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.

Digital diplomacy has its bright and dark aspects

She said that rumors in South Korea that the U.S. was exporting cows infected with mad cow disease spread through SNS, fueling anti-U.S. sentiment and nation-wide protests, and hindering free trade negotiations between the two countries. Esser said in such cases, however, the majority of the online community tends to shout down the extremists, working as a “self-correcting mechanism.”

Tags: united states, public diplomacy, social media, new technology, south korea, twitter, facebook, digital diplomacy, digital engagement

Guest column: Lessons from Ottoman past risk falling on deaf ears

Prof Davutoglu in effect argues that Turkey is able to exercise soft power in its region because of the very qualities the founders of the Turkish Republic in 1923 tried to cast aside. The nation’s first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, famously tried to draw a line under a stale and unprofitable historical legacy in order to play catch-up with the west.

Tags: soft power, middle east, turkey, film diplomacy, ottoman, museum

Social media to the rescue

Far from being rendered irrelevant by technological progress, where governments can communicate with one another directly on a need-to basis, diplomacy has become an increasingly critical instrument in an age of interdependence and globalisation. Responding to the ever-changing world around it, diplomacy has evolved and adopted new tools and techniques to respond to the new demands and expectations.

Tags: arab spring, social media, twitter, networks, non-governmental organizations, social media branding

E-Diplomacy map shows which leaders talk to each other on Twitter

But this week, some journalists over at the Agence France Presse have put together a neat interactive online tool, called E-Diplomacy, that shows which countries follow which others, how much social discussion is going on between various countries, diplomats, and world thinkers.

Tags: social media, twitter, facebook, barack obama, digital diplomacy, digital engagement, dmitry medvedev, twitter revolution

Gordon Cook talks to Team Namibia about branding

Whether the country likes it or not, Namibia already has a brand. Outsiders have a specific idea of the country's character, and at the moment that character is branded by generalisations, narrow perceptions, stereotypes, and clichés. Gordon suggested a number of ideas that Team Namibia can use to improve its global competitiveness.

Tags: nation branding, africa, economy, namibia, brand namibia

Excitement building up for the Olympics

He also highlighted the positive economic and cultural impact of the UK’s GREAT campaign which supports the marketing and public diplomacy efforts of UK Trade and Investment, Visit Britain, the British Council and the Foreign Office.

Tags: public diplomacy, united kingdom, tourism, economy, london olympics 2012

AFP launches “the e-diplomacy hub”

The presence and power of social networks to shape events emerged clearly during the first phase of the Arab Spring, and will continue to evolve as a tool for strategic diplomacy... The e-diplomacy hub opens a real-time window onto this world, and allows the user to interact with it as well.

Tags: arab spring, social media, non-state pd, twitter, digital diplomacy, influence, state diplomacy

World Champion Figure Skater Michelle Kwan Joins National Women’s Hall of Fame Celebration

Ms. Kwan is attending the event as the Public Diplomacy Envoy for the President’s Council on Fitness, Sport and Nutrition.

Tags: united states, Cultural Diplomacy, public diplomacy, us department of state, michelle kwan

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