Voice of America’s 26th director, David S. Jackson, oversaw VOA’s largest expansion into television and the beginnings of new media. VOA’s audience grew to nearly 120 million worldwide, an increase of about 33%. He also updated VOA’s logo, changing it from the traditional red, white, and blue color scheme and old typeface to a bold, modern typeface in new colors – blue, green, and grey. This branding was incorporated into a new interactive guided studio tour showcasing VOA’s multilingual live radio and television programs.
Jackson began his career as a journalist at The Chicago Daily News, followed by a 23-year period at Time Magazine. At Time, Jackson rose through the ranks, eventually gaining the experience to work as a foreign correspondent, covering news in dozens of countries throughout the world. He switched to covering technology for Time, focusing on coverage of the Internet and the developing digital world.
After the September 2001 terror attacks, Jackson moved to public service, beginning with a new website for the Department of Defense focusing on the war against terrorism. He left DoD for Voice of America, then after leaving VOA he continued in public service as a Senior Advisor for Communications/Public Affairs at the Department of State. He next served as director of Defense Media Activity back at DoD, then as Executive Editor of The Washington Times 2012 to 2013.