The Foreign Service Journal, October 2010

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 25 of creative license within that framework, as long as we re- served the right to edit out controversial footage. Keep ethical issues in mind. Because the format of “On the Road” depended upon unscripted, spontaneous interaction with people in the provinces, we wanted to make sure that beneficiaries were not coached. We ex- plicitly communicated our expectations in that regard with all parties. It is important to set an atmosphere of honest and ethical behavior for the whole team. When in doubt, start conservatively and adjust as you go. We were unsure of many things — for example, how U.S. sponsorship would be viewed and if the host should address certain gender issues (obviously, extremely sensitive in Afghanistan). So we proceeded cautiously, making adjustments based on feedback. We knew that we had reached safe ground regarding explicit U.S. sponsor- ship when private companies began to approach the TV station to sponsor the popular show. In addition, the sur- vey results indicated that we probably could have been more aggressive in dealing with gender issues, with many respondents asking to see women’s issues addressed, in- cluding the potential addition of a female co-host. Plenty of Potential Our experience indicates that, if approached with care, U.S. government-sponsored television programs can make a significant contribution to meeting public diplomacy and development objectives. In Afghanistan today, chances are that average, espe- cially urban or peri-urban, Afghans know about “On the Road” (“Haimadan Taimadan” in Dari). If so, it is likely that they watch it regularly and enjoy it, and there is a fairly good chance that they know that it is U.S.-sponsored. While Afghanistan appears to be a unique case because of its high profile and large budgets, programs like this one are likely replicable in many countries — costs were very reasonable and indigenous media outlets in many coun- tries are likely to be interested in subsidizing quality pro- ductions. With careful thinking about risks and heads-up pro- gram management, such programs can be successful in many developing countries. ■ F O C U S