| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| UNL grad helps spread hope to war-weary Iraqis |
| 2007-04-10 |
| BY JAKE THOMPSON - WORLD-HERALD BUREAU WASHINGTON - Fifteen years after earning a broadcasting degree in Nebraska, Susan Phalen has helped bring a ray of hope to war-ravaged Iraq. One midnight in early March, Phalen and her colleagues helped four Iraqis restart a Saddam-era radio station by using jumper cables and a 12-volt battery to zap the transmitter back to life. The jolt created what Phalen believes is the only independent broadcasting network in Iraq, where the government and political groups typically run media outlets. "It was a very fulfilling moment," Phalen said by telephone from Baghdad. "It was 'boom!' and we had talk radio all over Iraq." Phalen, who wears a military helmet and body armor whenever she's outdoors in Baghdad, does battle on a different frontline in Iraq. She is a public affairs specialist for the State Department, which helped set up the broadcasting network. The State Department provided some technical training, Phalen says, but has taken a hands-off approach on running the network. The Independent Radio and Television Network in the Diyala province fit the mission of Phalen's group, known as the Global Outreach team. One of the team's roles is assisting American and international journalists who are on the ground covering Iraq and the war. The network is run by two Sunnis and two Shiites who, at great risk, are urging Iraqis to come together rather than fight one another. "My hope for IRTN is to make it the voice for my people in Iraq, the voice of freedom, peace and progress for Iraq," Samir, one of the station's leaders, said via e-mail. Rest of story at link. |
| Posted by:Cromert |
| #1 Lovely. :-) |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-04-10 20:39 |