Originally known as “WTOP2,” Federal News Network, a radio and digital news organization that provides breaking news and analysis to federal employees and government contractors, celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
FNN was created in 2000 when news managers at WTOP saw a huge opportunity to cater to a niche of the WTOP audience in a different way. WTOP was noticing a tremendous amount of correspondence from addresses with .gov and .mil extensions. Many of these emails requested that WTOP cover more federally-focused content.
On Feb. 22, 2000, FNN went live as the first-ever all-digital radio station in the United States. It didn’t broadcast on a traditional radio signal until 2004, when it went live on 1050 AM and was rebranded from WTOP2 to Federal News Radio. It then moved to 1500 AM in 2008 and was officially renamed “Federal News Network” in 2018.
Executive Editor Jason Miller, who has run the close-knit newsroom since 2008 and hosts the “Ask the CIO” weekly show, said the station’s mission has always been to help federal employees make sense of “what is happening and why it matters to them in their day-to-day job.”
“Every story we do, every interview we do, really tries to answer two very simple questions: Why do you care as a federal employee? And how does this help you do your job better?” Miller told WTOP.
In the 17 years he’s served as the newsroom’s “chief cook and bottle washer,” Miller said the shift from radio to digital coverage has changed the editorial tone of the organization.
“The news coverage that we do every day, — the stories we put on the website — is the cake. And the radio is the icing, because that’s what gets people excited,” he said. “The shift to be a more digital newsroom was really important. At the same time, we don’t lose sight of the importance that radio and audio play in the way we tell stories and the way we cover the news.”
Media literacy, objectivity and Trump cuts
In that same time, the nation’s reliance on, and faith in, mainstream media has also shifted — from getting news from independent podcasters all the way to short-form videos on TikTok — and served as another challenge for many newsrooms across the country.
Asked if it’s difficult to remain objective and nonpartisan while reporting on information that’s often politically charged, Miller said, “We’re not trying to judge if it’s good or bad. We let other people do that, and I think that’s what every journalist should try to do, is strive for objectivity, which is very difficult because your own personal feelings absolutely come into play.”
Since the Trump administration began making cuts to the federal workforce in the last few weeks, Miller said the workload in the FNN newsroom has grown exponentially.
“The workload has been incredible. It’s coming at a very fast pace, and, of course, difficult to keep up with, and we’re doing our best,” Miller said. “Because we are a small, scrappy news organization, how can we share and impact the most people? … We know that we are limited with the size of staff we have and the amount of time we have in a day, so it’s really focused on what’s going to impact the most people.”
Longevity in the world of news
While the work can be grueling and thankless, Miller said he’s honored to be a part of a long-standing organization that serves such an important niche audience.
“Longevity shows you that people keep coming back. They find value in what we do,” Miller said. “The news business can be hard; the news business can be disappointing. But I think what we’ve shown is we’re able to find our niche, stay in our niche, and thrive in our niche every single day.”
Joel Oxley, president of WTOP News and Federal News Network, said it’s hard to believe how much the organization has grown from one hallway conversation between WTOP coworkers about how to deliver more in-depth news to federal employees and contractors around the D.C. region.
“It’s a testament to the tremendous people who have worked here over the years, and their dedication to covering the news that matters to federal government decision-makers, that we are so impactful after doing this for 25 years,” he told WTOP.
“I’ve always been proud that we consistently made sure to help people in the federal government do their jobs better and know the latest information on how to best navigate their decisions,” Oxley added. “As long as we fulfill that goal, we will continue to provide the value that our audience and sponsors need.”
Beginning Feb. 27, Federal News Network and WTOP will highlight a transformative moment in government, every week for 25 weeks, on both stations’ platforms. The anniversary campaign culminates in a black-tie gala at the Kennedy Center in October, honoring the five most impactful moments and the agencies involved.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
