The Voice of America has named Myroslava Gongadze as the network’s first ever Eastern Europe Chief. Gongadze moves into the new position after serving as the Chief of the VOA Ukrainian language service in Washington, D.C. She will move to Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2022. In this new role, she will lead expanded coverage of a region threatened by hybrid war and disinformation. As a Russian troop buildup intensifies along the Ukrainian border and in Russian-occupied Crimea, Gongadze will be covering for a global audience the Kremlin’s aggressive posture in Eastern Europe as well as the impact of Russia’s and China’s influence throughout the region.
A veteran award-winning journalist and broadcaster, Gongadze joined VOA in 2004. Recognized for her reporting on the eve of Ukraine’s Orange Revolution, she also covered developments during the Euromaidan revolution and ensuing crisis period. She moderated Ukraine’s first nationally televised post-Maidan general election debates in 2014. Acknowledged by numerous media outlets for her expertise on U.S.-Ukraine relations, Gongadze appeared multiple times in Focus Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential women in Ukraine. She recently completed a yearlong Nieman Foundation for Journalism Fellowship at Harvard University where she focused on strategies for covering Russia’s information warfare.
“I am thrilled that Myroslava will be taking on this pivotal role at such a crucial time in the country and in the region she knows – and has covered - so well for so many years,” said Acting VOA Director, Yolanda Lόpez. “This appointment of such a seasoned reporter into Ukraine’s capital city directly aligns with VOA’s audience-first approach, as we continue to move our journalists swiftly into places where they can provide firsthand coverage of critical regions and produce stories that our audience needs most,” López added.
“I am honored to build on my seventeen-year career at Voice of America in my new role as Eastern Europe Chief,” said Gongadze. “VOA already plays a crucial role in Ukraine as a trusted news source and example of impartial fact-based journalism. I am looking forward to bringing coverage of Ukraine, a key battlefield in the global fight for democracy, and the wider region to global audiences,” Gongadze remarked.
The appointment is effective immediately.