11 March 2010: As I sit here in Okinawa scheduled to meet with journalists and public affairs officers tomorrow, I am struck by the long and friendly alliance that the US and Japan has maintained.  That alliance needs strengthening.  There is so much that our two countries share culturally, economically, and militarily.  History set us apart but shared values and ideals keep us stronger.  The favorite buzz term that unites hard and soft power is smart power and is there anything smarter than preserving the relationship with our most important ally in Asia?  We are nations greater than narrow interpretations of security.  We value cultural heritage, the service economy and hospitality.  I’ve been to many parts of the world and can find no superior to the “home away from home” feeling of hospitality from the Japanese people.  

The US Government should support increasing people-to-people ties between our two nations, not only through exchange program gems like JET and Fulbright, but also through collaborative meetings that emphasize our two nations’ dedication to building a global civic society. 

“Al Youm” is used as a centerpiece of this Alhurra case study to illustrate the power of both the Obama effect and quality TV programming to move forward the U.S. credibility needle in the Middle East.  

Alhurra Television is the most recognized and criticized brand of the family of U.S. nonmilitary international broadcasting services.  Alhurra (or Al Hurra) is part of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN) that emerged, along with Radio Sawa, in the post-9/11 era.  Alhurra launched in 2004, less than a year after the U.S. invasion of Iraq.  Its reputation and credibility have been tied directly to the successes and failures of the George W. Bush administration (2001-2009).  In 2008, a new administration was elected with a Democrat who promised to lift the reputation of the United States in the world, specifically in the Middle East among Arab and Muslim populations. 

Less than two months after Barack Obama’s historic inauguration as president, Alhurra launched its most ambitious program to date, “Al Youm,” Arabic for “Today.”  A groundbreaking three-hour prime time evening program, “Al Youm” is changing not only the reputation of Alhurra in the Middle East, but also the face of television journalism.  The maturation of U.S. television broadcasting is underway.  This case study examines the history of Alhurra from the Bush years of 2004-2009 through Obama’s first year of 2009.