The spread of American media to international markets has created anti-American sentiment because it often overshadows and ignores local cultures, said journalists, media executives and scholars at a panel discussion last night at the Kimmel Center.

"America has become sheltered from events happening all over the world," said Danny Schechter, executive director of MediaChannel, a media-watchdog Web site. "We have to understand that maybe we aren't being informed."

More than 100 people gathered at Kimmel's auditorium to hear the panelists discuss how American popular culture affected them in their childhood and professional lives.

"America as a whole is an icon and has been an icon for quite some time," said Abderrahim Foukara, the U.N. correspondent for the Arab news network Al-Jazeera. He said that as a child he drank Coca-Cola every day and anticipated American cartoons, even though he did not speak any English.

Musician Nile Rodgers, who wrote the hit '70s song "We Are Family," stressed how American messages became distorted when they reached other countries.

Rodgers, who is black, recalled being made an "honorary" white man while working with "Sesame Street" in South Africa. He said he also noticed the recent abundance of Starbucks in tea-friendly Japan.

"I'm ambivalent. Is coffee bad?" he asked, drawing laughter from the audience.

Iranian filmmaker, anthropologist and author Ziba Mir-Hosseini said she believed Americans had good intentions but questioned the U.S. government's policies.

"How do good people end up with governments that are not ethical with the rest of the world?" she asked.

Students said the lecture informed them about the effects American values have abroad and at home.

"[Having] American corporations as our cultural ambassadors creates the perception that our culture is shallow, consumerist and just single-minded," said Zamir Dhanji, a Gallatin School of Individualized Study sophomore.

Lou LaValle, a College of Arts and Science junior, said, "I think it was great to see other people who wanted to explore these ideas."
Panelists said they enjoyed the format of the discussion.

"I thought the evening was pretty great," Rodgers said. "What I always appreciate are questions, and I was encouraged by the quality of some of the questions, as it shows the interest that the students have."

The lecture, titled "American Culture in the World: Benevolent Force or Evil Empire?" was sponsored by the School of Continuing and Professional Studies' Media Studies Club.