Amanda Bennett takes the reins as director of Voice of America.
Associate Director of Language Programming Kelu Chao was acting director since June of last year. Bennett succeeds David Ensor, who was director from 2011 to 2015.
In the announcement, Broadcasting Board of Governors Chairman Jeff Shell called Bennett “a talented, experienced and award-winning journalist … Her unique skills and deep understanding of the rapidly evolving digital news marketplace will serve VOA well.”
Bennett was executive editor of Bloomberg News and was editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, editor of the Herald-Leader in Lexington, Ky., managing editor/projects for The Oregonian in Portland, and reporter and editor for the Wall Street Journal. She has been a contributing columnist for The Washington Post.
“Bennett shared the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting with her Journal colleagues, and in 2001 led a team from The Oregonian to a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service,” BBG stated. “Projects by the Bloomberg projects and investigations team, led by Bennett, won numerous awards, including Loeb, Polk, Barlett & Steele, Headliners, Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and Overseas Press Club awards.”
She is the 29th person to hold the position of director at VOA.
