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 Middle East’s Media Cities and the Global Film Industry

In recent years, filmmakers and business executives from the United States, South Asia, and Europe have shown a growing interest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, not only as a potential market but also as a wellspring of talent and inspiration.

Tags: middle east, media, africa, non-state actors, non-state pd, film diplomacy, film industry

Advertising China

Last week, China unveiled an ad campaign on the jumbotron screens in New York City’s Times Square to promote its national image. The two 30-second spots, titled “Experience China,” feature the country’s celebrities and luminaries from different walks of life.

Tags: china, soft power, media, nation branding, public opinion, advertising

U.S. Official Says Iran Relying On ‘Soft Power’ To Influence Iraq

A top U.S. State Department official says Iran's efforts to exercise "hard power" in Iraq have failed, prompting Tehran to try to influence its western neighbor through the use of "soft power," or more indirect means.

Tags: soft power, middle east, public opinion, iran, us department of state, iraq

Africa: What Continent Should Learn from WikiLeaks

It will probably take many years and even decades before the real lessons contained in these informative cables may be drawn. However, African governments and citizens should at least begin to reflect and learn preliminary but valuable lessons from the contents and the style of these informative cables.

Tags: united states, public opinion, africa, wikileaks

Meedan to Provide Free Arabic Translation for Kiva.org Microloan Borrowers

Meedan, a leading Arabic-English translation technology company announced today it is providing free Arabic translation for microloans on Kiva.org. The move will help expand the reach of Kiva and its lenders directly into the heart of the Arabic-speaking world, extending a global community of micro-lenders to include thousands of Arabic-speaking aspiring entrepreneurs.

Tags: middle east, non-state actors, new technology, non-state pd, language, entrepreneurship, arabic, microfinance

Anne-Marie Slaughter on America’s International Engagement (video)

At this invitation-only policy roundtable, State Department Policy Planning Director Anne-Marie Slaughter shares her views on America's international engagement -- particularly regarding the world's crisis regions and those that are teetering on the edge.

Tags: united states, public opinion, us department of state, quadrennial diplomacy and development review

Scottish soft power

252 years after the birth of Robert Burns – voted in a 2009 poll the greatest Scot of all time – I attend two very different events on a snowy Kyiv evening to mark Burns night.

Tags: soft power, public opinion, ukraine, scotland

World Service to shed 650 jobs

The BBC said it expected the World Service’s audience would fall by more than 30m from its current weekly audience of 180m as a result of the changes. Peter Horrocks, BBC global news director, said it was a “painful day” for the World Service.

Tags: media, international broadcasting, bbc, britain

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