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.
One-Sided View of War in Russia
The end of on-the-air broadcasts of Voice of America couldn’t come at worse time: Russia is providing an utterly skewed and one-sided picture of the war in Georgia domestically, while the Internet has only 15% to 18% penetration, limited primarily to medium and large cities.
Lip-synch Furore Surprises Director
The music director of Friday's opening ceremony for the Olympics says he's surprised by the outcry over his revelation that producers had arranged for a girl to lip-synch a song sung by another child because she was supposedly unattractive.
Beijing Olympics Enjoys Majority Support in U.S.: Poll
The majority of Americans support China's hosting of the Olympics, and it is a consensus across party and ideological lines, a new poll has found. The survey, released by the Associated Press and survey agency Ipsos Wednesday, showed 55 percent of the respondents support the Beijing Olympics, while two-thirds of them said they are interested in it.
Public Diplomacy and National Security: Lessons from the U.S. Experience
Calls to build greater civilian capacity in national security are well founded, and public diplomacy is high on the list of essential capabilities that must be strengthened. U.S. public diplomacy’s principles and methods are rooted in 20th century models of communication, governance, and armed conflict, which contribute to an inability to learn from recent experience and foster real change.
A Cutting-Edge Olympics
The Olympic narrative is always about the human effort to excel in athletic competition, a story of grace and stamina under pressure. This year it is also about technology and how it is shaping both the athletes’ performance and the viewers’ experience.
After the Games, Tibet
The Olympics could end up being the second-most-significant event in China this year. The Chinese leadership and the Tibetan government in exile have delicately discussed a possible visit by the Dalai Lama to China, nominally to commemorate the victims of the earthquake in Sichuan Province in May. That would be the first meeting between the Dalai Lama and Chinese leaders in more than 50 years and would give enormous impetus to resolving the Tibet question.
The US and Venezuela: More Than Just A Gun Show
At this pivotal point in the Chávez presidency, the next U.S. administration should seek to more actively transform its relations with Venezuela in a constructive direction...Assistant Secretary of State Shannon has indicated the possible beginning of the end of the U.S. hard-line approach to the country by stating, “We [are] committed to a positive relationship with the people of Venezuela and have the patience and the persistence necessary to manage our challenging relationship.”
In From the Cold
After years of isolation Syrian diplomacy is suddenly scoring successes...It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when the perception of Syria began to change and Damascus embarked on its rehabilitation from problem-maker to problem-solver. It is not that long ago that Syria enjoyed strong ties with, among others, the US, Great Britain, France, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Egypt, yet these seemed to evaporate overnight and Damascus was left with only Iran.
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