TRANSCRIPT:
Since March 14, Voice of America has stopped broadcasting. Our newsrooms are empty and a vital public service for millions around the world has been silenced.
I was Voice of America’s immigration reporter. Over the years, I’ve covered countless immigration stories from policy shifts to personal journeys, breaking down the complexities of the U.S. immigration system for our global audience. When we produced explainers about how the asylum process works or the difference between refugee status and a temporary protected status, I knew our stories were lifelines. They helped people make sense of a system that many find overwhelming.
VOA broadcast in nearly 50 languages and reached an audience of around 360 million people every week. These people were reading, watching and listening to our immigration stories in their own languages, often in places where independent media doesn’t exist. Our journalism was carried by more than 3,500 affiliate stations around the world.
Being part of a global news operation like VOA was the realization of a dream that started when I was just a kid. That early determination shaped the reporter I am today. And working at Voice of America has truly been the honor of a lifetime. No matter what happens next, I will carry these stories with me. But I hope you will stand with us because access to truth matters. And when it’s taken away, the consequences will be felt far beyond the newsroom.
Published
Barros is an immigration reporter for VOA’s Central News Division in Washington. Before joining VOA in 2016, Aline worked for the Gazette Newspapers and Channel 21 Montgomery Community Media, both in Montgomery County, Maryland. She has been published by The Washington Post, G1 Portal Brazilian News and Fox News Latino.