Wall Street Journal, 7 Jan 2013, Sohrab Ahmari: "Critics ... charge that VOA's Persian coverage is often distorted by an editorial line favoring rapprochement with the mullahs. There is 'a clear slant in favor of Iran in terms of its involvement in terrorism,' the current production staffer wrote in response to queries for this article. The network, he said, often refuses to air criticism of Iranian terror unless it is 'balanced with the perspective of the Islamic Republic who vehemently [deny] any involvement.' And because 'no one in the Islamic Republic gives us interviews anyway,' VOA Persian abandons otherwise informative segments about terrorism. A former employee and on-screen personality summed up the network's nonconfrontational attitude by saying that VOA sees itself as providing 'a bridge between Washington and Tehran.' VOA denies these claims. Spokesman Kyle King said in a written statement that the network 'airs material about the Islamic Republic when it is newsworthy. Decisions are not contingent on Iranian officials being available for comment, and they are usually not.'"

Over the past few years, we have seen many op-eds and commentaries about VOA Persian. Some are written by inviduals apparently unhappy about the paucity of face time they are getting on VOA Persian. What is needed is not another op-ed, but a comprehensive news investigation, including analysis of a generous portion of VOA Persian content.

Perhaps the real argument here is whether VOA Persian should be a news service or "opposition media." To assuage the many critics of VOA Persian, the United States might eventually have two channels directed to Iran: one that provides news, the other an anti-regime outlet. The audience in Iran can then decide which channel better serves their needs.

Update: Wall Street Journal, 23 Jan 2013, David Ensor, director of the Voice of America: "Mr. Ahmari is wrong to claim that Voice of America's Persian Service is 'often distorted by an editorial line favoring rapprochement with the mullahs.' He Mr. Ahmari supports the claim with a pair of quotes, taken out of context from an extensive interview with former Iranian nuclear negotiator Seyed Hossein Mousavian, but the full transcript shows the former Iranian official being questioned pointedly by VOA host Siamak Dehghanpour. ... For 70 years, VOA has been a beacon of hope to people in repressed and information-denied areas, and we are proud that more than one in five adult Iranians tune in to VOA every week, making it one of the most popular international broadcasters in the country." See also VOA, From the Director, 24 Jan 2013. -- A "beacon of hope" is a very good thing. A news organization, however, is perhaps better described a beacon of accurate and uncensored information, also a very good thing.