A curated selection of public diplomacy-relevant news from a global cross-section of English-language media outlets, including independent, corporate-owned, and state-sponsored sources. The stories featured don't necessarily represent CPD's views nor have they been verified by CPD.
Listen! A professor of marketing is talking
‘Brand Nigeria’ is at a pivotal stage at the moment....although advertising and other integrated brand promotions and communications are important, it is essential to have coherent and relevant distinguishing value propositions to communicate. The same thing applies to nation branding. Therefore spending a lot of money to improve our image without changing our behaviours and offering something good that we want to be known for, does not seem to be the right approach in my view.
Olympic torch threatens to scorch China
The Olympic torch's journey to the Beijing Olympics is threatening to turn from triumphal progress into marathon humiliation. Protesters are rushing like moths to the Olympic flame.
Criticism and Islam
Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders put the 15-minute movie about the Quran on the Internet Thursday night. But for weeks before anyone saw it, the Dutch flag was burned around the Islamic world. Iran's undemocratically-elected parliament endorsed a boycott of the Netherlands, and Web sites linked to al Qaeda called for terrorist attacks.
The Collapse of American Public Diplomacy
Nearly all (98 percent) the USIA alumni expressed extreme concern about America's declining image in the world, with similar numbers (95 percent) expressing similar concern about the rise in global anti-Americanism. When asked whether they believe the United States is diplomatically prepared to address ideological threats to U.S. interests in the 21st century, an overwhelming majority (88 percent) said "No."
‘People trust Canadians, no matter whom you ask, no matter where’
Canada says, "we've got good peacekeeping." If our foreign public -- or the target market -- is aware of the fact that Canada has good peacekeeping, and if the image of that peacekeeping is good, then clearly the agenda of Canada with relation to that country, wherever the target is -- is going to be advanced, which is why our diplomats and our government want to be able to do this.
What it will take to heal U.S. diplomacy
What we do sends a more potent signal to the world than the cleverest PR campaign. But once we start doing smarter things, we should also be smart about promoting our efforts.
China must prepare for new challenges
It is worth serious thought that what China is faced with first and foremost is not governments of other sovereign countries, but problems caused by certain lawmakers, trade groups, consumers, non-government organizations such as trade unions, single-issue pressure groups and media entities, and even a few individual celebrities. Compared to the traditional international relations system, which has about 200 members only, these scattered action groups and individuals of different stripes are spread out and impulsive.
Fallout From Tibet Is Test for China’s Rulers
David L. Shambaugh, at George Washington University, characterized the government's attempt so far to manage its image in the aftermath of the violence as "heavy-handed" -- resorting to vilification of the Dalai Lama and questioning the motives of foreign critics. "The government is not particularly adept at public diplomacy, as they define it as 'external propaganda' and pursue it as such," he said.
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