BBC Snags Second Obama Interview

Helle Dale / May 19, 2011

President Obama’s major Middle East speech offers an opportunity to provide substance to a policy so far heavy on rhetoric and light on action. It also offers the opportunity for Obama to use Voice of America (VOA) to help deliver the message of support to the Arab peoples, who are in an unprecedented struggle for peaceful political change.

Yet, for the second time in the space of a year, it will not be VOA but the BBC that will get the coveted interview with President Obama (according to the White House schedule at 2:55 p.m.). This time, it will be a sit down in the White House Diplomatic Room just hours after the President’s Middle East speech. The first time, it was the BBC’s Persian service that had the opportunity to interview Obama at the United Nations.

In fact, Obama is the only U.S. President since VOA came into being during World War II not to give an interview to the signature international broadcaster of the U.S. government. At the White House, where VOA maintains a bureau, VOA is generally treated as an unwanted relative, never called on in daily briefings and not allowed questions during the President’s rare press conferences. (more…)