COMMUNICATION SKILLS

I won't be able to post much until late today, as I'm on a last-minute deadline. In the meantime, here's an e-mail from a reader:

I have been a reader of your blog for some time now, and have recently started leaving comments! I don't know why I started all of a sudden, but I felt sort of bad that you tried to start a dialogue and got dumped on in your comments section. I am a supporter of Bush (well, most of the time) and supported the Iraq War. I think anti-Americanism is some kind of weird, inverted nationalism for people who don't think nationalism is cool (think about it, what better way to believe in the superiority of your nation without being explicit about it?)

Anyway, the whole point about all of this is that I think Americans could stand to do a little charming of the Other, if you see my point, and I think you do. Watching  BBC America is frustrating: surely our embassy can have people "on call" to answer questions, state the point clearly, state our view. Not propaganda. Information.

Hear, hear. Couldn't agree more.

Comments

[Al]

i can't speak for BBC America............ but i watch the BBC News 24, CNN, Sky News (and Fox when i want to watch car crash journalism (journalism heh!)

I don't think anyone gets a particularly free ride on the beeb..... i think the policy of Devils Advocacy that is played out in interviews, or their asking follow up questions to sound bites (at both sides) is fairly good.

The problem with having a rapid rebuttal unit at an embassy is that you look more paranoid and "everyone hates us" than you do already (broadlly generalising about the poeple who express views about the bbc in the context of America).

BBC News 24 have started having people on (since a few years ago) from the American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, frank Gaffney, Grover Norquist - et.al. I don't think that views from both sides are not represented.

Forgive me if i've completely missed the "nod and a wink" in the post, but when i see the BBC mentioned in an "Anti-America" context - and it implied they should have more, shall we say "american establishment" voices on - i do get a little preturbed.

Al