The Foreign Service Journal, January 2004

outlined in the VOA Charter. Radio and Television Marti have no such mission, nor do Radio Free Asia and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. These are surrogate broadcasters, created to promote democracy through the broadcast of accurate local and regional news and informa- tion. Their mission statements do not call for an explanation of American values or policies. On the contrary, the “Radios” take pride in the fact that they are not required to carry U.S. policy statements. If Radio Sawa is any example, the BBG strategy of trying to increase audience and market share by “mar- rying the mission to the market” will bring on line more tax-supported, easily replicated, commercial-style music stations with a minimum of information or American identifica- tion. Cost Efficiencies The American taxpayer spent about $150 million dollars in 2003 for the Voice of America to deliver credible, truthful information about the United States and the world to an estimated global audience of 100 million people. That’s less than the cost of an F/A-22 jet fighter. As a public diplomacy tool, VOA is cheap. To put it in even clearer focus, VOA’s Kirundi/Kinyarwanda Service broadcasts a daily program of news coupled with conflict resolution, democracy-building, humanitarian and youth reporting to the strategically important Great Lakes region of Central Africa. The cost of the pro- gram, which reaches an estimated 50 percent of the population, is about the same as one State Department FSO with a family posted to an overseas mission. The globally recognized VOA brand is worth protecting and preserving. Strengthen it; improve it; streamline its personnel and administrative proce- dures. But don’t dismember, margin- alize or commercialize it. For over 60 years, the Voice of America has, in Bernie Kamenske’s words, “represent- ed the American people and its free press” to the world. This venerable institution remains the best and most cost-effective vehicle for projecting American values and policies to tens of millions of people around the globe. And hopefully, once knowing us better, they will distrust us less. MyrnaWhitworth is a former program director of the Voice of America. She also served twice as acting VOA direc- tor, including during the summer and fall of 2001. She is now a free-lance journalist and writer. J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 4 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 15 S P E A K I N G O U T