During the thought-provoking event co-organized by Professor Shawn Powers at the New America Foundation, "International Broadcasting, Public Media, and the News Deficit," many noteworthy comments were made by its distinguished panelists.
But the observations that struck me most were those made by Loren Jenkins, senior editor of NPR's (National Public Radio) foreign desk, and Steve Redisch, VOA (Voice of America) Executive Editor, in answer to a question about the possibility of the Voice of America -- funded by the U.S. government -- and National Public Radio -- which calls itself "an independent, self-supporting media organization" -- joining forces. Jenkins replied that NPR provided accurate information/news (including from overseas) to Americans; Redisch said VOA provided same to foreign audiences.
Most significant, though, was how Jenkins and Redisch defined why their organizations provided information/news. Jenkins said NPR's purpose was to "educate"; Redisch, a former CNN producer, said that VOA must (among other goals, education not cited among them) provide "entertainment."
Educate and entertain. Pick your choice. Personally, I would simply say, "Tell it straight."
A footnote: Jenkins said VOA was propagandistic; former Bush White House Press Secretary Dana Perino, appearing on another panel, asked the question, "Isn't NPR itself propagandistic"?
Comment by Shawn Powers, who was kind enough to read this entry in draft form: "Despite similarities in profession and mission, it seems clear that the divide between publicly funded international and domestic media is not only legal (i.e. the Smith-Mundt Act), but also cultural. The conversation at the New America Foundation was helpful in highlighting both the potential for and opposition to productive collaboration between organizations like NPR and the VOA."
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2 comments:
John,
You are absolutely right. It should be "Tell it straight." It's quite telling that a VOA official speaks about "entertainment." The BBG has largely destroyed VOA by taking resources away from it to fund their semi-private broadcasting projects and insisting that what is left of VOA should dumb down its programs (more entertainment less political reporting) to generate a mass audience. In fact, VOA success has always depended on highly-targeted, exclusive programming in foreign languages produced for educated audiences. English was never the language that generated large audiences for VOA except in Africa. (English programs for Africa are produced separately and are highly-targeted.) In most other countries, VOA English programs attract far less than a fraction of one percent of the audience. English is the language of the elite in most non-English speaking countries. Long are gone the days when even VOA entertainment programs, such as Willis Conover's programs on jazz, were designed for a highly sophisticated audience, and even those were translated. That kind of programming is no longer produced in English under the BBG mass audience/entertainment model. The VOA Arabic programs were abolished by the BBG. The only relevant and popular VOA programs are being produced in a few remaining foreign languages according to the "tell it straight model" in defiance of the BBG-imposed rules. They are tolerated because they are highly successful in generating large audiences. With so few resources available to VOA and a self-destructive programming mandate, no wonder that some VOA English programmers think that a merger with NPR would be a good idea. At least they might have an audience -- in the United States. This, of course, will never happen because the Congress would not allow it and because it makes no practical or political sense. Only the BBG can save the Voice of America by reforming itself and returning to the "tell it straight" programming model. Only then will foreign audiences and media pay attention to VOA English programs.
Very sad to hear about this propaganda. Authorities must take legal action. Now it's time to avail Hi Vis Traffic Jacket for more information.
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