US

IAUNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

US

IAUNITED STATES INFORMATION AGENCY

This publication was produced by the United States Information Agency’s Office ofPublic Liaison. For more information about USIA,contact:

Office of Public LiaisonU.S. Information Agency301 4th St., S.W. Room 602Washington, D.C. 20547Tel.: (202) 619-4355Fax: (202) 619-6988

To access the domestic version of USIA’s homepage on the Internet,the address is: http://www.usia.gov

TABLE OF CONTENTS

USIA: AN OVERVIEWUSIA’s Mission, USIA Overseas: USIS, Public Affairs Officer, Information Officer, Cultural Affairs Officer, Foreign Service Nationals, USIA in Washington, Civic Education

EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGESThe Fulbright Program; Academic Exchanges with Russia, the New Independent States,and Central and Eastern Europe; Special Academic Exchanges and Services; Study of theUnited States; English Language Programs; International Visitors; Citizen Exchanges;Programs for Building Democratic Institutions; Protection of Cultural Property

INFORMATION ACTIVITIESInternet Services, The Washington File, Electronic Journals, Speakers and Specialists,Teleconferences and Digital Video Conferences, Print Publications, CD-ROM, Foreign PressCenters, Information Resource Centers and Libraries, Publications Translation Programs

INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTINGVoice of America, VOA Charter, WORLDNET Television and Film Service, WORLDNETPrograms, Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Radio Martí, TV Martí, Office of AffiliateRelations and Media Training, Office of Business Development

RESEARCH AND ANALYSISForeign Opinion Polls, Foreign Press Commentary

OUTREACH AND OVERSIGHTOutreach to U.S. Citizens, Public Liaison and Media Relations, Oversight, CongressionalCommittees, Broadcasting Board of Governors, Advisory Committees, U.S. AdvisoryCommission on Public Diplomacy, J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, CulturalProperty Advisory Committee, The President’s Advisory Board for Cuba Broadcasting

USIA’S HISTORYBeginnings, USIA’s Reorganization, Domestic Dissemination

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USIA’S MISSION

The mission of USIA is to understand,inform, and influence foreign publics inpromotion of the U.S. national interest,and to broaden the dialogue betweenAmericans and U.S. institutions, and theircounterparts abroad. Specifically, USIAworks:

❍ To explain and advocate U.S. policiesin terms that are credible and meaningfulin foreign cultures;

❍ To provide information about the officialpolicies of the United States, and about thepeople, values, and institutions whichinfluence those policies;

❍ To bring the benefits of internationalengagement to American citizens andinstitutions by helping them build stronglong-term relationships with theircounterparts overseas;

❍ To advise the President and U.S.government policy-makers on the ways inwhich foreign attitudes will have a directbearing on the effectiveness of U.S.policies.

USIA OVERSEAS: USIS

USIA is known abroad as the UnitedStates Information Service (USIS). TheAgency’s work is carried out by ForeignService Officers assigned to USIS posts inalmost all U.S. embassies or missionsabroad.

USIA Foreign Service Officers servingoverseas provide direct, substantive, andsustained contact with opinion leaders in

The United States Information Agency hasfunctioned since 1953 as an independentforeign affairs agency within the executivebranch of the U.S. government chargedwith the conduct of public diplomacy insupport of U.S. foreign policy. Publicdiplomacy complements and reinforcestraditional diplomacy by communicatingdirectly with foreign publics through awide range of international information,educational and cultural exchangeactivities. Through recently enactedlegislation, USIA will integrate with theDepartment of State by October 1999.

The rapid and remarkable events that havechanged the world in the last decadedemonstrate the appeal of democraticprinciples and the free market system. The end of the Cold War and the spread ofdemocracy, the growth in global informationtechnology and communications, and theincreasing involvement of a wide array ofour own citizens in international activities allaffect the way USIA interacts with the widerworld.

The Agency enables people in every partof the globe to learn about the United

States—its people, itspolicies, and its culture.Historic breakthroughs inEurope, Asia, Africa, LatinAmerica, and the formerSoviet Union testify to theimportance ofcommunications and thevalue of public diplomacyas a force for freedom anddemocracy.

USIA: AN OVERVIEW

USIA International Visitorsfrom around the world visitSan Francisco as part oftheir program on the U.S.election process.

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South African Deputy President Thabo Mbeki greets Archbishop Desmond Tutu at a USIA conference on South Africa in Atlanta, Georgia,as Coretta Scott King, Alan Boesak, and Congressman John Lewis look on.

When the American Embassy inBangkok, Thailand, celebrated Earth Day a few years ago, it was helped bystudents from Chulalongkorn Universityand school children who painted muralsfor the front wall of the Embassy. Theproject was supported by USIA Bangkokand the Magic Eyes Foundation, a Thainongovernmental organization.

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the countries where they are assigned.They serve as spokespersons for allagencies represented in U.S. diplomaticmissions, articulate U.S. foreign policyconcerns to journalists and other opinionleaders, and conduct press conferences forresident and visiting U.S. officials.Through lectures, seminars, and symposia,they promote contact between influentialoverseas audiences and visiting Americanexperts on a wide variety of subjects.From their wide range of contacts inforeign societies, USIA officers also helpselect grantees and exchanges forprofessional and academic studyprograms in the U.S.

The principal USIA foreign servicepositions at an embassy overseas are:Public Affairs Officer, Information Officer,and Cultural Affairs Officer. USIS postsare augmented in nearly all countries byhost country employees.

In a few large countries, the Agency alsooperates USIS branch posts outside thecapital city. Overseas operations includeinformation resource centers, culturalcenters, Voice of America relay stations,and service centers for printing andprogram support.

Public Affairs Officer (PAO)The PAO is responsible for managing theembassy’s information and culturalactivities. The PAO is the senior advisorto the Ambassador and other embassyofficials on public affairs strategies forpolicy implementation and other embassyactivities, on foreign public opinion, themedia, education issues, and culturalaffairs. He or she oversees the work ofthe Information Officer and CulturalAffairs Officer.

Information Officer (IO)The IO works with host country andinternational media and servesas the embassy’s spokesperson. He orshe drafts policy guidance on key issuesof public interest, arranges press events,issues press releases, and works with localeditors and reporters to explain U.S.policy and publicize embassy activities.He or she also helps American journalistsworking in the country.

On a typical day, the Information Officer(IO) might organize a press conference fora visiting U.S. government official; set upan interview for a local journalist with theU.S. Ambassador; or arrange a liveWORLDNET interactive satellite TVteleconference, linking local opinion-makerswith U.S. government officials or otherAmerican specialists in the United States.

The American Center forCulture and Commerce inPrague, the Czech Republic,which houses USIA’soffices, used to be the Lenin Museum.

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Cultural Affairs Officer (CAO)The CAO administers educational andcultural exchange programs, arrangeslectures and seminars with U.S. speakers,manages American information or culturalcenters, organizes U.S. cultural events,and often helps local publishers withreprints and translations of Americanbooks. He or she works with thebinational commission or foundation thatoversees the Fulbright scholarshipexchange program.

On a typical day, the CAO mightparticipate in the selection of Fulbrightexchange grantees for study, lecture, orresearch programs in the United States;work with university and host governmentofficials to identify exchange opportunitiesfor American academics or strengthenAmerican Studies programs; counselforeign students seeking information onU.S. university study programs; makearrangements for an American musicianto teach a master class to local musicstudents; or accompany the Ambassadorto the host country’s National Library topresent a collection of books about theUnited States.

Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs)Foreign Service national employees (FSNs)are citizens of the host country whoprovide vital support and continuity in theoperations of our posts. They work withAmerican officers to carry out cultural,educational, and information programsand to provide administrative support forthe post. FSNs maintain long-termcontacts with host country officials andorganizations and provide the institutionalmemory for the post.

USIA IN WASHINGTON

USIA’s headquarters provides policyguidance and support for overseas posts.It maintains contact with U.S.-basedprivate sector groups participating incultural, educational, and informationexchanges and programs.

The President appoints and the Senateconfirms the Agency’s Director and DeputyDirector, and the Associate Directors forthe Bureaus of Educational and CulturalAffairs, Information, and Management.

USIA’s Operations Centerlocated at USIA headquartersin Washington, D.C.—a 24-hour-a-day link to postsoverseas.

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CIVIC EDUCATION: A USIA PRIORITY

USIA has made civic education one of itshighest priorities as emerging democraciesin the former Soviet Union, East Europe,Latin America, and Africa face profoundsocial, political, and economic challengesto the stability of their new systems.

