Comments on: Smith-Mundt and Domestic Dissemination http://www.darrenkrape.com/journal/smith-mundt-and-domestic-dissemination/ - web design and life stuff Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:12:01 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: George Clack http://www.darrenkrape.com/journal/smith-mundt-and-domestic-dissemination/comment-page-1/#comment-664 George Clack Sat, 25 Jul 2009 14:01:09 +0000 http://www.darrenkrape.com/?p=167#comment-664 Darren, I arrive at your posting a little belatedly, but you'll be happy to know that one more person (besides Matt Armstrong) cares about Smith-Mundt. I think your comments are very well stated - thorough, judicious, and fair to the arguments on both sides. One way of considering this law is to ask, "If Smith-Mundt did not exist, would we see need to create such a law?"' I think not. I say this as one who at this very moment faces congressional pressure generated by a taxpayer to take down a photo of a particular Muslim organization on America.gov. Over the years I've been one of those who has pointed out that one virtue of the law is that it shields us in PD work to some extent from becoming entangled in domestic political debates. At the same time, it taints us unnecessarily with the notion that we are producing "propaganda." George Darren, I arrive at your posting a little belatedly, but you’ll be happy to know that one more person (besides Matt Armstrong) cares about Smith-Mundt. I think your comments are very well stated – thorough, judicious, and fair to the arguments on both sides. One way of considering this law is to ask, “If Smith-Mundt did not exist, would we see need to create such a law?”‘ I think not. I say this as one who at this very moment faces congressional pressure generated by a taxpayer to take down a photo of a particular Muslim organization on America.gov. Over the years I’ve been one of those who has pointed out that one virtue of the law is that it shields us in PD work to some extent from becoming entangled in domestic political debates. At the same time, it taints us unnecessarily with the notion that we are producing “propaganda.” George

]]> By: Darren http://www.darrenkrape.com/journal/smith-mundt-and-domestic-dissemination/comment-page-1/#comment-602 Darren Thu, 05 Mar 2009 18:02:13 +0000 http://www.darrenkrape.com/?p=167#comment-602 Greg, thanks for the comment. It is great to have people like you also working to bring attention to the issues we face with the current legislation. John, Thanks for the link on today's <a href="http://publicdiplomacypressandblogreview.blogspot.com/2009/03/march-4.html" rel="nofollow">PD media review</a>. It is great you mentioned VOA since Greg wrote a fantastic piece "<a href="http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/item/2009/0103/ed/garland_smithmundt.html" rel="nofollow">Smith-Mundt: Censorship American Style?</a>" which really highlights the quality U.S. programming being censored by Smith-Mundt. Greg, thanks for the comment. It is great to have people like you also working to bring attention to the issues we face with the current legislation.

John, Thanks for the link on today’s PD media review.

It is great you mentioned VOA since Greg wrote a fantastic piece “Smith-Mundt: Censorship American Style?” which really highlights the quality U.S. programming being censored by Smith-Mundt.

]]> By: Greg Garland http://www.darrenkrape.com/journal/smith-mundt-and-domestic-dissemination/comment-page-1/#comment-601 Greg Garland Thu, 05 Mar 2009 16:53:44 +0000 http://www.darrenkrape.com/?p=167#comment-601 Good, thoughtful piece. You're helping to get this important debate out into the open, before a larger audience than those traditonally interested in PD issues. Good, thoughtful piece. You’re helping to get this important debate out into the open, before a larger audience than those traditonally interested in PD issues.

]]> By: john brown http://www.darrenkrape.com/journal/smith-mundt-and-domestic-dissemination/comment-page-1/#comment-596 john brown Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:43:44 +0000 http://www.darrenkrape.com/?p=167#comment-596 Darren, Thanks for another excellent posting. As a foreign FSO who served in communist Eastern Europe, I'm glad I was never asked to lecture to local audiences on why Americans were prohibited from listening to Willis Conover's immensely popular jazz programs on VOA ... it would have been somewhat embarrassing to explain why the world's leading democracy banned the domestic dissemination of programs that represented "the voice of freedom" to many people overseas. Darren,

Thanks for another excellent posting.

As a foreign FSO who served in communist Eastern Europe, I’m glad I was never asked to lecture to local audiences on why Americans were prohibited from listening to Willis Conover’s immensely popular jazz programs on VOA … it would have been somewhat embarrassing to explain why the world’s leading democracy banned the domestic dissemination of programs that represented “the voice of freedom” to many people overseas.

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