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VOA's Persian News Network in Dire Need of Reform

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VOA's Persian News Network in Dire Need of Reform BACKGROUNDER No. 2659 | MARCH 5, 2012 Why America Has Trouble Reaching Iran: VOA’s Persian News Network in Dire Need of Reform Helle C. Dale Abstract eeping U.S. international broad- The regime that controls Iran is the Kcasting a priority in an age of Talking Points world’s leading sponsor of terrorism, budget constraints is a challenging the world’s fourth-largest oil producer, task. Topping the list of countries ■■ Keeping U.S. international and close to acquiring a nuclear to which to expand communica- broadcasting a priority in an age weapon. Controlled by this regime tion, according to Voice of America of budget constraints is a chal- are 74 million Iranians, 60 percent of Director David Ensor, are four clear lenging task. Broadcasting to Iran which are under age 30, multitudes targets: Pakistan, North Korea, presents a particular challenge. of whom reject the fanatic theocracy China, and, not least, Iran. Iran rep- ■■ The leading sponsor of global that tries to separate them from resents a unique challenge for the terrorism and an aspiring nuclear outside ideas. Millions of Iranians Broadcasting Board of Governors power, Iran has 74 million people, 60 percent of whom are under hunger not only for news, but for (BBG), the independent government age 30—many of which are democracy—as evidenced by the Green agency in charge of the U.S. govern- opposed to the regime in Tehran Movement protests of 2009. For ment’s non-military international and hunger for news of the out- the U.S. government’s international broadcasting and communication side world. broadcasting complex, Iran is a assets. ■■ Tragically, America’s principal place where a good communication The stakes are high. Iran is the instrument for communicating strategy is a necessity; it is also a leading sponsor of global terror- with Iranians, Voice of America’s place of great opportunity. Tragically, ism, an aspiring nuclear power, a Persian News Network (PNN), is America’s principal instrument, Voice threat to Middle Eastern stability, not up to the task. of America’s Persian News Network and the world’s fourth-largest oil ■■ PNN is riddled with problems— (PNN), has simply not been up to the producer. Iran is a nation of 74 mil- inadequate language proficiency task. lion people, 60 percent of which are among staff members; poor under age 30. Many in the under-30 morale; focus on Internet com- cohort are thoroughly fed up with munications, which reach far life under a fanatic theocracy, and fewer Iranians than do TV and This paper, in its entirety, can be found at radio; and anti-American and pro- http://report.heritage.org/bg2659 hunger for news of the outside world. Tehran reporting. Produced by the Douglas and Sarah Allison For the U.S. government’s interna- ■■ Center for Foreign Policy Studies tional broadcasting complex and It is incumbent on the Broadcast- ing Board of Governors and the The Heritage Foundation other Western broadcasters, Iran is 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE leadership of Voice of America Washington, DC 20002–4999 a place where a good communica- to implement reforms that will (202) 546-4400 | heritage.org tion strategy is a necessity; it is also a improve performance and morale Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily place of great opportunity. Tragically, at PNN. reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill America’s principal instrument, before Congress. Voice of America’s (VOA) Persian BACKGROUNDER | NO. 2659 MARCH 5, 2012 News Network (PNN) is simply not challenging—and dangerous—foreign of problems along with it, includ- up to the task. PNN is riddled with policy issues in the world. ing questions of program mix and problems that prevent the service quality and a lingering atmosphere from being an effective tool of pub- How the U.S. Got Here of discontent among employees. lic diplomacy. Necessary steps to Voice of America first began radio Ameliorating them will be a neces- improve U.S. broadcasting to the broadcasts to Iran in the early 1940s. sary step in the consolidation of Iranian people include: This program, originally called Farsi VOA’s gains in an important broad- Service, functioned intermittently casting area,” noted the report.3 ■■ Thorough vetting of PNN person- until 1979, when the Iranian hostage- Two years later, many of these nel and management hired during taking of U.S. diplomats and capture problems persist. PNN continues the expansion period of 2005 to of the U.S. embassy placed bilateral to be a workplace where contrac- 2011 to ensure staff professional- relations on a hostile footing. Since tors complain about unequal treat- ism and fluency in Farsi; 