Civic education includes many topics: thestudy of constitutions, the rule of law andthe operations of public institutions; thestudy of electoral processes; instruction inthe values and attitudes of goodcitizenship; the development of the skills ofgovernance and politics; issues of humanrights and intergroup relations; conflictresolution; and the operations ofnongovernment organizations.

USIA has developed an Agency-wideeffort to assist in:

❍ (1) organizing an international networkamong governments and NGOs forstrengthening civic education and theculture of democracy in the U.S. andabroad;

❍ (2) expanding the involvement in andfinancing of civic education by nationalgovernments, internationalorganizations and development banks,and corporations and philanthropies.

In promoting civic educationabroad, USIA has workedboth bilaterally andmultilaterally with othercountries, and hascollaborated with a range ofU.S. and overseas public andprivate organizations,including the Center for Civic

Education, the American Federation ofTeachers, the Department of Education,the Council of Europe, UNESCO, theCommission of the European Union, theOpen Society Institute, CONCIENCIAArgentina, the Institute for Democracy inSouth Africa, Street Law, andCIVITAS/Hungary.

In June 1995, USIA helped plan andexecute a major civic educationconference in Prague, the Czech Republic.“CIVITAS @ Prague.1995” gathered 425academics, journalists, and educatorsfrom 52 countries for five days ofdiscussions and workshops. Speakersincluded William Galston, senior domesticaffairs advisor to President Clinton; thelate Al Shanker, then president of theAmerican Federation of Teachers;Benjamin Barber of Rutgers University;and educator Diane Ravitch. This effortinitiated the creation of CIVITASInternational, a consortium for civiceducation based in Strasbourg, France.

“Civnet,” a World Wide Web site on theInternet, was developed especially for theCIVITAS conference and is maintained byUSIA as a unique global informationresource and networking tool for civiceducators. The address iswww.civnet.org.

USIA’s Civnet Web site is a source of informationon civic education.

Above, participants pick upmaterials at CIVITASconference in Prague.

Below, USIA Deputy DirectorPenn Kemble addressesCIVITAS conference in Prague.

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Exchange programs are at the heart ofUSIA’s work. Academic, cultural, andprofessional exchange and trainingprograms are highly effective tools ofpublic diplomacy. Through them, USIA’sBureau of Educational and Cultural Affairsseeks to foster mutual understandingbetween the people of the United Statesand the people of other countries andpromote the free exchange of informationand ideas.

The Bureau of Educational and CulturalAffairs has long conducted a variety ofactivities in cooperation with private sectororganizations and community volunteers.Now, in keeping with the profoundchanges in the field of internationalexchanges in recent years, the Bureau isincreasingly acting as a catalyst forcollaborative efforts involving both theprivate and public sectors. Innovativepartnerships with U.S. and foreignfoundations, corporations, and non-profitorganizations leverage public funds inbold new ways.

The Agency’s role in coordinating U.S.government exchanges is also expanding.USIA’s Report on International Exchangeand Training Activities of the U.S.government is published annually. TheAgency’s exchanges and trainingprograms are rigorously evaluated toensure that they meet specific goals andobjectives.

USIA’s major educational and culturalprograms include the Fulbrightscholarships, Hubert Humphreyfellowships, special academic exchangeinitiatives, English teaching and AmericanStudies programs, the International VisitorProgram, Citizen Exchanges, and Cultural

and Youth Exchange programs. Newsand information about many of theseprograms can be found on the USIA Internet homepage athttp://www.usia.gov.

The Fulbright ProgramEstablished in 1946 under legislationintroduced by the late Senator J. WilliamFulbright of Arkansas, the FulbrightProgram, comprising several categories ofexchanges, is a major academiccomponent of USIA’s exchange andtraining activities and an integral part ofthe Agency’s public diplomacy mission.Fulbright grants are awarded to Americanand foreign scholars to study, teach,lecture, or conduct research.

With the oversight of the presidentiallyappointed J. William Fulbright ForeignScholarship Board, USIA’s Office ofAcademic Programs administers theseprograms, in conjunction with binationalFulbright commissions overseas or USISofficers coordinating with host countrygovernments. The program responds tobroad U.S. and foreign national interestsas well as to the interests of the academiccommunity.

Each year, approximately4,200 American and foreigncitizens receive grants.Individuals are selected onthe basis of academic orprofessional qualificationsand potential, plus the abilityand willingness to shareideas and experiences withpeople of diverse cultures.

EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES

Distinguished FulbrightProgram alumni include:

Boutros Boutros GhaliFormer Secretary General of theUnited Nations

Derek BokFormer President of Harvard University

Milton FriedmanNobel Prize winning economist

Hans BetheNobel Prize winning physicist

Henry Steel CommagerHistorian

Eudora WeltyAuthor

Aaron CoplandComposer

John LithgowActor

Daniel Patrick MoynihanU.S. Senator

Anna MoffoOpera Singer

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Fulbright Categories:

❍ The U.S. Senior Scholar Program sendsapproximately 800 American academicsabroad each year, where they lecture orconduct research for up to one year in awide variety of academic and professionalfields.

❍ The Visiting Scholar and the Scholar-in-Residence Programs provide grants andsupport to foreign scholars to lecture orconduct research in the United States.Approximately 800 grants are awardedeach year.

❍ The Fulbright Student Program providesgrants to U.S. and foreign students tostudy and conduct research at thegraduate level. More than 800 Americansstudy abroad each year under thisprogram. It awards some 1,200 newgrants and approximately 1,800 renewalgrants to foreign graduate students.

❍ The Fulbright Teacher ExchangeProgram sponsors one-year, classroom-to-classroom exchanges of teachers andeducational administrators between theUnited States and 27 countries worldwide.Most of these exchanges, which cover avariety of subjects, take place at the highschool and community college levels.Some teacher training programs takeplace at the university level.

For more information about theseexchange programs, contact:

The Fulbright ProgramTel.: (202) 619-4360Fax: (202) 401-5914E-mail: exchange@usia.gov

Academic Exchanges With Russia,the New Independent States(NIS), and Central and EasternEuropeThe Office of Academic Programsadministers a variety of special programsfor Russia, the New Independent States(NIS), and Central and Eastern Europe,including activities involving individualfellowships, institutional linkages, andInternet access and training for USIAprogram alumni. All of these exchangesare run on the basis of open, merit-basedcompetition.

Both the Edmund S. Muskie Fellowships(named in honor of the late Secretary ofState and U.S. Senator) and the FreedomSupport Act Graduate Fellowships offerrecent graduates and mid-careerprofessionals the opportunity to study atthe Master’s degree level for one or twoyears in law, economics, businessadministration, public administration, andother fields targeted to promote economicand democratic reform in the NIS and theBaltics. Fellows also pursue an internshiprelevant to their field of study. The RonBrown Fellowship Program (named afterthe late Secretary of Commerce) providesgraduate fellowships for Master’s degreestudy at U.S. universities in fields such aslaw, economics, business administration,and public administration for students andmid-career professionals from Central andEastern Europe.

For advanced NIS graduate students andpost-doctoral scholars at the early stagesof their academic careers, the RegionalScholar Exchange Program offers researchfellowships of four to six months at diverse

A U.S. Fulbright scholarworks at the King FaisalResearch Foundation inRiyadh, Saudi Arabia.

A Fulbright lecturer gives a seminar at the IndonesianAttorney General’s Officeon the money-launderingprovision of the draftIndonesian criminal code.

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U.S. host institutions on topics in the socialsciences that did not exist or are beingtransformed in the post-Soviet era. TheJunior Faculty Development Program offersyoung faculty members from Russia,Ukraine, and Kazakstan the opportunity todevelop their teaching skills and consultwith staff at U.S. universities for a fullacademic year in designated fields of thesocial sciences and humanities. TheFreedom Support Act Fellowships inContemporary Issues offer NIS policy-makers, government officials, and NGOleaders fellowships of four months at U.S.host institutions to conduct research andanalysis on policy issues that canconsolidate the transition to democracy,free markets, and civil society in theirhome countries.

Under the auspices of the Freedom SupportAct, USIA provides NIS undergraduateswith an opportunity to study at U.S.universities and community colleges forone year. Under the auspices of theSupport for East European DemocracyProgram, the Bosnia UndergraduateProgram offers opportunities forundergraduates from Bosnia to study atU.S. universities for one year.

