Behind the News

02:50 PM - January 21, 2013

Smith-Mundt reform: In with a whimper?

It’s now legal to broadcast Voice of America stateside, but few seem to notice

By Emily T. Metzgar

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I like what I see. However, apart from the ban, there is nothing to stop me from quoting excerpts on my blog. I have done it many times and nobody knocked my door with an arrest warrant.
Moreover, in this day and age of social media, it is almost impossible for the said act or any other government directive from being enforced.
I get requests to publish content from the US embassies. They need more sharing and sharing is the new religion.
...and I am Sid Harth@elcidharth.com

#1 Posted by Sid Harth, CJR on Tue 22 Jan 2013 at 05:42 PM

Nice article but you have a key fact wrong. The last sentence in the first paragraph contains a glaring mistake: the McCarthy era was in the 50s, not in the 70s as you indicate.

Senior International Broadcaster
Voice of America
Washington

#2 Posted by Paul Westpheling, CJR on Thu 24 Jan 2013 at 12:35 PM

The VOA and the entire BBG structure are thoroughly discredited at this point, regardless of this achievement on Smith Mundt.

Fault lies mostly with the arrogance and mismanagement of top managers. Few members of the BBG, which assumed control of government-funded overseas broadcasting (the old USIA disappeared years ago), have ever cared about their own employees.

BBG members showed up for occasional meetings, flew around the country (Miami where the Office of Cuba Broadcasting is based, Prague where RFE/RL is) holding meetings, which for many years were closed until demands grew to make them accessible on the web.

By the way, one of those who pushed for more transparency was none other than Victor Ashe, who the BBG, and other managers in what is called the International Broadcasting Bureau, character assassinated in the recent State Department Inspector General report.

This has all been building for decades, out of the view of Americans most of whom had no idea these broadcast activities continued following the end of the Cold War.

It's not at all certain whether the myriad problems in the place can be resolved by a single CEO, as has been proposed.

#3 Posted by 157wave4, CJR on Thu 24 Jan 2013 at 04:41 PM

Paul, language has been tweaked, thank you!

#4 Posted by Kira Goldenberg, CJR on Fri 25 Jan 2013 at 08:14 AM

A http://netipotby.com/neti-pot-deviated-septum/" rel="dofollow"> deviated nasal septum is a condition in which the nasal septum – the bone and cartilage that divide the nasal cavity of the nose in half – is significantly off center, or crooked, making breathing difficult. Most people have some sort of imbalance in the size of their breathing passages. In fact, estimates indicate that 80% of people, most unknowingly, have some sort of misalignment to their nasal septum.

#5 Posted by Sam Oneal, CJR on Fri 17 May 2013 at 02:55 PM

Post nasal drip cure occurs when excess mucus accumulates in the back of the throat and creates the feeling of dripping mucus. The condition can lead to a chronic cough or a sore throat. The treatments for postnasal drip focus on the cause of the excess mucus, which may be an allergic reaction or non-allergic rhinitis.

#6 Posted by John Stokton, CJR on Fri 17 May 2013 at 03:00 PM

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