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Washington, February 25, 2002 – The Voice of America and the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication announced today the creation of the Nathanson Fellows program, which will provide the Voice of America internships for four journalism students annually.

The five-year program is being funded by Marc Nathanson, chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the federal agency that oversees U.S. international broadcasting including VOA. 

President George W. Bush praised the program Monday in appearance at VOA to celebrate the service’s 60^th anniversary. Nathanson "deserves special thanks for his endowment," Bush said.

"These fellowships are designed to help young, promising journalists gain a better understanding of the profession -- and the world beyond the United States. By working at VOA, Nathanson fellows will have an opportunity to learn from professionals who have the highest journalistic standards and whose job is to bring truthful news to the darkest corners of the world," said Nathanson, who is also vice chairman of Charter Communications, the nation’s fourth largest cable television operator.

The program, which will be administered by USC Annenberg, is slated to start in summer 2003. A USC Annenberg faculty committee will select the fellows. 

Under the program, students at USC Annenberg will spend six to eight weeks working at VOA bureaus in Washington, Hong Kong or London. The students will work closely with broadcasters and on-line journalists to write and report national and international stories. 

"By creating a relationship between these two outstanding institutions, Marc Nathanson’s generous grant is a gift to journalism students, and to people around the world who rely on VOA as their information lifeline," said Geoffrey Cowan, USC Annenberg dean and a former VOA director. 

The Voice of America is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government. VOA provides over 1,000 hours of programming on radio, TV and Internet every week to an estimated audience of 94 million people worldwide. Programs are produced and broadcast in English and 53 other languages. 

USC Annenberg School for Communication is one of the nation’s leading institutions devoted to the study of journalism and communication. It is recognized for its commitment to international journalism. With an enrollment of more than 1,500 graduate and undergraduate students, USC Annenberg prepares students for academic and professional success in these fields. 

For additional information, please contact the USC Annenberg School for Communication at (213) 821-1491 or Voice of America at (202) 619-2538 or send email to pubaff@voa.gov.