The Internet Access and Training Program(IATP) provides training in the use of the

Internet for educational and professionalpurposes for USIA program alumni andtheir colleagues at 50 public accessInternet sites created in partnership withNIS universities, libraries, and NGOs inten countries and through “FreeNets”created by the IATP for academic andnon-commercial users in Uzbekistan,Kazakstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The RegionalInvestment Initiative Internet Project in theRussian Federation expands connectivity,Internet access, and training for students,professors, practitioners in business, law,and public administration, and othersworking to consolidate economic growthand development in Novgorod,Khabarovsk, and Samara.

Other regionally focused programsinclude: Partners in Education, acommunity-based teacher exchangeprogram which provides secondary leveleducators and administrators with six-week internships in civic education in theU.S.; the NIS College and UniversityPartnerships Program which supportsinstitutional linkages between U.S. andNIS institutions of higher learning in thefields of business, law, publicadministration, education, and journalism;and educational reform programs whichsupport curriculum reform and civiceducation in Central and EasternEurope and the NIS.

For more information about theseexchange programs, contact:

Russia/NIS Exchange ProgramsTel: (202) 619-4556Fax: (202) 401-1433E-mail: exchange@usia.gov

Muskie Fellows meet with the late SenatorEdmund Muskie, for whom their program was named.

Central American students in a USIAexchange program at their graduationceremony at the University of South Alabama.

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Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship ProgramTel: (202) 619-5289Fax: (202) 619-1433

USIA supports a network of nearly 400education information/advising centersoverseas, providing impartial informationand guidance on the U.S. educationalsystem. USIA-supported advising centersalso work with U.S. college and universityadmissions officers, providing informationand interpretation of local educationalsystems and assisting them in makingpresentations about their academicprograms.

The Advising Centers serve the majority ofthe approximately 460,000 internationalstudents in the U.S. USIA also supportsactivities designed to strengthen theadministration of international exchangein the U.S. and ensure that the foreignstudent’s experience in the U.S. isrewarding.

For more information about theseexchange programs, contact:

Educational Advising ProgramTel. (202) 619-5434Fax (202) 619-1433E-mail: exchange@usia.gov

Study of the United StatesUSIA seeks to promote a betterunderstanding of American society andculture, past and present, primarilythrough programs intended to developand strengthen U.S. studies programs atforeign colleges and universities. Througha series of six-week institutes held atAmerican universities, faculty from aroundthe world participate annually in intensive

Special Academic Exchanges and ServicesThe College and University Affiliations

Program supports partnershipsbetween U.S. and foreigninstitutions to advance democraticinstitution building, trade, andsustainable development. Theprogram awards three-year grantsto support curriculum, faculty, andstaff development as well ascollaborative research and outreachactivities. Since the program wasestablished in 1982, more than 370grants have been awarded.

For more information about theseexchange programs, contact:

College and University AffiliationsProgramTel: (202) 619-5289Fax: (202) 619-1433E-mail: exchange@usia.gov

The Hubert H. Humphrey FellowshipProgram brings mid-level professionalsfrom developing countries to the UnitedStates for a year of academic study andprofessional internships. The HumphreyProgram was initiated in 1978 in honor ofthe late Vice President and Senator, HubertH. Humphrey. Fellows are selected basedon their potential for national leadership.

Fellowships are granted competitively tocandidates with a commitment to publicservice, in the fields of publicadministration, economic development,agriculture, urban planning, public health,technology policy, and journalism.

For more information about theseexchange programs, contact:

A Fulbright exchange teacherfrom Estonia in her classroomwith students at Dunbar High

School, Washington, D.C.

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seminars devoted to a study of U.S.history, society, politics, and culture. Anew series of three-week institutes offersforeign professionals in government, law,and economics a similar opportunity toengage in the study of contemporaryAmerican institutions. Other programsoffer support for USIS posts, often inconjunction with foreign universities andprofessional organizations, in sponsoringseminars, colloquia, and conferences onAmerican themes and issues. Support isalso offered to overseas universities andeducational institutions attempting toenhance their book and library collectionson the United States.

For more information about this program,contact:

Study of the United StatesTel: (202) 619-4557Fax: (202) 619-6790

English TeachingUSIA conducts a variety of activities topromote the teaching and learning ofEnglish overseas, including the productionand distribution of printed and electronicEnglish teaching materials such as theEnglish Teaching Forum, a quarterlyprofessional journal for teachers of Englishoutside of the United States. FourteenUSIA English Language Officers workingaround the world advise posts, foreignEnglish teaching educators, andgovernment officials on all aspects ofacademic programs. They also organizeand participate in teacher training seminars.The English Language Specialist Programsponsors senior American English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) specialists for

short-term programs in academicinstitutions abroad. The English LanguageFellow Program sends American teachersof EFL overseas for a year of directteaching in selected institutions, and sendsteacher trainers to Central and EasternEurope.

For more information about theseprograms, contact:

English Language ProgramsTel: (202) 619-5869Fax: (202) 401-1250E-mail: english@usia.gov

International VisitorsEach year the International Visitor (IV)Program brings 4,500-5,000 people tothe United States for three- to four-weekvisits to meet and confer with professionalcounterparts and to experience firsthandthe United States and its institutions. Thevisitors—both established and promisingfigures in government, politics, the media,education, labor, science and the arts—are selected by American embassiesoverseas. Many International Visitorshave gone on to become leaders in theirfields in their home countries. Nearly 200past and present chiefs of state and manydistinguished government and privatesector figures are alumni of this program.

The Office of International Visitors directsthe IV program in cooperation with a widerange of U.S. non-profit organizationsoperating under cooperative agreementswith USIA. The program also relies on thecommitment and skills of over 100volunteer organizations across thecountry. These organizations, knowncollectively as “councils for internationalvisitors,” schedule meetings, organize

International VisitorHadimulyo Soemonodo, aMember of the IndonesianParliament, meets with acounterpart in the UnitedStates, U.S. RepresentativeSam Farr from California.

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Miguel Puwainchir, an indigenousleader of the Shuar tribe inEcuador, explores an Americanlivestock ranch as part of hisInternational Visitor program.

He wrote after his experiencein the United States: “At theplanning meeting, they askedabout my interests. I said to visit

nongovernmentalinstitutions, to observeeducational programs,to get acquainted withlivestock technology,to contact theheadquarters of asmall plane factory, tovisit museums, tocontact indigenousorganizations.... Theyimmediately replied,‘We haven’t found avisitor with so manyinterests. ‘”

About hiscompleted program,he said, “It really wasa new experience, a

new vision, a new future for theShuar and Achuar peoples in theirprocess of participation in thenon-indigenous world....”

An Alyeska oil pipeline technician demonstrates new equipment for oil spill cleanup to USIA International Visitors.

At right,InternationalVisitors visit

Muir Woods inCalifornia

during their USIA program.

Below, anInternationalVisitor group

of Nepaliparliamentarians

visits the U.S. Capitol.

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topics. Ideas for most professional-levelgrant projects, generated in consultationwith embassies, lead to solicitations thatappear in the Federal Register. Priority isgiven to proposals that create orstrengthen ties among American andforeign institutions and that provideeffective cost-sharing.

In the fields of business, local governance,and law, the Office of Citizen Exchangesadministers the CommunityConnections/Business for Russia program,which places professionals from Russia,Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Belarus, andArmenia in three- to five-week internshipsin the United States. The program’sobjective is to provide participants withfirst-hand experience in their fields ofexpertise. Cooperating Americannonprofit organizations arrangeplacements with appropriate companies,as well as state and local governments.Home stays with American families arearranged by these organizations. TheCommunity Connections staff alsocoordinates the Presidential ManagementTraining Initiative, which supports thelong-term training of Russian managers.Funding is provided through the FreedomSupport Act.

The Office also directs a number of majoryouth exchange programs, such as theCongress-Bundestag Youth Exchange,which links German and American youngpeople. The New Independent States HighSchool Exchange Initiative supports year-long and shorter term exchanges at thesecondary-school level, as well as school-to-school linkages and programming forteachers in connection with the studentexchanges.

events, and offer home hospitality to thesedistinguished guests.

A large number of individuals and groupscome to the United States under privateauspices. This highly cost-effectiveinitiative involves more than 2,000participants each year.

