VOA Broadcasting in Bosnian
VOA’s Bosnian service is a trusted source of news and information in Bosnia-Herzegovina about the United States, the Western Balkans and the world. Through its varied, multimedia programming, with a focus on television, the service reaches a sophisticated audience in a region of strategic interest to the United States. Bosnia remains divided along ethnic lines and faces daunting political and economic challenges primarily because of endemic corruption, dysfunctional institutions, and malign foreign influences, with the economy in peril and a high rate of unemployment among youth. Russia has made concerted efforts to increase its influence in the Balkans, particularly among Bosnian Serbs. By delivering accurate information about U.S. policies and actions, VOA Bosnian provides a counterbalance to Russian propaganda and to forces that seek to radicalize Bosnia’s younger Muslim population. The service’s reporters in Washington, D.C., share America’s democratic experience and focus on content about American life, thought and institutions. The service helps the audience improve its understanding of U.S. society, policies, and perspectives, and is often the medium of record regarding pronouncements by U.S. officials.
Quick Facts
Established: June 1996
Target Area: Bosnia-Herzegovina
Weekly Audience: 16.8 percent
TV Programming: 1.75 hours per week
Programs and additional features available at:
Facebook: studiowashington
Twitter: @voabosnian
YouTube: bosnianglasamerike
Instagram: glasamerike
Programs and Features
Studio Washington – A live, 15-minute news and current affairs television program, which airs Monday through Friday by satellite and on 15 TV stations throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina. The show includes interviews with newsmakers from the United States and the target region.
VOA Bosnian also conducts a weekly five-minute live-to- tape interactive program with the national Bosnian channel PBS, as well as a weekly live report to FEDERALNA TV, among Bosnia’s leading TV channels. Both reports to partner stations focus on major political and social issues in the United States, providing American perspectives on developments affecting the audience.
In addition, VOA Bosnian maintains a dynamic website that expands its TV coverage with feature reporting. Social media output, largely dominated by Facebook, has been enriched with Twitter and Instagram accounts that are continuously gaining followers.