Public Diplomacy

The Obama Administration is back to practicing public diplomacy — with the American public.  Stung by the loss in last week’s election in Massachusetts, the White House is bringing back public outreach specialist David Plouffe, the mild-mannered star of the Obama election campaign.  Plouffe had stepped back from politics after the election to write a […]

The year 2009 in public diplomacy was a year for re-branding America in the world. The first African-American in the White House, who also happened to be the most eloquent U.S. President since John Kennedy, would have made for an auspicious year for the international image of the U.S. in any event. In fact, however, […]

When I was growing up in India, the U.S. Information Services used to serve as ambassadors of American culture, ideas, and ideals.  That entire approach to diplomacy was shuttered after the Cold War and even after 9/11 remains moribund. — Fareed Zakaria, “The Post-American World” Since 9/11, the U.S. military for the first time has […]

Now that the big Asia trip is history, it’s natural to judge it on the basis of known results from its biggest portion — Obama’s three days in China.  For the American president, there were no obvious breakthroughs on exchange rates or trade, climate or human rights, so maybe this visit was not the most […]

An overseas trip by a U.S. president is always costly, logistically challenging, and full of colorful backdrops.  President Obama’s trip to Japan, Singapore, China and Korea is no exception.  If anything, there will be more excitement than usual, since it is his first trip to the region as President and there is still tremendous foreign […]

In Washington last week I sat down with a group of bloggers to interview two smart and savvy foreign correspondents.  The fact that they were women, representing influential media from the Middle East, made their views interesting on several levels. Nadia Bilbassy is a correspondent with MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Co.) and Joyce Karam is […]

A huge banner with a photo of David Plouffe festooned a media conference I attended in Croatia last week.  The former Obama campaign manager is coming to Zagreb later this year and those running local election campaigns are eager to welcome “the unsung hero” who “helped restore the trust in the United States of America.” […]

Fellow-blogger Ted Lipien makes some valid points about seemingly basic mistakes that the State Department has made in public diplomacy in the new Administration.  In particular, he notes, a chance was missed earlier this month to express solidarity with the victims of terrorist attacks in Ingushetia.  Eventually the Department did comment, but it took longer […]

Public opinion is often hard to measure, but it’s a safe bet that assaults on a country’s sovereignty — real or perceived — can quickly inflame that nation’s public opinion.    We see it in a whole range of issues this summer, from the health reform debate in the United States, where opponents raise the […]

“Uncle” seems almost condesending — I don’t mean it so.  Walter Cronkite was more than an avuncular presence in American homes.  He was a serious newsman at a time when TV news was being invented and we were all a bit in awe of the new medium and its ability to broadcast images as well […]

Today, a tale about what journalism has become, with implications for all those concerned with the weakening firewall between “news” and “message.” It’s a tale of  two Posts  — Washington and Huffington. A revolution is underway in the news media, one neatly illustrated by how these two competitive news gathering organizations — the Washington Post […]

As the slots get filled for new U.S. ambassadors, I have to modify my earlier praise:  too many sensitive overseas posts are being given to Obama fundraisers.  For every Carlos Pascual (veteran envoy now assigned to Mexico), there now appear to be several David Jacobsons (Illinois lawyer and Obama-Biden fundraiser set to go to Canada).  […]