Hooray for Hollywood!

Nov. 9 - If America’s enemies could only see what a struggle it was to become the land of the free they might think twice about automatically branding the United States public enemy No. 1. That happy ending might only be seen in Hollywood—and that’s exactly who Congressman Henry Hyde believes should write the story.

HYDE, THE ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN, is calling on movie and advertising executives to gather and plot ways to burnish America’s image around the world. On Wednesday, they’ll gather in Washington to offer insights at a special panel to be held before the International Relations Committee. “We need a Middle Eastern Frank Capra,” says Hyde, the committee’s chairman. “Someone who can translate our ideals and our humanity into the vernacular of these countries.”

“Just like Al-Jazeera—we’ll find a way to brand this with the audience we’re going after. The story will be America. We have a story of freedom, pluralism and a dynamic economy that is worth telling.” — NORM PATTIZ

So far, three business executives have answered Hyde’s call for expert advice, including Norm Pattiz, the chairman and founder of Westwood One, the country’s largest radio network. “Just like Al-Jazeera—we’ll find a way to brand this with the audience we’re going after,” says Pattiz. “The story will be America. We have a story of freedom, pluralism and a dynamic economy that is worth telling.”

As a member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, Pattiz toured the Middle East earlier this year, and found that outlets like Voice of America have a tiny audience. “There’s nobody carrying water for us over there at all,” he said.

The Bush administration began reaching out to Hollywood’s heavy hitters last month, hiring Charlotte Beers, the former chief executive of Ogilvy & Mather, as the undersecretary of pubic diplomacy, whose mission it is to market the U.S. “brand.”

Getting that image to resonate with a mass audience is where Pattiz comes in. He wants to create a 24-hour radio broadcast that reaches a mass audience in the Arab world, providing entertainment, music and news, as well as editorial views of America from America. Pattiz estimates that outdated analog equipment and short air times—typically three to seven hours a day—means programs like “Voice of America” reach only about 2 percent of listeners in most Muslim countries.

Making it something they actually want to hear will be a tall task. Nathan Richardson, the chairman of the broadcasting board of governors, notes that research shows much of the Arab world, particularly those under age 25, “has enormous distrust of the United States.”

Some journalists and civil libertarians worry about the precedent of such efforts at “public diplomacy,” which is often referred to as propaganda. Gary Daniels, a spokesman for the National Coalition Against Censorship, says Hollywood shouldn’t be used as a mouthpiece for Washington. “We don’t want our entertainment industry used as a government propaganda machine,” he said, though he conceded: “In a war, there’s obviously a feeling of needing to help in any way.” Daniels said the fear is that Hollywood could start feeling pressure to conform to story lines endorsed by the U.S. government. “It turns into a chilling effect,” he said, “where the entertainment industry feels some pressure to go along with the team.”

"We need a Middle Eastern Frank Capra," says Rep, Henry Hyde. "Someone who can translate our ideals and our humanity into the vernacular of these countries."

In addition to Pattiz, participants on the panel testifying before the International Relations Committee include Robert Wehling, the former global marketing officer for Proctor & Gamble, the largest U.S. advertiser in the Middle East; John W. Leslie Jr., chairman of Weber-Shandwick, the giant communications company, and a former aide to Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Support for the effort has been building among politicians in Washington, like Rep. Joe Crowley, a Democrat from New York. Crowley, himself a member of the International Relations Committee, is all for Hollywood endings, or at least something to answer the drumbeat of hatred toward the United States. “We’ve seen the impact of movies,” Crowley said. “To gear the pro-U.S. message for the Arabic world, we have to reach out to talented people.”

© 2003 Newsweek, Inc.