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.

Carpathian copying

Kicking off a promotional campaign with a plagiarism scandal is not the most orthodox way to attract clients. But in Romania, it may work. On the day Romania’s “explore the Carpathian garden” tourism campaign was launched at the Shanghai World Expo, a blogger revealed that its logo—a green leaf—resembled that of a British clean-transport company.

Tags: nation branding, romania

Yao Ming, others film ads to boost China’s image

Basketball star Yao Ming, movie director John Woo and piano prodigy Lang Lang are among dozens of celebrities who will appear in television commercials later this year in a bid by China to boost its image abroad.

Tags: china, non-state pd, celebrity diplomacy, image building, television diplomacy

Clinton and Shah promise long- term U.S. commitment to Pakistani disaster relief

As the flood crisis in Pakistan's Swat Valley worsens, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development are promising an extended mission to deal with the longer-term effects, the leaders of both organizations said Wednesday.

Tags: united states, pakistan, aid diplomacy, usaid

Journalists from Maghreb Attend Writers Workshop in Tunisia

Thirty-three journalists from the Maghreb region of Africa, including Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, entered into sometimes impassioned debate during the third annual Magharebia.com Writers Workshop, July 29 - August 1 at the U.S. Embassy in Tunis.

Tags: united states, media, africa, new technology, journalism, africom

U.N. seeking Citizen Ambassadors

Posing the question, "If you had the opportunity to speak to world leaders, what would you say?" the United Nations is holding a video contest to encourage world citizens to voice their opinions to world leaders and weigh in on decisions made by members of the United Nations and become a 2010 Citizen Ambassador.

Tags: public opinion, new technology, united nations, new media, citizen diplomacy, youtube

Untangling the BlackBerry ban

Saudi Arabia plans to block the messenger function on BlackBerry handsets from Friday while the United Arab Emirates has said it will definitely instigate a similar ban next month. Why has BlackBerry become the thorn in the side of the Gulf states?

Tags: new technology, non-state pd, corporate diplomacy, saudi arabia, united arab emirates, blackberry

Nation Branding: Presenting the image that matches national identity

It might not be necessary for tourism campaigns to be understood or liked by the locals, said Rhonda S. Zaharna, an associate professor at American University's School of Communications. "But the one thing that I found was that great campaigns usually enjoy strong, positive, internal resonance. That's when you know you've hit the nail on the head and you've got that defining campaign."

Tags: nation branding, public opinion

Getting Israel’s Message Across

One such tool that has been underappreciated by Israel up till now is the need for a smart and cohesive global communications strategy... Winning the war on information requires reaching the minds of people all across the globe, and not just in America.

Tags: public opinion, israel, image building

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