Facts are stubborn things. And the facts, sad but stubborn, are that hatred of the United States in the Arab and Muslim world is greater today than ever before; that it shows no sign of diminishing; and that Washington's efforts to counter it have had little success.
Its most visible (and audible) efforts have been the public diplomacy of radio and television stations. None are winning hearts and minds to any great extent. Al-Iraqiya, the television station the Pentagon ran in Baghdad, was supposed to entice Iraqis away from the popular Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya--both of which are sympathetic to Islamic extremism. But an Iraqi media specialist was quoted in the Washington Post on January 8, 2004, describing it as technically backward, unconvincing in its message, and unable to compete with other stations.
A new American effort is Al-Hurra, meaning "The Free One", a satellite television station being set up in Springfield, Virginia, that will beam news and entertainment in Arabic to the countries reached by Al-Jazeera. Al-Hurra boasts that it is committed to being fair and balanced in what it broadcasts. Its staff of 200 is also to be largely Arab.
Al-Hurra, the biggest government-financed media venture since the Voice of America was set up in 1942, is not alone in targeting the Middle East. The United States already has two radio stations, Radio Farda ("Radio Tomorrow"), which broadcasts in Persian, and the Arabic-language Radio Sawa ("Radio Together"). Both carry news and a mix of Western and Middle Eastern pop music directed at an audience of young Iranians and Arabs.
