On the sidelines of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Ernest Wilson, dean of the innovative Annenberg School of Communications at USC, speaks... about the West Coast view of foreign policy, putting civil society at the center of public diplomacy, and how to properly teach and practice the art of communications internationally.

Ernest Wilson smiles when he assesses his job as the dean of the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California.“I admire and envy Nick Lemann,” Wilson said with a smile about his counterpart at the Columbia School of Journalism. “He has a straightforward task and one school — and its ‘journalism.’”

A college professor with extensive experience in communications and communications policy, Ernest J. Wilson III is the longest serving member of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s board. He has held the position of chair since September 2009.

APDS Blogger: John Nahas