For more information about theseprograms, contact:

International Visitor ProgramTel: (800) 827-0804Fax: (202) 619-4655E-mail: iv@usia.gov

Citizen Exchanges USIA’s Office of Citizen Exchangesmanages professional, youth, and culturalprograms through grants to nonprofitAmerican institutions, including communityorganizations, professional associations,and universities. These partnershipsbenefit thousands of Americans andforeign visitors who take part inexchanges at the grassroots level, both inthe United States and abroad. Thematiccategories for grants include conflictresolution, civic education, mediadevelopment, rule of law, environmentalprotection, trade unionism, judicialtraining, public administration, and other

Polish universityprofessors fromPoznan Academy of Economics visitSaint Joseph’sUniversity, Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, under the UniversityDevelopment inManagementProgram.

Future Leaders Exchange(FLEX) program studentsmeet with President Clintonat the White House. TheFLEX program is part of theNew Independent StatesHigh School Initiative.

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Cultural programs administered byUSIA are the responsibility of theOffice of Citizen Exchanges. TheCultural Programs staff administersprograms that increasinglyemphasize creating long-termrelationships among artists,institutions, and audiences—stimulating networks that sustainthemselves beyond diplomatic

support. USIA’s support for visual andperforming arts programs overseasemphasizes the vitality, diversity, andexcellence of American achievement.

The Cultural Programs staff works closelywith private foundations and the NationalEndowment for the Arts to support the Fundfor U.S. Artists at International Festivals andExhibitions, which enables U.S. artists toparticipate in major internationalperforming and visual arts festivals such asthe Grahamstown Festival in South Africaor the São Paulo (Brazil) Bienal.

The American Cultural Specialist Programsupports American experts who give artisticdirection and professional advice to foreigncultural institutions. A specialist’s dutiesmight include, for example, conducting avisual arts workshop or musical masterclass, directing a play, or advising on artsmanagement or intellectual property rightsissues.

The Feature Film Service supports 35mmfeature films at U.S. embassies’ requestsand with private-sector support from themotion picture industry for prestigiousAmbassadorial screenings, internationalfilm festivals, and other official film events.

The Creative Arts Exchanges Programoffers grants that link American artists,

museum professionals, and culturalinstitutions with their counterparts in othercountries by partially funding nonprofitinstitutional projects that conduct two-wayinternational cultural exchanges.

The Jazz Ambassador Program, co-sponsored by the Kennedy Center,sends a small number of gifted Americanjazz musician duos on concert tours incountries where there is a lack of exposureto American cultural achievement.

For more information about theseprograms, contact:

on thematic grant programs:Tel.: (202) 619-5348Fax: (202) 619-4350

on cultural programs:Tel.: (202) 619-4779Fax: (202) 619-6315

on youth exchange programs:Tel.: (202) 619-6299Fax: (202) 619-5311

Website:http://www.usia.gov/education/citizens/citizens.htm

Programs for Building DemocraticInstitutionsUSIA continues to develop a variety ofprograms to help emerging democraciesworldwide build institutions that supportdemocratic reform. Many of these areexchanges and training programsadministered by the Bureau of Educationaland Cultural Affairs. They emphasizehands-on training and the development ofprofessional contacts.

The Thelonious MonkJazz Ambassadors

performed throughouteastern and southern

Africa under USIA’sauspices.

U.S. Ambassador to GreeceThomas Niles pays tribute

to renowned Americandirector Jules Dassin at a

reception and filmretrospective organized bythe U.S. Embassy and USIS

staff in Athens.

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endangered archaeological andethnological material. The Bureau alsoworks to stimulate research, museumexchanges, and training thatcan provide sustainable economicincentives to protect valuable culturalresources.

A presidentially appointed CulturalProperty Advisory Committee, composedof eleven leading scholars, museumdirectors, art dealers, and members of thepublic, recommends appropriate U.S.action.

For more information about this activity,contact:

Cultural Property Advisory CommitteeTel.: (202) 619-6612Fax: (202) 619-5177E-mail: culprop@usia.gov

To write for more information about any ofthe above educational and culturalexchange programs, send your request to:

Bureau of Educational and Cultural AffairsU.S. Information Agency301 4th Street, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20547

Efforts in democratic institution-buildingcontinue in Central and Eastern Europe,Russia, and the New Independent States ofthe former Soviet Union. USIA bringsprofessionals in those countries to theUnited States to see our system in actionand gain information, skills, andprofessional contacts that are valuable tothem in their home countries. Incooperation with private sectororganizations, USIA is engaged in areassuch as the development of civic educationcurricula and parliamentary member andstaff exchange programs. For example,internships in the United States and in-country workshops for newly electedparliamentarians and their staff weredeveloped to encourage Bosnia’ssuccessful transition to a democratic andindependent state.

In Africa there is special emphasis onprograms related to democratization, andtrade, and investment, as many countrieson that continent are committed to reformsin these areas. Moreover, American policyhas moved away from relations built onaid toward relations of partnership. InLatin America and East Asia, USIAencourages the development of mediatingorganizations to further democraticdevelopment. In addition, programsfocusing on rule of law and intellectualproperty rights in countries such as China,Brazil, and Vietnam, have been funded.

Protection of Cultural PropertyUnder the terms of the 1970 UNESCOConvention on Cultural Property and itsU.S. implementing legislation, USIA helpsguide U.S. efforts to protect the culturalpatrimony of other countries. This includesimposing import restrictions on

Artifacts such as this are restricted fromimportation into the United States under anagreement between theU.S. and El Salvador,through the work of the Cultural PropertyAdvisory Committee.

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USIA’s information programs articulateU.S. government policies and actions andpresent American society in all itscomplexity to people in other countries.

These programs foster democracy aroundthe world by making available informationand advice on the rule of law, a free marketeconomy, an independent judiciary, anopen and fair electoral system, and a freeand independent media.

They also address international issues ofour times involving, for example, an opentrading system, arms proliferation, drugabuse, the global environment, humanrights, and terrorism.

USIA’s primary communication tools are adaily text and information service, knownas the Washington File; electronicjournals; pamphlets, posters, andspecialized publications; and electronic

and library-based research anddatabase access, including anInternet Web site. The Agencyalso conducts electronicteleconferences and administersprograms that send Americanspecialists and professionalsoverseas to speak on virtuallyany topic, from intellectualproperty rights to Americanliterature. Closer to home, threeAgency-run Foreign PressCenters provide assistance to

foreign journalists in the United States.

USIA’s information programs aremanaged by the Bureau of Information,which is organized around the principlesof flexible teams, reduced supervisorylayers, and cutting-edge technology. Thisteam-based reinvention structure allows

the Agency to deliver informationprograms in the most cost-efficient andinnovative manner possible. InformationBureau staff respond quickly andcreatively to the range of public diplomacychallenges facing the United States as wemove into the 21st century.

Internet ServicesUSIA has an active and growing presenceon the Internet. With the participation andsupport of overseas posts and domesticoffices throughout the Agency, theInformation Bureau maintains World WideWeb sites on the Internet. These sitescontain information on virtually everyaspect of Agency activities that can betranslated into a digital format. Forinternational audiences, these sitesinclude:

❍ Academic, cultural, and exchangeprograms;

❍ Electronic journals;❍ Washington File texts, transcripts, and

analyses; ❍ Agency publications and research

findings; ❍ Voice of America correspondent and

media reaction reports;❍ Background on international

conferences; ❍ Thematic, regional, and policy

information; ❍ Foreign Press Center information; ❍ Links to Internet resources and

databases;and ❍ Overseas post home pages and

background on USIA.

USIA’s presence on the Internet is a“triad,” built around three main homepages:

U.S. Speaker and authorToni Morrison meets with

Spanish writers at theBarcelona Book Fair.

INFORMATION ACTIVITIES

20

❍ A domestic USIA home page(http://www.usia.gov) managed bythe Office of Public Liaison, providinginformation on educational and culturalaffairs, broadcasting, media reaction,the “Public Diplomacy Forum,” andgeneral background on the Agency—consistent with Smith-Mundt restrictionsthat limit the extent to which USIA maydistribute its information products in theUnited States.

❍ An international USIA home pagemanaged by the Office of ThematicPrograms, holding the core of theAgency’s program materials, includingthe Washington File and links to USIAoverseas post home pages.

❍ Internal Web sites for Agency personnel.

For more information about USIA’sInternet presence and international homepage, contact:

Office of Thematic ProgramsElectronic Media TeamTel.: (202) 619-4269Fax: (202) 619-4028E-mail: homepage@usia.gov

For more information about USIA’sdomestic home page, contact:

Office of Public LiaisonTel.: (202)619-4355Fax: (202) 619-6988E-mail: inquiry@usia.gov

The Washington FileThe Bosnian conflict...U.S.-Japanese tradedisputes...currency devaluation in Africa...anew turn in the Middle East peaceprocess...the consolidation of democracyand free markets in Latin America. Fivedays a week, the Washington File provides

USIA’s overseas posts with the latestWhite House and State Departmentpronouncements, congressional reactions,background analyses, and fact sheets onpolicy-related topics.

