Different Shade of Lipstick, Same Pigheaded Policies [1]
Submitted by Diane Farsetta [2] on
A new report [3] from the Council on Foreign Relations [4] suggests that better U.S. communications with Muslim countries [5] require "listening more, a humbler tone, and focusing on bilateral aid and partnership, while tolerating disagreement on controversial policy issues [6]." The report, which was based on focus group [7]s held in Morocco, Egypt and Indonesia, says U.S. tsunami [8] relief, the Iraqi election [9] and new Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts provide "a window of opportunity to change Muslim attitudes." Specific recommendations include engaging "local and regional media via press releases, interviews, Op-Eds, press conferences, and site visits," and launching "an advertising campaign [10] on U.S. aid and support [11] for reform in local and regional media, and acknowledge the U.S. government as the source." Focus group members "do not take seriously U.S. government media [12], such as Radio Sawa, al-Hurra TV [13], and Hi magazine, as information sources [14]."