“Who knows what the truth is? We broadcast facts. That’s enough.”

December 16, 2010 10:28 AM

"Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty broadcasts information to Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East in twenty-eight languages. Much of the information comes from the places where those twenty-eight languages are spoken.... Reporters are also working, sometimes clandestinely, in countries where RFE/RL bureaus aren’t allowed. The mission is to tell people living in those countries what is happening to them." -- Facts Meet Freedom: On the Air in Afghanistan, by P. J. O'Rourke
posted by valkane (12 comments total)

Do they broadcast to the U.S.?
posted by clarknova at 10:48 AM on December 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

The broadcasts actually often originate from the US. However, under the Smith-Mundt act of 1948, it is illegal to transmit or listen to the broadcasts from within the US.
posted by schmod at 10:59 AM on December 16, 2010 [2 favorites]

The idea is that nobody in the world thinks, “I wish I knew less. I wish other people could tell me anything, and I’d believe it because I don’t know any better. I wish other people could tell me what to do because they know what’s going on and I don’t. I wish other people could push me around.”

P.J. hasn't spent much time in this country lately, has he?
posted by briank at 10:59 AM on December 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

All state-run radio broadcasts are propaganda pieces. When I listen to short-wave RFE/RL, RCI (Radio Canada International), RHC (Radio Habana Cuba), DW (Deutsche Welle), and so on and so forth, I could imagine myself in a perfect world, if only I believed what their Big Brothers were saying.
posted by drogien at 11:04 AM on December 16, 2010

All state-run radio broadcasts are propaganda pieces.

NPR will declare the next Unperson.
posted by Dagobert at 11:06 AM on December 16, 2010

This is a completely fatuous bit of muddle, but one with an ideological purpose, and it's no less a snow-job because O'Rourke may well believe what he says:

Later I realized that what I hadn’t seen or heard were ideological arguments or even comments. Except in cases where I had prior knowledge—John O’Sullivan used to be the editor of the National Review—I emerged from my interviews at RFE/RL ignorant of everyone’s political orientation.

The old saw about fish not seeing the water they swim through never seemed more apt — O'Rourke, wilfully incurious as only a career right-wing "humorist" pundit can be, is absolutely blind to the ideology that is RFE's sole reason for existing, the propaganda that its "facts" transmit.
posted by RogerB at 11:11 AM on December 16, 2010 [3 favorites]

Is there some office in DC that's directing Radio Azadi's day to day broadcasts? I'd be amazed if there was anyone in the city who actually knew enough about Afghanistan to do so.

From the piece
The Taliban, while hardly friendly to Radio Azadi, is more open to communication than Ceausescu or Carlos. The Taliban will call in to Azadi talk shows to argue with hosts and guests.

On the phone, a Taliban spokeman told Amin Mudaqiq, “We know you are funded by the U.S. Congress, but we judge you by your deeds.” Radio Azadi is committed enough to freedom of speech not to take this as a back-handed compliment.

How is this a bad thing?
posted by Ideefixe at 11:26 AM on December 16, 2010

"i can see by your eyes, friend, you're almost gone, 57 channels and nothin on"...bruce
posted by kitchenrat at 11:46 AM on December 16, 2010

I asked why ______ was going to so much trouble. “What do they fear?”

“The truth,” said _____, “about everything.”
posted by Meatbomb at 11:50 AM on December 16, 2010

Dagobert: Not sure I catch your reference, but from what I understand, NPR is not a state-run broadcaster, like RFE/RL. I reckon there could be a worse fate than being declared an Unperson...
posted by drogien at 11:52 AM on December 16, 2010

Do they broadcast to the U.S.?

I've listened to them on my little shortwave radio before.

...However, under the Smith-Mundt act of 1948, it is illegal to transmit or listen to the broadcasts from within the US.

Whoops -- who's at the doo--*sounds of the CIA dragging me away*

The Voice of America blog (I believe written by their ombudsman) says that it isn't illegal to listen and that they cannot directly stop Americans from listening -- it's about intention to broadcast to US citizens. In the FAQ they do say "VOA is prohibited by law from disseminating its programming within the United States." So, they'll stop short of intentionally broadcasting to Americans, but won't prohibit access if you want to listen.
posted by AzraelBrown at 12:53 PM on December 16, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thanks. Just making sure.
posted by clarknova at 1:12 PM on December 16, 2010