Since its inception more than 60 yearsago as radio-teletyped transmissions toU.S. Navy short-wave stations around theworld, the Washington File has continuallychanged to stay abreast of technologicalchange.

The Washington File transmits texts,transcripts, and staff-writtenbackgrounders on most important regionaland global issues within hours of a newsevent. These are made available togovernment officials overseas and toforeign media for placement in localpapers, radio broadcasts, and televisionnews programs.

There are five final editions of theWashington File, each tailored to aparticular geographic region—Africa, theAmerican Republics, East Asia, Europeand the former Soviet Union, and theNear East and South Asia. Portions of fourof these geographic editions are translatedinto a predominant language in theregion: French for Africa, Spanish forLatin America, Russian for EasternEurope/NIS, and Arabic for the MiddleEast/North Africa.

Aside from the region-specific material,each edition draws from a central pool ofarticles produced by thematic teams on thetopics of economic security, politicalsecurity, democracy and human rights,global issues and communications, andU.S. society and values.

The Washington Fileprovides news-relatedmaterial, policy statements,and background analysesfor embassy staffinformation and placementin local media. It is offeredin several languagesincluding Russian.

21

For more information about theWashington File, contact:

Office of Geographic LiaisonTel.: (202) 619-4136Fax: (202) 260-4127

Electronic JournalsElectronic journals, which USIA launched inthe spring of 1996, provide timely, in-depthinformation about policy-related issues.USIA has five electronic journals: EconomicPerspectives, Global Issues, Issues ofDemocracy, U.S. Foreign Policy Agenda,and U.S. Society and Values. A newjournal is issued every three weeks. Thejournals are available in French, Spanish,Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, and English.

Journal teams regularly assemble richblends of authoritative material addressingmajor policy concerns of the Agency. Topicsto date have included race relations inAmerica, arms control, electroniccommerce, NATO enlargement, civil-military affairs, the fight against drugaddiction, religion in America, pressfreedom, and relations between Congressand the Clinton administration.

A typical electronic journal combinesinterviews with key government or otherofficials, policy statements, staff-writtenbackground articles, and commissioned orreprinted pieces by acknowledged experts.Bibliographic sections point to key Internetsites and list recent related books andarticles. The journals also offer moregeneral material such as current economictrends and indicators, developments inCongress, biographies, and a calendar ofupcoming events.

Electronic journals,available in six languages,

provide in-depthinformation about policy-

related issues.

For more information about electronicjournals, contact:

Office of Thematic ProgramsElectronic Media TeamTel.: (202) 619-4269Fax: (202) 619-4028

Speakers and SpecialistsIf one of the roles of USIA is to “tellAmerica’s story,” then those who take partin the U.S. speakers and specialistsprogram are the storytellers. They areAmerican experts who explain the UnitedStates, its policies, and its culture tooverseas audiences.

USIA sends approximately 850 Americansoverseas each year to participate inconferences or to lecture and conductworkshops for audiences at eventsorganized by the Agency’s overseas posts.The U.S. speakers represent government,academia, the media, business, andcommunity organizations. Their expertisemight range from nuclear proliferation totrade issues to the making of U.S. foreignpolicy to small-business basics.

A unique type of visiting speaker is theProfessional in Residence, an individualwho, for periods of three weeks to 12months, provides advice and counsel on,for example, the organization of democraticgovernments, administering judicial systems,managing independent media, ordeveloping market economies. Professionalsin Residence often present programs inconjunction with ministries, newspapers,television stations, and universities.

Another category of experts is VoluntarySpeakers, individuals who travel at theirown expense and make themselves

22

available to USIA’s overseas posts toconduct programs in the countries they willbe visiting or in nearby countries.

For more information about speakersprograms, contact:

Office of Thematic ProgramsTel: (202) 619-4210Fax: (202) 358-0329

Teleconferences and Digital VideoConferencesAs a cost-effective alternative to in-personspeaker programs, USIA maintains twoelectronic speakers programs.Teleconferences are international telephoneconference calls that link American expertsanywhere in the world with overseasaudiences. The format can vary from thevery basic—an international telephone call—to more elaborate programs linkingseveral sites and, on occasion, usingpreviously prepared video materials.

Teleconferences offer USIA overseas postsa timely and inexpensive means ofprogramming senior U.S. governmentpolicy-makers, academicians, journalists,scientists, artists, and others whoseschedules cannot accommodate a tourabroad. Conversely, well-knownAmericans are willing to participate inthese programs knowing that normallyonly an hour of their time is required andthey can participate from a telephoneanywhere in the world.

The Digital Video Conference (DVC)—atwo-way video teleconference-—enablesAmerican and foreign participants to seeand converse with each other, makingpossible the exchange of ideas andexperiences.

For more information aboutteleconferences and DVCs, contact:

Office of Thematic ProgramsElectronic Media TeamTel: (202) 619-4269Fax: (202) 619-4028

Print PublicationsEven in the age of electroniccommunications, print publicationscontinue to play a crucial role in USIAprogramming throughout the world: theyprovide information in depth; they aredurable and portable; they offer aninexpensive alternative to books fromcommercial publishers; and their gooddesign and quality ensure long shelf-life.

The Bureau of Information producesessentially three types of print publications:

❍ Introductory materials that containbasic factual information about theUnited States or about importantthematic topics such as human rightsand new communications technology;

❍ Explanatory, seminal materials aboutthe United States appropriate forgovernment officials overseas,international visitors, and educatedgeneralists. These works include amulti-part Outline series—on Americanhistory, government, the economy,literature, and geography; and

A Digital Video Conferenceallows participants to see aswell as hear each other,allowing a greater exchange ofideas and experiences.

Publications produced bythe Bureau of Information.

23

❍ In-depth materials about specificthematic topics appropriate for foreignprofessionals in a given field, such asarms control, intellectual propertyrights, the global informationinfrastructure, and the U.S. judicialsystem.

All of these publications also become partof USIA’s international home page.

Additionally,the Bureau ofInformationproduces whatare known as“special-eventpublications”—printed texts or,occasionally,poster showsthat focus on asingle event orsingle region ofthe world. The

visit of an American president abroad; asignificant anniversary in U.S. or worldhistory; an international conference oneconomic development; Earth Day; a U.S.presidential election—each of these mightbe found in a special-event publication.

For more information about printpublications, contact:

Office of Thematic ProgramsCopyright and Print PublicationsTel.: (202) 619-4218Fax: (202) 619-4173

CD-ROMUSIA has also produced a multimedia CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory),“The U.S. Academic Explorer: A Guide toHigher Education in the United States.” Itoffers foreign students practicalinformation on visas, qualifications, costs,application procedures, and other mattersthat are also available in any number ofguidebooks. The CD-ROM, however, doesmore than any book: It captures theAmerican college experience inphotographs, sound, and video. Thereare, for example, video interviews withforeign students talking about theirexperiences, a photo essay on a day inthe life of a typical student, and a map ofa typical campus where the viewer canclick on a building (administration, library,student union, liberal arts) and learn aboutits role in university life.

“The U.S. Academic Explorer” is designedfor use by USIA’s overseas posts, binationalcenters, and student-advising offices.

For more information about CD-ROMs,contact:

Office of Thematic ProgramsElectronic Media TeamTel.: (202) 619-4269Fax: (202) 619-4028

A multimedia CD-ROMentitled “The U.S. Academic

Explorer” offers foreignstudents practical

information on all aspectsof college study in the

United States.

24

Foreign Press CentersForeign Press Centers (FPCs) maintainedby USIA in New York, Los Angeles, andWashington offer facilities for foreignjournalists to meet, use on-line and otherinformation resources, talk to programofficers, and write and file stories. TheFPCs help foreign journalists cover theUnited States by offering guidance andsupport to those who may be unfamiliarwith American ways and institutions andby providing timely and accurateinformation. Foreign Press Center staffhelp correspondents and journalists obtaincredentials and notify them of specialevents, press conferences, and briefingsworthy of foreign coverage. The centersthemselves host frequent briefings withsenior U.S. government officials andAmerican experts on a variety ofnewsworthy subjects.

