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Middle East broadcasts aid democracy-building By Paul A. Goble Later this year, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) will begin broadcasting to Iran and Iraq. That decision represents an extension rather than a transformation of our historic mission. Not surprisingly, however, this step has generated a certain amount of criticism. But in all too many cases, this criticism appears to reflect misunderstandings of what we have done in the past, are doing now and will be doing in the future. Much of the media coverage of this decision has seriously misstated what Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is and does. And so it may be useful to be very clear about what we are as well as what we are not. RFE/RL is a private radio station funded by a grant from the U.S. Congress. Our station originally served as a surrogate broadcaster providing objective news and information to people whose communist governments denied them access to it. Now, in the post-communist era, our broadcast services in many cases have been able to move toward partnerships with newly free media and governments, serving as a model for journalism and a source of ideas for people making the difficult transitions to democracy and freedom. Despite suggestions to the contrary in some American media, RFE/RL has not been "a mouthpiece for U.S. government propaganda." Nor are we "a relic of the Cold War" concerned only about bringing down communism. Instead, our broadcasts then and now are based on the highest standards of journalism and on the idea that free media are the foundation stone of a free society. And consequently, the establishment of new services for Iran and Iraq are completely consistent with our fundamental mission. But even some commentators who understand all this have suggested that our timing could not be worse. While they acknowledge that Saddam Hussein's dictatorship in Iraq denies that nation free media, such critics have argued that some elements in Iran appear to be trying to change their society and reintegrate that country into the community of nations. As a result, these critics have suggested, now is not the time for anyone to do something that might alienate such people. There are three obvious problems with such an argument. First of all, while there are some positive signs in Iran, there are also many negative ones, including severe restrictions on the media and violations of human rights, signs that suggest Tehran may not move in a positive direction. While all of us hope that those associated with reform will win out, we cannot be indifferent to the danger that those opposed to any change remain extremely powerful. Moreover, those Iranians who want their country to drop its involvement with international terrorism can only welcome broadcasts that provide objective information not only about Iran but also about the world around them. Only those who do not want any movement toward freedom and democracy or who do not understand our mission will oppose the kind of broadcasting we will be doing. And finally, as many people in post-communist countries know, RFE/RL broadcasts can play a key role in helping countries to make that transition toward freedom and integration with the larger international community. Indeed, some analysts have even suggested that our broadcasts played a greater role during that transition than they did during the darker days of the Cold War. Because the Czech people were among those who have benefited most from our broadcasts and because they are among those who understand best what RFE/RL is all about, we are especially proud that we are now broadcasting from Prague. As guests of the Czech Republic, we have done and will continue to do everything we can to ensure that our broadcasts will continue to serve the values of freedom long associated with this city. And we will also do everything to ensure that our presence here will be a matter of pride rather than a source of problems. Thirty years ago, our broadcasts helped support the Prague Spring. More recently, as President Vaclav Havel has acknowledged, they helped to restore freedom not only here but across Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty now has the opportunity, broadcasting from Prague, to extend freedom to two countries that have known little of that up to now. -- The author is director of communications of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Washington D.C. |
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The Prague Post Online contains a selection of articles that have been printed in The Prague Post, a weekly newspaper published in the Czech Republic. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.