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.
The Springborg affair: a censorship debacle reflects Egypt’s future
One lesson of the Arab Spring is that news now travels very fast indeed. Within hours of the 20,000 copies of the second issue of Egypt Independent being pulped, the story had spread not only in Egypt, but globally, as the article in London's The Independent attests.
China’s Confucius Institute: making a world of difference
China is increasingly making its presence felt internationally. Till now, over 350 Confucius Institutes and 500 Confucius Classrooms have been founded in 105 countries and regions. Aiming to promote Chinese language and culture, the global presence of Confucius Institutes is viewed as a barometer of China's "soft power".
Moscow protests get legs with social media
With 40 percent of Russian adults online, many say social media, including the Russian social networking site VKontakte, has made it possible for a long stalled opposition movement in Russia to organize a rally that size.
Al-Shabaab in war of words with Kenyan army on Twitter
Al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant group in Somalia, has posted on Twitter more than 80,000 times since setting up an account. The move demonstrates that, in the 21st century, no radical insurgency or martyrdom operation is complete without a social media platform, even if Somalia is one of the world's poorest and most anarchic countries.
‘Realistic’ India through Western eyes?
While HBO’S aim is to broaden its audience’s knowledge of India, the films, all of which were made by foreigners, threaten to open a long-festering wound in India. The outside world’s depiction of the country is seldom appreciated, or embraced, by Indians.
Pastors, Hollywood celebrities tour Israel
According to America's Voices in Israel, an organization that aims to bolster Israel’s image in the U.S., the goal of such trip is to allow guests, whether pastors or celebrities, to use their respective platforms – from pulpits to social media – to share their experiences in the land and to engender positive feelings and, ultimately, visits to Israel by their followers.
Year of Chinese Culture opens in Ankara
The Year of Chinese Culture will bring Chinese literature, arts, cultural heritages, films, acrobatics, puppet shows, among others, to different Turkish cities. It aims to introduce to the Turkish people China's long history, its splendid culture and its development achievements in rich and colorful forms.
Government Weibo learning to talk the good talk
In China, a large number of government departments and officials have stepped into the online world through weibo, the most popular and biggest micro blog service in China. But most of them are still more show than tell, while some have just followed the new media trend blindly without interacting with netizens.
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