Special reports are articles collecting the most relevant public diplomacy articles and information on topical issues, and are posted periodically by our research team at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy.

Media Coverage of the Iranian Election and Opposition Protests The June 12 presidential election in Iran has brought the impact of new media use by foreign publics to communicate with and advocate for one another to the forefront of global news media. Shortly after Ahmadinejad was pronounced the definitive winner of the election, the Iranian opposition, led by Mir Hussein Moussavi, took to the streets of Iran to protest the results. In an effort to suppress the coverage of these protests, the Iranian regime forbade foreign journalists from reporting on events throughout the country, disconnected cellular phone and SMS services,…... FULL TEXT

Few stories have caught the scope of attention and imagination of both global public and press as President Barack Obama's recent foray into the complicated landscape that is the Middle East. Coverage and commentary was ubiquitous in all corners of the globe in the run-up to the president's visit to Riyadh and Cairo and his speech at Cairo University. This Media Monitor Report examines the full scope of coverage of President Obama's trip to the Middle East, his vaunted Cairo speech and the public diplomacy implementation and implications of the Middle East expedition by the new American president. Setting the…... FULL TEXT

Summary: Secretary Clinton's trip to Asia highlighted the importance of confidence-building measures and symbolism in traditional state-to-state diplomacy, but also reflected the distinctive style of the Obama administration. From the announcement of the trip’s destination to Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and China, local and international coverage examined its global significance, mainly the decision not to head first to Europe or the Middle East, the more traditional route. The Economist noted that Secretary Clinton followed Dean Rusk’s lead from 1961, making her only the second American Secretary of State to choose Asia for their first foreign trip. Each port of call…... FULL TEXT

Summary: The Gaza crisis has once again highlighted the growing significance of public diplomacy and information campaigns during global conflicts. In 2006, Israel suffered a significant public diplomacy setback during its summer war with Hezbollah. In spite of a renewed focus and some notable improvements to its communication strategy, Israel has once again sustained a blow to its image, while Hamas’ popularity, among Palestinians in particular, has increased in the aftermath of the war. Like the Russian-Georgian war in 2008, reporting about the Gaza conflict varied widely among different international broadcasters, with Arab and Western observers often witnessing vastly different…... FULL TEXT

The overall narrative for these Olympics seems somewhat ambivalent: “they were a rousing success, but...” But they could only take place in a totalitarian country where the government can direct resources at will towards any national project. But the protest zones were left empty and some of those wanting to protest were arrested after they filed their paperwork. But…But…But… These codas marring an otherwise perfect Olympic performance may trouble a few perfection-seeking souls in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) but the overall public diplomacy impact of China’s Olympics seems to have been positive. International audiences did not learn much more…... FULL TEXT

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