The three FPCs serve approximately 2,000foreign journalists residing in the UnitedStates. In addition, a new network ofprivate-sector International Press Centers(IPCs) works with USIA’s Foreign PressCenters to assist foreign journalists. Thelocally initiated and funded IPCs are inAtlanta, Chicago, Houston, Miami, andSeattle.

Above, President Clintonmeets with foreignpress representatives

Ambassador ThomasPickering briefsjournalists at theWashington ForeignPress Center.

Below, the WashingtonForeign Press Centerhas a much usedinformation center.

25

Below, USIA, State Department,

and Germangovernment officials

open the BusinessInformation Center

in Frankfurt.

The services provided by Foreign PressCenters include the following:

❍ All three FPCs arrange interviews withgovernment officials and privateAmericans;

❍ An information specialist providesinformation packages, bibliographicaccess to on-line databases, andtranscripts of press conferences,official briefings, and congressionaltestimony;

❍ A television unit in the WashingtonFPC assists correspondents andproducers in planning locations forlive and videotaped events, and helpswith research;

❍ FPC staff frequently helps overseasposts coordinate press-relatedactivities for presidential visits, such asaccreditation and briefings; and

❍ A U.S. military officer, on assignmentfrom the Pentagon at the WashingtonForeign Press Center, assistsjournalists covering the U.S. defensecommunity.

FPC program officers also workclosely with overseas posts onexcursion tours for visiting foreignjournalists, special briefings, andgroup tours.

For more information about ForeignPress Centers, contact:

USIA Foreign Press CenterNational Press Building, Suite 898529 14th Street, NWWashington, D.C. 20045Tel: (202) 724-1640Fax: (202) 724-0007

Information Resource Centers andLibrariesUSIA’s Information Resource Centers(IRCs) and libraries provide a vitalcommunication link between overseasposts and local audiences. They are akey component of a post’s overallcapability to communicate to foreignaudiences on issues of concern to U.S.interests.

Although Information Resource Centersand libraries may differ from post topost, essentially they all serve to advancetwo mutually supportive functions: (1) toprovide the most current andauthoritative information about officialU.S. government policies, and (2) toserve as a primary source of informedcommentary on the origin, growth, anddevelopment of American social,political, economic, and cultural valuesand institutions.

Because current awareness and outreachservices to foreign opinion leaders are acore function of the IRCs, USIA staff relyon electronic information resources toaccess and disseminate informationabout U.S. government policies andpositions. In places where informationabout the United States is limited or thetechnology environment underdeveloped,USIA libraries provide access to bookand periodical collections that promotean appreciation and understanding ofAmerican intellectual and cultural history,American economic and socialinstitutions, and American politicaltraditions.

For more information about InformationResource Centers and libraries, contact:

26

Office of Geographic LiaisonInformation Resource CenterTel.: (202) 260-1234Fax: (202) 619-6190

Publications Translation ProgramsFor 30 years, USIA’s publicationstranslation programs have helped makethe literary works, scholarship, andopinions of American writers past andpresent available to educators, businessprofessionals, researchers, and a vastbook public around the world.

Through these programs, USIA facilitatesthe work of independent publishersoverseas who have a commercial interestin producing either translated versions ofAmerican classics and contemporaryworks or low-priced English-languagereprints of the originals. Agency bookofficers work with foreign publishers toidentify titles that are relevant to localintellectual interests and learning needsand, at the same time, address USIA’sgoal of fostering understanding of theUnited States.

The USIA publications translationprograms operate throughout Asia, theMiddle East, Latin America, Africa, and inmany parts of Europe, including thecountries of the former Soviet Union.Long-established regional publicationstranslation programs help local publishersin Cairo and Amman, for example,publish Arabic translations for post useand for commercial sale throughout theMiddle East. In other regions, posts runtheir own programs, working with localpublishers to produce American titles inChinese, Czech, Indonesian, Mongolian,Bengali, and many other languages.

Since their inception, the publicationstranslation programs have facilitatedpublication and dissemination of hundredsof thousands of American books coveringsuch subjects as American history andgovernment, political science, economics,law, education, business administration,biography, environmental science,literature and literary criticism, andcommunications.

For more information about thepublications translation programs, contact:

Office of Geographic LiaisonTel.: (202) 619-4136Fax: (202) 260-4127

USIA’s InformationResource Center in

Lusaka, Zambia.

27

International broadcastingpresents the most effective andtimely method to reach a globalaudience. The U.S. InformationAgency’s radio and TVservices—the Voice of America,WORLDNET Television andFilm Service, and Radio and TVMartí—broadcast world,regional, and U.S. news;commentaries; editorials;

roundtable discussions; features; andprograms about the United States, itspeople, and its foreign and nationalpolicy. These services perform a role thatis rarely undertaken by the commercialinternational broadcasters. They:

❍ Broadcast in local languages; ❍ Cover local developments as well as

world events; and❍ Are not bound by any commercial

considerations.

The overall structure of civilian U.S.government international broadcastingchanged in April 1994 when Congresspassed and President Clinton signed theInternational Broadcasting Act of 1994(Public Law 103-236). The new legislationformed a Broadcasting Board ofGovernors (BBG) to provide guidance toall U.S. government internationalbroadcasters, both federally funded andgrantee alike; established the InternationalBroadcasting Bureau (IBB) within the U.S.Information Agency; and created RadioFree Asia (RFA), a grantee corporationbroadcasting to the Far East. When USIAintegrates with the Department of State,IBB will become an independent agency.

The first Broadcasting Board of Governorswas sworn in on August 11, 1995. Thebipartisan Board includes the Director ofUSIA (ex officio) and eight other membersappointed by the President and confirmedby the Senate. Members of the BBG meetregularly to provide guidance to the Voiceof America, WORLDNET Television andFilm Service, and Radio and TV Martí—thefederally funded broadcast services of theInternational Broadcasting Bureau, and toRadio Free Europe/Radio Liberty andRadio Free Asia—two grantee corporationsthat receive annual congressionallyappropriated grants through the BBG.

VOICE OF AMERICA

The Voice of America (VOA), the U.S.Information Agency’s international radioservice, provides accurate and reliablenews and information to approximately83 million people worldwide. Each week,VOA broadcasts more than 800 hours ofprogramming on shortwave, mediumwave, and by satellite in English and otherlanguages. Millions of listeners also tuneto VOA-produced programs rebroadcastby local affiliate radio stations aroundthe world.

News and news-related programs accountfor a large percentage of VOA’s dailybroadcast schedule. Each day, reportersin the newsroom and VOA correspondentsat news bureaus worldwide, write nearly200 news stories for VOA’s in-housenewswire, which is used by VOA’slanguage services. Freelance reporters—known as “stringers”—file news stories inEnglish and many other languagesbroadcast by VOA.

INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING

The staff in the“Bubble” at VOA’s

Washingtonheadquarters

receives and recordsall VOA English-

languagecorrespondent and“stringer” reports

from around theworld. A second

center in the buildingtakes in languagereports. During a

24-hour period, VOAcorrespondents file

between 60 and 80news stories. VOA’s

language servicesuse correspondent

and stringer reportsin their newscasts

and otherprogramming.

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VOA CharterTo protect the integrity of VOAprogramming and define theorganization’s mission, the VOA Charterwas drafted in 1960 and signed into law(Public Law 94-350) on July 12, 1976, byPresident Gerald Ford:

The long-range interests of the UnitedStates are served by communicatingdirectly with the peoples of the world byradio. To be effective, the Voice ofAmerica (the Broadcasting Service of theUnited States Information Agency) mustwin the attention and respect of listeners.These principles will therefore governVoice of America (VOA) broadcasts.

1. VOA will serve as a consistentlyreliable and authoritative source ofnews. VOA news will be accurate,objective, and comprehensive.

2. VOA will represent America, not anysingle segment of American society,and will therefore present a balancedand comprehensive projection ofsignificant American thought andinstitutions.

3. VOA will present the policies of theUnited States clearly and effectively,and will also present responsiblediscussions and opinion on thesepolicies.

All programming originates from VOA’sWashington, D.C., headquarters, which isequipped with 45 radio studios and twotelevision studios, a 150-channel mastercontrol, and two centers to record reports

from VOAcorrespondents aroundthe world. A networkof relay stationsworldwide transmitsVOA’s programs to itsinternational audience.

