It is no question that the United States is in an ongoing battle with International broadcasting. Many questions remains on how to fix this initiative that many Americans don’t even know about. I was curious and I asked a few friends what they knew of the United States’ International broadcasting programs and organizations and if they new what it was called. I asked four friends, all of which graduated from private well-known universities with degrees that did not have to do with International relations. I was amazed. Only two of the four could even name VOA, and all stated that our international broadcasting was in the Middle East and they were not sure if it was anywhere else. How can International Broadcasting get more funding, more personnel, if Americans don’t even know its out there and its importance?
In remarks given by President of RFE in 2010, Jeffrey Gedmin states: “I realized that in an age of satellites and in an age of the flow of information, those regimes that required the repression of information were going to lose.”[i] However, I think the US is also loosing. Gedmin sees Voice of America as a way to stay a step ahead of those that repress the free flow of information. I agree with Gedmin. He also notes though that the United States is currently in a struggle against repression and intolerance, but I think that intolerance is also in the United States. He notes we must create global communities, but I think Americans are too often left out. To create these global communities we must involve Americans as well which right now is not possible because of the Smith-Mundt Act.
By involving more Americans in International Broadcasting and making them more aware of its existence and actual goals, it might be able to receive more funding which I believe would make a difference ( if the money was used correctly) The committee on foreign relations 2010 report, “U.S International Broadcasting:--Is anybody Listening?—Keeping the U.S. Connected”, notes that marketing is a necessary component and that there is a cost that comes with reaching and maintain audiences.[ii] I thought it was just incredible that Radio Free Asia is supposed to reach a population of over 1 billion people, but its marketing budget for 2009 was less than $2000. With a small budget like that, there is no way it can reach its full potential. Overall, I think to improve our International broadcasting we must get more Americans involved which will allow for more funding, and hence, more success.
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