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.
Latest Hasbara Weapon: ‘Army of Bloggers’
Israel's newest weapon on the public relations front is "an army of bloggers," according to a statement issued by the Absorption Ministry Sunday afternoon. In cooperation with the Foreign Ministry's Public Relations Department, the Absorption Ministry has initiated a statewide effort to locate volunteers who speak other languages, to take part in the country's PR efforts over the Internet.
Greece: Outcry over Arms Shipment to Israel
With the war raging in Gaza, news reports earlier this month about the routing of an extraordinarily large shipment of arms from the United States to Israel through the private Greek port of Astakos caused an uproar among Greek bloggers. They used Twitter to investigate the matter and put pressure on the government to halt the transfer.
Obama advised to embrace effective cultural relations
US president-elect Barack Obama has been advised to embrace cultural relations if he wants to restore America's standing on the world stage. The British Council released research showing nearly two-thirds of Americans are currently worried about how the United States is perceived abroad following the Bush administration. The poll also showed over eight out of ten think the US should do more to engage and build better relationships with other countries.
From A-lister to Aid worker: Does celebrity diplomacy really work?
The Geldof/Bono model has been consciously studied by the celebrities who followed them, with Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and George Clooney going to the Irish rockers for advice on activist techniques. The Haitian-born rapper Wyclef Jean has even set up his own NGO in emulation of the one set up by Bono and Geldof, who in 2002 established DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) to build on the success of the Jubilee 2000 Drop the Debt campaign.
On the Eve of Obama’s Inauguration: American Soft Power in Asia
Polls suggest that Barack Obama’s support rate in East Asian countries was higher than in the United States (in the 70-to-80 percent range). If foreign countries were given electoral votes in American presidential contests, he would have won an even more comfortable victory on November 4 than was actually the case. In Asia, his election has fostered new respect for American democracy and high expectations for his presidency, for better or for worse. More broadly, there is a sense that the departure of George W.
Brand America: It’s not about advertising
Instead of limiting U.S. brand efforts to the State Department and the Office for Public Diplomacy, President Obama should put a real, live brand manager in the West Wing. The incoming administration understands that the largest part of perception of the U.S. will be shaped by the President and by foreign policy. These issues are obviously out of the reach of any brand manager. Therefore, the U.S.
Get Smart
A little more than a year ago, a bipartisan commission on smart power concluded that America's image and influence had declined in recent years, and that the United States had to move from exporting fear to inspiring optimism and hope...The United States can become a smart power by once again investing in global public goods - providing things people and governments in all quarters of the world want but cannot attain in the absence of leadership by the strongest country.
Air Force General Hits Back Over ‘Soft Power”
The Air Force doesn't just drop bombs. The service does all kinds of "soft power" missions, too -- training doctors, strengthening local economies, and building America's image abroad. That's the reaction I got from a bunch of Air Force types, after a recent post, suggesting that "hard power" was topic #1, when the service discussed its contribution to fighting insurgencies.
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