A Note on Obama and YouTube, with a reponse from VOA

Response to John Brown’s Item: “A Note on Obama and YouTube.”
[March 23, 2009]
From
Joan Mower
Director, VOA Public Relations
jmower@voanews.com

Your blog post of Friday, March 20 [SEE BELOW] implies President Obama, in his address to the Iranian people on Nowruz, bypassed U.S. international broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), the two U.S. government broadcasters that provide news and information directly to Iran.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The White House provided VOA, the largest Persian-language broadcaster, with Obama’s three-minute taped address in advance, embargoed for release at 11:30 p.m. Thursday EDT. VOA provided the tape to its sister broadcasters, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL); Radio Free Asia (RFA); Middle East Broadcasting Network (Al Hurra TV and Radio Sawa) and Radio/TV Marti.

By the time the embargo was lifted, the Obama video was posted on http://www.voanews.com/, www.voanews.com/persian/, and VOA’s partner YouTube channels as well as on other U.S. international broadcasting sites.

VOA reaches more than 29 people million people weekly with its Persian News Network – satellite television, radio and Internet. RFE/RL runs Radio Farda which broadcasts into Iran.

Over the weekend, PNN received and broadcast emails from inside Iran, many of them praising Obama’s speech. In one, Arash said he was pleased with Obama’s “message because he (Obama) actually recognizes the Islamic Republic of Iran.” The writer also said he hoped Iran’s leaders “will study Obama’s speech and make a good decision.”

In his remarks, Obama talked of a “new beginning,” saying he hoped Iran, the United States and other nations would form constructive ties. He also praised Iran’s “great and celebrated culture.”

VOA has the largest combined radio and television audience of all international broadcasters in Iran, with one in four adult Iranians tuning into a VOA show at least once a week. VOA broadcasts seven hours of television daily, repeated in a 24-hour format, and five hours of radio. Broadcasts are available round-the-clock on the Internet at http://www.voapnn.com/.

A Note on Obama and YouTube

John Brown

President Obama's decision to address Iran -- its population and leaders -- via YouTube rather than a US goverment-supported media network (VOA, RFE/RL, Radio Sawa, Alhurra television) could be yet another indication (in the wake of his Al-Arabiya interview) that the new administration intends to "send its message(s) to the world" not through the public-diplomacy structures that were put in place during the Cold War and "the war on terror," but rather through private (or foreign) media that are not tainted by the crude propaganda that all too often has characterized USG outreach overseas, and particularly during the Bush years.

Obama goes on the Leno talk-show to speak to the American people, and on YouTube to address Iranians. To state the obvious: He is looking beyond traditional/official news media to make his administration's voice heard at home and overseas.

Meanwhile, no Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs has been named. Has that position become a bureaucratic dinosaur?

"Smart Power In, Public Diplomacy Out?", I recently suggested. Obama's address to Iran on the occasion of its new year could perhaps be another piece of evidence that this may be the case.