VOA also simulcasts portions of itsprograms on radio and TV. The ventureinto television began on September 18,1994, when “China Forum TV” telecast itsfirst program by satellite to the Peoples’Republic of China. Today, VOA Arabic,Bosnian, Chinese, English, Farsi, Serbian,and Spanish simulcast portions of theirbroadcasts on radio and TV. VOARussian, Thai, and Turkish record TVprograms for stations in their respectivecountries.

The Voice of America has also establisheda Web page on the Internet. It offers thedaily VOA newswire, program schedules(times, frequencies, and satellite circuits),VOA Chinese-language program scripts,audio files in more than 20 languages,and background informationabout VOA languageservices and other civilianU.S. government broadcastservices.

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama ofTibet, on the front steps ofVOA’s headquarters inWashington, D.C. during avisit to VOA. The DalaiLama said that the VOATibetan Service performs“an essential job for the people of Tibet—tobroadcast the truthhonestly.”

The late Willis Conover,the world-famous host

of VOA’s music program“Music, USA”, was

America’s ambassadorof jazz for more than 40

years. His programfeatured the work of

jazz artists such as Duke Ellington,

Benny Goodman, Ella Fitzgerald,

and Billie Holiday.

29

WORLDNET TELEVISIONAND FILM SERVICE

WORLDNET Television and Film Service,the U.S. Information Agency’s globalpublic affairs, information, and culturaltelevision network, was launched in 1983to present a balanced and accuratepicture of American society, policies, andpeople.

WORLDNET transmits itsprogramming by satellitefrom studios in Washington,D.C., to U.S. embassies,cultural centers,broadcasters, and cable-casters. WORLDNETtransmits programming 24-hours-a-day in English.Programs also are availablein Arabic, English, French,Mandarin, Russian, Polish,

Serbian, Spanish, Ukrainian, and otherworld languages.

WORLDNET ProgramsWORLDNET produces original programsand acquires others from commercial andpublic broadcasting organizations.Original productions include:

“Dialogue”—an hour-long, live interactivepublic affairs forum regularly links topgovernment officials and experts in

medicine, business,technology, politics, andthe arts, with journalists,government officials,opinion leaders, andprofessional peers in othercountries;

“Science World”—a program about thelatest developments in science, medicine,and technology; and

Weekly international call-in programsincluding “Talk to America,” “AfricaJournal,” and “Conversemos en EstaNoche.”

WORLDNET acquires and transmits suchcommercial and public broadcastingprograms as “The NewsHour with JimLehrer,” “Nightly Business Report,”“Computer Chronicles,” and “WorkingWoman.”

The WORLDNET Television Service alsoassists foreign film and televisionproduction crews when they work in theUnited States.

For more information about WORLDNET,contact:

WORLDNET Television and Film Service330 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20547Tel.: (202) 205-5600Fax: (202) 690-4952E-mail: worldnet@usia.gov

WORLDNET staff preparesVice President Al Gore for a

satellite broadcast.

Author BettyFriedan takes

part in aWORLDNET

program.

30

OFFICE OF CUBABROADCASTING

The Office of Cuba Broadcasting operatesRadio and TV Martí, which, as surrogatestations, focus on Cuban domestic andinternational news and information that isnot reported by the government-controlledmedia. Through accurate, unbiased, andbalanced reporting, each station offers amix of Spanish-language news, feature,cultural, and entertainment programmingto its Cuban audience.

Radio MartíRadio Martí broadcast its first program onMay 20, 1985, as authorized by theBroadcasting to Cuba Act of 1983 (PublicLaw 98-111). According to thislegislation, Radio Martí programmingmust follow all Voice of Americastandards; programs must be objective,accurate, and balanced.

News and news-related programs makeup half of the Radio Martí daily schedule.Other programming includes public affairsand entertainment programs that reflectthe interests and role of women and youthin society, political prisoners, the military,and rural sectors.

Radio Martí provides “live” coverage ofspecial events in the United States andaround the world that directly affect Cubaand its citizens. For example, in April1998 Radio Martí, using in-housejournalists, broadcast live coverage of theUnited Nations Human Rights hearings inGeneva as well as the second Summit ofthe Americas in 1998 held in Santiago,Chile, which was attended by PresidentBill Clinton.

Radio Martí broadcasts seven days a week,24 hours a day, on medium wave andshortwave, bringing its audience a selectionof more than 70 programs each week.

TV MartíTV Martí transmitted its first two-and-a-half-hour program on March 27, 1990.Today, the station is on the air seven daysa week, four-and-a-half hours a day.Broadcasts include half-hour nightlynewscasts; a weekend news summary ofthe preceding week’s major events; andspecial programs about public affairs,culture, music, sports, and entertainment.

The antenna and transmitter for TV Martíare mounted aboard a balloon tethered10,000 feet above Cudjoe Key, Florida.Programs originate from studios inWashington, D.C., and Miami.

For more information about the Office ofCuba Broadcasting, contact:Office of Cuba Broadcasting4201 N.W. 77th AvenueMiami, Florida 33166Tel.: (305) 437-7001Fax: (305) 437-7011

Radio MartíTel.: (305) 437-7000Fax: (305) 437-7011

TV MartíTel.: (305) 437-7210Fax: (305) 437-7018

The balloon that holds the transmitter andantenna for TV Martí.

31

Listeners should write to:

Office of Cuba BroadcastingP.O. Box 5218682200 NW 72nd AvenueMiami, Florida 33152-9998E-mail: ocb@usia.gov

OFFICE OF AFFILIATERELATIONS AND MEDIATRAINING

The Office of Affiliate Relations andMedia Training uses a network ofsatellites, radio bridges, phone feeds,and prerecorded tape to provideaffiliated radio and TV stations aroundthe globe with VOA and WORLDNETprograms. The International MediaTraining Center provides instruction inbroadcast journalism and stationmanagement. For more information,contact:

International Broadcasting BureauOffice of Affiliate Relations and Media Training330 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20547Tel.: (202) 401-1493Fax: (202) 401-1494

OFFICE OF BUSINESSDEVELOPMENT

The Office of Business Development wascreated in 1994 to work withcorporations, foundations, and othergovernment agencies to raise funds for IBBprogramming. Underwriters of IBBprogramming receive on-airacknowledgments in any of more than 50languages, which are spoken in regionsthe companies are trying to reach. Partiesinterested in underwriting/partnershipswith IBB should contact:

International Broadcasting BureauOffice of Business Development330 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20547Tel: (202) 260-9052Fax: (202) 401-2861

32

USIA’s Office of Research and MediaReaction is the official pollster for the U.S.Government abroad and the source ofdaily analyses of overseas press opinion onU.S. foreign policy. Comprised of surveyresearch specialists and geographic-areaexperts, the office conducts surveys andfocus groups on attitudes of foreign massand elite publics. USIA’s Media Reactionbranch issues at least two reports a day onforeign editorial commentary dealing withissues relevant to U.S. foreign policy.

Foreign Opinion PollsResearch Office surveys track attitudes on awide range of issues, including views aboutthe U.S., trade, democratization, freemarkets, the media, armed conflicts,terrorism, drugs, population, the peaceprocess in a number of countries, and othercurrent issues and events.

The primary audience for this information issenior and mid-level foreign policy-makersat the White House, National SecurityCouncil, and Departments of State andDefense, as well as U.S. ambassadors andforeign service personnel at embassies andUSIS posts abroad, and USIA personnel inWashington. Since Research Office papersare not program materials for foreignaudiences, some papers are madeavailable to U.S. universities, think tanks,and other nongovernmental organizations.

In 1997 the Office of Researchcommissioned 150 surveys in 74 countries,yielding 400 research papers, of whichthere were four essential types:

❍ Briefing Papers for top U.S.government officials meeting withforeign dignitaries;

❍ Opinion Analyses, presenting morecomprehensive analyses of attitudeswithin countries and across regions;

❍ Opinion Alerts, or “hot” issue, one-page papers; and

❍ Research Reports, which are more in-depth cross-regional or trend studiesfocusing on specific global issues.

Foreign Press CommentaryThe Media Reaction branch produces, forU.S. government officials, over 550reports on foreign press commentary peryear, consisting of the:

❍ Early Report, a daily 7:30 a.m.compilation of foreign media opinionon the major issues of the day;

❍ Daily Digest, the mid-day report,providing a more detailed focus onmedia reaction to one or two issuesreceiving significant attention in theforeign press; and

❍ Special Report, a periodic digestprepared for a particular U.S.government agency or official, oftenat their request.

Media Reaction reports are also availablevia the Internet on USIA’s Web site.

