Wednesday, August 29th 2012
“Truth and personal integrity,” legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow once said, “are the ultimate persuaders of men and nations.”
So it is today at the nation’s largest and only global publicly-funded international network, the Voice of America. The sacrifices of frontline VOA journalists barely rate mention in the mainstream press --- even though these centurions of truth daily fulfill Murrow’s charge.
Read More
Tuesday, June 14th 2011
“Radio is a supple and durable technology that has outlived quite a few predictions of its demise.” That statement by John Staudenmaier, editor of the Journal of Technology and Culture, rings true even in this new century of digital social media and the advent of a staggering variety of delivery platforms beyond traditional radio and TV.
Read More
Monday, June 6th 2011
Those who practice the art of public diplomacy might do well to keep in mind the famous cautionary guidance for those who practice the healing arts. Put another way: If you find yourself in a tough situation, whatever you do, don’t make things worse.
The position of Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs was created at the end of the Clinton Administration, nearly a dozen years ago, and since then, there have been a half dozen presidential appointees who have been entrusted with the responsibility of using the tools of public diplomacy and public affairs to advance the national interests – and improve international understanding – of the United States around the world.
None of them has made things worse. But have they made them better?
Read More
Wednesday, May 25th 2011
The first three days of June offer unique Washington forums on the fate of international broadcasting in a critical year for the largest of the global publicly-funded Western overseas networks. At issue: the future of these enterprises in the face of a rapidly-evolving media environment and, in some instances, horrific budget cuts.
Read More
Friday, April 8th 2011
In a tiny, crowded conference room on Capitol Hill April 6 --- ignored by camera crews covering what appeared to be an imminent U.S. government shutdown --- a decades-old struggle on the content of America’s publicly-funded international broadcasts surfaced once again.
The setting was the first meeting of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on oversight and investigations, chaired by Representative Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA). The hearing’s title: “Is America’s Overseas Broadcasting Undermining our National Interest and the Fight Against Tyrannical Regimes?”
Read More
