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.
Olympics: Chinese Think Games Will Help Image
Overwhelming numbers of Chinese say next month's Olympics will help their country's tattered image abroad, and they predict the Beijing Games will be successful, according to a poll released Tuesday.
China Denies Work Visa for Los Gatos Olympian; Political Motive Suspected
Kendra Zanotto was set to work as an expert synchronized swimming reporter for the Olympic News Service, an official arm of the Beijing Games. But she says her visa application was refused Monday because of her affiliation with Team Darfur, an athlete-driven group that seeks to call attention to the crisis in western Sudan.
China Plans Olympic Protest Zones
Chinese authorities are planning to establish specially designated areas for protesters at next month's Olympic Games, according to security officials.
Charles Z. Wick, 90; Reagan appointee led U.S. Information Agency
Charles Z. Wick, the controversial, long-serving director of the United States Information Agency, who raised the agency's profile, doubled its budget and extended its ability to reach foreign audiences through new technology such as satellite television, died of natural causes Sunday at his Los Angeles home. He was 90.
Al Jazeera English Expands Spanish Reach
Al Jazeera English has unveiled a new contract with TSF On Sat that takes the channel to over 3.2 million households across Spain on the Hispasat satellite network. Al Jazeera English (AJE) currently reaches over 120 million households worldwide.
Winning the War of Ideas
During my confirmation hearings, Senator Lieberman called me "the supreme allied commander in the war of ideas." I like the ring of that — even though I haven't asked our allies if they agree. While the under secretary of state for public diplomacy has a big portfolio, the war of ideas will be my focus.
USIA needs to be revived to fight anti-Americanism
Each candidate in the presidential election has recognized the need, once in office, to galvanize public diplomacy to improve the image of the United States abroad. Congress is also seized of the issue. A House subcommittee has held a series of hearings that affirm in recent years a "precipitous decline in favorability" toward the United States and its foreign policy.
AFRICOM: Joined-up Geographic Command or Federal Business Opportunity
As an African enjoying the privilege of living in the USA while working for Refugees International on issues of peace and security in my home continent, I have followed the evolution of AFRICOM closely. And I believe that AFRICOM is step in the right direction, because it promises to make U.S. security policy toward Africa more coherent and to focus more sharply on building partner capacity for the maintenance of peace and security. However, AFRICOM stepped off on the wrong foot, in terms of public diplomacy, and is at risk of remaining off balance in its actual program delivery.
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