian Grand Auditorium. Led by anchors Farkhunda Paimani of VOA Afghan and Munaza Shaheed of VOA Deewa, the team was given exclusive behind the scenes access. Afghan refugee Sayed Anwar Hashimi who attended said, "We were so happy to hear our national anthem. We could not control our emotions and cried." The historic event was broadcast on VOA’s Afghan satellite TV channel and on its web and social media platforms, where it was widely shared by viewers.
VOA Khmer’s Reporting on Activist’s Imprisonment a Significant Audience Draw
VOA Khmer provided in-depth coverage of the detention of an activist, which a rights group told VOA was similar to the recent arrests of environmentalists in Cambodia aimed at intimidating advocacy groups there. Thel Thilen was arrested on October 4 on charges of stealing someone else’s plot in a 2016 land dispute. His imprisonment came after the 32 year old joined other nationalists to protest plans for a Vietnamese language department at a university, as well as the granting of permanent residency to ethnic Vietnamese. The reporting garnered more than 285,000 views on social media.
VOA Spanish Reporting on Organization of American States' General Assembly Engages the Audience
Correspondent Jaime Moreno traveled with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, reporting on his visit to Colombia, Chile and Peru, where he attended the OAS General Assembly in Lima. Moreno providedcontent for allplatforms. From Peru, correspondent Nestor Aguilera reported on the meeting, providing 75 daily live and prerecorded reports for affiliates and TV and radio stories, adding to web team coverage. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian Nichols, reaffirmed U.S. support for Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president, while State Department spokesperson Kristina Rosales emphasizedthe U.S. isn’t lifting sanctions against Venezuela’s government. The OAS General Assembly and Secretary Blinken content generated more than 352K video views across all social media platforms.
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