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"Hi" Culture at an Even Higher Priceby
Drew Johnson Oct 20, 2003 "Hi"--that's the name of the new magazine created by the State Department
in its continuing effort to force the Middle East region into feelings of
goodwill towards all things American.
"Bye"--that's what Americans can say to 4.2 million of their hard earned dollars--the
cost to produce and distribute the publication.
In order to illustrate to teenage and twenty-something Middle Easterners
that America is more than a land of political meddlers and bomb-droppers,
the federal government recently introduced "Hi" magazine in an attempt to
export our culture by way of glossy paper and colorful ads.
The first issue of the monthly magazine, currently on newsstands from Rabat
to Abu Dhabi, features articles about quitting smoking, popular Middle East
locations to try out sandboarding, songstress Norah Jones, and yoga. The ultimate
goal of the magazine, now distributed in 22 Middle East countries, is to curtail
Anti-Americanism and exhibit commonalities between young people of the two
cultures.
Such a publication already faces an uphill battle for hearts and minds. After
all, Middle Easterners who are already hostile to Western ways are likely
to be enraged by "Hi," while those with more amicable attitudes can already
partake in less contrived forms of our culture such as watching an American
movie or having a Coke.
Ironically, despite the substantial cost of the State Department's taxpayer
funded foray into publishing, only 50,000 copies of "Hi" are produced each
month. That is about one fifth the circulation of "CatFancy." "Arthritis Today"
produces 13 times more copies each month, and "Hi" goes out to about a million
fewer readers per month than "Michigan Living."
The futile nature of this project becomes even more apparent when considering
that the population of just three of the 22 nations receiving "Hi"--Egypt,
Morocco, and Algeria--exceeds 140 million. If all 50,000 copies of "Hi" went
to just those countries, only 1 out of every 2,800 people would possess a
copy. As it stands, about 350 million people live in the Mid East region,
leaving roughly one of every 7,000 Middle Easterners with a copy of "Hi."
This means that the odds of winning a "pick three" lottery is seven times
better than the odds of a resident of the region obtaining a copy of "Hi."
So why not just take the expensive step of boosting "Hi"'s circulation? In
a way that's already planned on a much larger scale. Supporters of increased
Mid East propaganda have plans in place to launch the Middle East Television
Network, a TV station owned and operated by the State Department.
Thus far Congress has already approved $30 million in funding for the television
project and is on tap to hand over another $32 million from the pockets of
American taxpayers this fall. Moreover, once established, the Middle East
Television Network will drain $37 million annually for recurring operational
costs.
The trouble is, Congress's own General Accounting Office expressed concern
in a report last month stating the federal government's international broadcasting
effort "lacks measurable program objectives" and is without "a single long-term
strategic goal." Translation: Middle East Television will spend tens of millions
of tax dollars trying to reach a nonexistent end, with no method to evaluate
the audience reached, how they reacted, or whether the message was credible
enough to benefit U.S. foreign policy.
It is doubtful that a glossy pop culture monthly and a 24-hour "PBS" for
the Mid East will go far towards improving the perception of America in Arab
states. In the cases of "Hi" and the Middle East Television Network, however,
one result is certain: American taxpayers will foot the bill--a bill of a quarter
of a billion dollars over the next five years for the two programs.
Rather than committing one additional cent to these ambiguous ventures, Congress
should concentrate existing resources on programs likelier to benefit U.S.
taxpayers. Let's leave the risks of marketing American culture abroad to private
markets themselves.
Drew Johnson is a Policy Analyst at the 350,000-member National Taxpayers
Union--a grassroots citizens group committed to responsible government. |