For more information about these offices,contact:

The Office of Research and MediaReactionU.S. Information Agency301 4th Street, S.W. Room 352Washington, D.C. 20547Tel.: (202) 619-4965Fax: (202) 619-6977E-mail: r@usia.gov

RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

USIA’s Office of Researchand Media Reactionproduces a wide range of reports.

33

OUTREACH TO U.S. CITIZENS

Public Liaison and Media RelationsThe Office of Public Liaison conducts dailyoutreach and response to domestic mediaand the American public on USIA’s mission,history, and programs. Public Liaison alsocoordinates Agency briefings, informationbrochures, and domestic sites on theInternet.

OVERSIGHT

Congressional CommitteesThe United States Congress oversees USIA’sbudget and program through fourcommittees: the Senate Foreign RelationsCommittee, the House Foreign AffairsCommittee, and the Senate and HouseAppropriations Committees. USIA’sCongressional Liaison Office conducts aprogram of daily outreach to theseCommittees’ members and their staffs.

Broadcasting Board of GovernorsThe Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)was created by the U.S. InternationalBroadcasting Act of 1994 as part of amajor restructuring of all U.S.-funded non-military international broadcasting. TheBoard is bipartisan with eight presidentiallyappointed voting members confirmed by theUnited States Senate and the USIA Directoras an ex-officio voting member. The Boardis authorized to appoint a staff to assist it incarrying out its duties, and it appoints theDirector of the International BroadcastingBureau (IBB).

Established within USIA, the Board overseesall broadcasting activities carried out byorganizations within the IBB and by twononprofit private grantee corporations. Oneof its primary functions is to serve as afirewall to ensure the professional

independence and integrity of thebroadcasters. Among the IBB organizationsoverseen by the Board are the Voice ofAmerica, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting(Radio and TV Martí), WORLDNETTelevision and Film Service, and the IBBOffice of Engineering and TechnicalOperations. The BBG grantees are RadioFree Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) andRadio Free Asia (RFA).

ADVISORY COMMITTEES

U.S. Advisory Commission onPublic DiplomacyThe United States Advisory Commission onPublic Diplomacy is a bipartisan,presidential advisory board created byCongress to oversee U.S. governmentpublic diplomacy activities intended tounderstand, inform, and influence foreignpublics.

The Commission’s seven members areappointed by the President with the adviceand consent of the Senate. Commissionersare selected from a cross-section ofprofessional backgrounds and areappointed for three year terms. TheChairman is designated by the President.

Since 1948, Commission reports haveaddressed U.S. embassy information andcultural activities, international exchanges,U.S. international broadcasting, and therole of public diplomacy in the conduct offoreign policy.

The Commission meets monthly and bylaw reports to the President, Congress, theSecretary of State, the Director of the U.S.Information Agency, and the Americanpeople.

OUTREACH AND OVERSIGHT

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Information on the Commission may befound on the Commission’s Web site atwww.advcomm.fed.gov.

J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship BoardThe J. William Fulbright Foreign ScholarshipBoard was established by Congress tosupervise the worldwide exchangeprogram. Appointed by the President, theBoard is composed of 12 members drawnfrom academic, cultural, and public life.The Board sets policies and procedures foradministration of the program, has finalresponsibility for the selection of allgrantees, and supervises the conduct of theprogram both in the United States andabroad.

From the beginning, the Board hasemphasized excellence as the fundamentalstandard for the Fulbright Program. At itsfirst meeting in 1947 the Board pledged that“in all aspects of the program the higheststandards will be developed andmaintained... the individuals to benefit willbe of the highest caliber, persons whodemonstrate scholastic and professionalability and whose personalities andcharacters will contribute to the furtheranceof the objectives of the program.”

Cultural Property AdvisoryCommitteeThe Cultural Property Advisory Committeewas authorized by the 1983 Convention onCultural Property Implementation Act toreview and make recommendations to USIAabout requests from foreign governmentsseeking to protect their cultural artifacts frompillage and unauthorized movement acrossinternational boundaries.

The Cultural Property Advisory Committeeis composed of eleven members appointedby the President. They represent

Above, Edward R.Murrow, director of

USIA from 1961 to 1964, used his

broadcasting skillsoccasionally at

VOA.

At right, JohnHouseman,

actor and theaterdirector, was the

first director of the Voice of America.

museums, art dealers, the archaeologycommunity, and the general public. TheCommittee reviews and makesrecommendations to the Director of USIAabout requests from foreign governmentsseeking to protect their cultural artifactsagainst illicit export to the U.S.

The President’s Advisory Board forCuba BroadcastingThe President’s Advisory Board for CubaBroadcasting reviews the effectiveness ofUSIA’s Radio and TV Martí operations. Thenine presidentially appointed membersmeet bimonthly and report to the President,the Director of USIA, and the Director of theInternational Broadcasting Bureau.

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USIA can trace its roots to the Committeeon Public Information (Creel Committee) ofWorld War I, which represented the U.S.government’s first large-scale entry intoinformation activities abroad.

After World War I, U.S. government-sponsored information activities werereduced until 1938, when theInterdepartmental Committee for ScientificCooperation was formed in response toGerman and Italian propaganda aimed atLatin America. In 1940, Nelson Rockefellerwas named Coordinator of Commercialand Cultural Affairs Relations between theU.S. and other American republics. Theexchange of people and the establishmentof libraries and binational centers wereamong the programs Rockefeller initiated.In February 1942, the Voice of Americawas created to counter adverse foreignpropaganda. A few months later the Officeof War Information was established.

During the post-war period, as Europebecame a battleground of ideologies,Congress recognized the need for moresystematic American information andcultural programs overseas. It passed twopieces of legislation:

❍ The Fulbright Act of 1946, whichmandated a peacetime internationalexchange program; and

❍ The Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, whichserved as the charter for a peacetimeoverseas information program.

In 1949, the Hoover Commissionrecommended moving the foreigninformation program out of theDepartment of State. The U.S. AdvisoryCommission on Information (created to

recommend changes in information andeducational exchange programs) urgedthat an independent information agencybe created.

BeginningsOn August 1, 1953, President DwightEisenhower created the independentUnited States Information Agency tostreamline the U.S. government’s overseasinformation programs and make themmore effective. The reorganizationincorporated VOA into USIA, but left theeducational exchange programs within theDepartment of State. By the end of 1954,VOA had moved its headquarters fromNew York to Washington, D.C.

In 1961, Congress passed the MutualEducational and Cultural Exchange Act,known as the Fulbright-Hays Act. The Actconsolidated various U.S. internationaleducational and cultural exchangeactivities. It expanded other cultural andathletic exchanges, translation of booksand periodicals, and U.S. representationin international fairs and expositions. TheAct also established government operationof cultural and educational centersabroad.

USIA’s ReorganizationAnother major USIA reorganization,approved in 1977 by President JimmyCarter, took effect on April 1, 1978. TheState Department’s Bureau of Educationaland Cultural Affairs and USIA werecombined as the United States InternationalCommunication Agency (USICA).

President Carter’s definition of the Agency’smission, transmitted to Congress in 1977,added a second mandate for the Agency.

USIA’S HISTORY

Senator J. William Fulbright sponsoredlegislation which foundedthe Fulbright educationalexchange program.

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It stated that the Agency’s principal functionshould be “to reduce the degree to whichmisperceptions and misunderstandingscomplicate relations between the UnitedStates and other nations. It is also in ourinterest—and in the interest of other nations—that Americans have the opportunity tounderstand the histories, cultures, andproblems of others, so that we can come tounderstand their hopes, perceptions, andaspirations.”

In 1982, President Ronald Reagan restoredthe Agency’s name to the United StatesInformation Agency.

Under the Foreign Affairs Restructuring andReform Act of 1998, USIA will beintegrated with the Department of State asof October 1, 1999, moving publicdiplomacy closer to the center of U.S.foreign policymaking.

Domestic DisseminationSince its founding, USIA has beenprohibited by Congress from directing itsinformational programs toward its owncitizens. By design, under the United StatesInformation and Educational Exchange Actof 1948, USIA’s informational programshave been directed only to overseasaudiences. An amendment to that act inFebruary 1990 authorized the Director ofthe U.S. Information Agency to makecertain products available to the Archivist ofthe United States for domestic distribution.Motion pictures, films, videotapes, andother material prepared for disseminationabroad are available 12 years aftermaterial is first sent abroad, or, in the caseof material not disseminated abroad, 12years after the preparation of the material.

Cover Collage:Robert Banks

Printing:USIA’s Regional Service Center

Manila

October 1998