Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa: Advancing freedom in the Arab World
That Arab viewers accept this U.S. government-funded station as credible is a great victory, especially after being on the air little more than three years. That some Arab viewers find the assertions of advocates for freedom jarring to their ears is a price we will gladly pay.
For all of our broadcasting—and not just Alhurra—our challenge is to make what we do better—and more interesting and more challenging to those who turn to us discover what’s going on.
These are the issues that deserve the focus of Americans who are interested in international broadcasting—and not for us but for the sake of those people we serve.
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, former editor-in-chief of Reader’s Digest, has been Chairman of the U.S. Broadcasting Board of Governors since 2002.
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I've just got back from 2 weeks in iraq and was impressed that al hurra iraq is really building a following for credible, stimulating reporting that iraqis of all sorts respond to. It doesn't present a rosy picture, but it does show life in iraq in the round.
jon wilks, british regional arabic spokesman, dubai
This is intensely smug reasoning because it neglects the most important issue.
Until such time as Americans recognise that it is as beholden on them to alter their perspective as it is for the audience targeted to do so, American media will continue to be part of the problem.
James Edwards
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