Audiences and Independent Journalists in Eurasia lose another Voice of America outlet for exchanging

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July 16, 2006 views with the U.S. New Europe Review ends its online multimedia publication in 19 European languages as part of drastic cutbacks in U.S. international broadcasting to Eurasia

FreeMediaOnline.org [1]Dublin, CA, July 16, 2006 -- The Voice of America[2] announced it has stopped publication of its online multilingual opinion journal New Europe Review [3] as of July 2006. The journal started to appear online in 2004 after a number of VOA language services broadcasting to Central Europe had been closed down by the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)[4], a bipartisan body in charge of all U.S. civilian international broadcasting. The end of New Europe Review's publication follows a recent BBG decision to eliminate all VOA radio broadcasts in Russian and to terminate or reduce programs in a number of other languages. Link to BBG announcement of program cuts...[5] | FreeMediaOnline report on program cuts... [6]

The online journal was launched by VOA journalists who wanted to preserve their ability to communicate with audiences in Central Europe despite the Broadcasting Board of Governors' efforts to reduce the number of language services at VOA as part of diverting resources to pay for the expansion of broadcasting to the Middle East. The project was supported by former International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) director Seth Cropsey.[7] The first issue was launched with the help of Russia expert Dr. Paul Goble, VOA Eurasia Division director Ted Lipien, who became the journal's editor, and Jaroslaw Anders, a VOA journalist and literary critic.

Mr. Anders, whose book reviews on European and American topics have appeared in major U.S. publications, was the journal's final editor. Articles were translated by broadcasters at the remaining VOA language services and by outside translators. They included former VOA journalists who had lost their jobs as a result of cutbacks at the Voice of America initiated by the Bush Administration and BBG.

The journal was first issued in 17 languages.Two more languages, Russian and Ukrainian, were added later. The journal's International Advisory Board included Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former Czech President Vaclav Havel, former Polish Foreign Minister Bronislaw Geremek, and former U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski.

New Europe Review published analyses and interviews with experts and activists in many fields in the United States and Europe. One of the most read and re-published was the 2004 New Europe Review edition dealing with Islam in Europe which included an interview with Mustafa ef. Ceric, a Muslim religious leader in Bosnia.

In the interview, Mustafa ef. Ceric called for a re-interpretation of Islam: "I hope that the generation of Muslims born in Europe will be able to reinterpret Islam. I think that we, together with Turkey - on the condition that Turkey opens itself to theological debates - should offer an alternative to the current interpretation of Islam." Link...[8]

Another article in the same issue of New Europe Review dealt with the Islamic factor in Russia. It was written by Aleksey Malashenko, an expert in Oriental studies and ethnic relations, Scholar-in-Residence at the Carnegie Moscow Center[9] and a professor at the Moscow State Institute of Foreign Relations.

Mr. Malashenko argued that Russia may face a crisis situation if various political, social, ethnic, and religious issues linked with Islam are not properly addressed: "Islam remains an important factor in Russia's political life, and there are enough reasons to worry. Religious radicals appeal to Islam; internal conflicts remain unresolved; foreigners continue to interfere across the borders; and that the ruling establishment is incapable (or unwilling) to understand Islam's impact on Russia's internal affairs." Link... [10]

The end of New Europe Review's publication further reduces the already minimal number of outlets through which the United States communicates with audiences in Europe and Eurasia. Despite signs that the media in Russia and in some other countries in Eurasia are facing increasing restrictions, the Bush Administration and the bipartisan Broadcasting Board of Governors have been closing down these communication outlets at the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as a way of saving money to fund broadcasting to the Middle East and the rest of the Muslim world.

Their most controversial decision was to eliminate all VOA Russian-language radio programs as of October 1, 2006. After the Broadcasting Board of Governors announced its decision, which had been initiated by the White House Office of Management and Budget[11], Russian authorities took further steps against stations in Russia using VOA and RFE/RL news programs. Russian regulators have forced more than 60 stations to stop these rebroadcasts. Link to the Washington Post story, July 7, 2006...[12] | Link to the New York Times story, July 8, 2006...[13] Public diplomacy experts and nongovernmental organizations supporting free media have expressed concern that program cuts at VOA and RFE/RL will lead to further restrictions on media freedom in Russia and the rest of Eurasia. Link to FreeMediaOnline.org July 13, 2006 press release...[14]

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