1979, U.S. broadcasting to Iran has ment, human resource procedures been on the air continuously in some fail the test of transparency (even ■■ New rules governing contract form or another. In 2001, the service as articulated in President Barack employees at PNN to ensure equi- was renamed Persian Service, and in Obama’s January 21, 2009, memo- table treatment in order to raise 2007, VOA renamed it again—as the randum on “Transparency and overall employee morale; current Persian News Network—and Open Government”), and potential established it as a round-the-clock whistle-blowers are terrified of air- ■■ Creation of a board of advisors news network,1 making PNN the first ing complaints for fear of manage- drawn from Iran’s exile commu- network of its kind in VOA. As part ment reprisals. In 2010, a new BBG nity, with the purpose of monitor- of VOA, PNN is under the auspices appointed by President Obama cre- ing PNN broadcasts and providing of the BBG. PNN is thus part of a ated a committee led by BBG mem- feedback on program content; government agency that is entirely ber Enders Wimbush to investigate supported by taxpayer dollars, run- the root of the problems at PNN. ■■ Routine congressional oversight ning on an annual budget of over Complaints about the network have hearings of PNN to air questions $20 million.2 This amount reflects been flooding Capitol Hill from the about programming and manage- several years of rapid growth. From a Iranian exile community for several ment; and staff of 30 and one hour of program- years now. One such compliant was ming a day in 2007, PNN went to 83 that the executive leadership of the ■■ PNN editors and producers must full-time employees, 120 contractors, service neither spoke nor under- use U.S. taxpayer resources to and six hours of original television stood Farsi and did not have any provide programming that is programming a day (and one hour of understanding of Iranian politics. anchored in American values, radio) two years later. PNN currently In March of last year, a letter from aligned with U.S. national inter- has about 140 full-time employees, Representative Trent Franks (R–AZ) ests, and of the highest profes- more than 60 contract employees, to President Obama (co-signed by 69 sional quality. and offers 24 hours of TV and radio other Representatives) complained programming. about the network’s lack of over- Fixing PNN ought to be a prior- PNN’s rapid expansion has been sight, staffing, mission, and content. ity for the Administration and the a major contributing factor to the It “may have harmed the plight of Congress. Taking these steps now problems that beset the network, those seeking human rights, rather as part of a comprehensive strategy concluded a report of the Office of than helped it,” Franks wrote. As a for dealing with Tehran is essen- the Inspector General (OIG) in 2009. consequence, VOA removed the net- tial for addressing one of the most “Rapid growth brought a number work’s director, Alex Belida, in May 1. U.S. State Department and BBG Office of Inspector General, “Report of Inspection: Voice of America’s Persian News Network,” Report No. ISP-IB-09-27, March 2009, p. 1, at http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/126688.pdf (February 6, 2012). 2. Mehdi Khalaji, “Waste of Dollars: Persian Broadcasting Service in Its Present Form,” Iranian.com, December 13, 2011, at http://www.iranian.com/main/2011/ dec/waste-dollars. 3. U.S. State Department and BBG Office of Inspector General, “Report of Inspection,” p. 1. 2 BACKGROUNDER | NO. 2659 MARCH 5, 2012 2011. A new director, Ramin Asmus, Iran Broadcaster (IRIB), a huge gov- of America’s mission, which includes a Persian speaker, was brought ernment corporation that controls explaining and reflecting American over from the State Department the country’s radio and television values and culture as well as U.S. in January 2011. In May 2011, the broadcasts. policy. This is important: U.S. inter- leadership of Voice of America Front and center of the U.S. national broadcasting is a funda- announced changes at PNN stream- government’s attempt to reach the mental part of the U.S. foreign policy lining the production process.4 Iranian people with independent and public diplomacy tool kit, and These changes have not been suffi- credible news about the world and has to encompass information about cient. In an unprecedented statement information about U.S. policy, is the American society, culture, values and, released before Christmas 2011, BBG Persian News Network, the U.S. gov- not least, policies and point of view. member Victor Ashe detailed persis- ernment’s only platform for reach- In the absence of this dimension, edi- tent problems at VOA and PNN.5 ing an Iranian audience directly. torial direction and focus is only too The United States has not had an easily lost.
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