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.
Aspiring Saudi Filmmakers Offer a Different Take
Khalif is part of a new group of young Saudi movie buffs who are making films that question their country's strict, puritanical mores and customs and its ban on movie theaters. The group, called Talashi, which means Fade Out, includes a pharmacist, a teacher, a lawyer and five film reviewers, mostly secular Saudis who say their worldviews were influenced by their love of film and the worlds to which it has exposed them.
Debating U.S. Public Diplomacy
How should U.S. public diplomacy deal with the Gaza crisis? Over the last week I've argued that the invisibility of American public diplomacy during the Gaza crisis has been a major setback for efforts to improve America's image in the Muslim world, defend U.S. foreign policy, or to "create an environment hostile to extremism." Keeping out of it struck me as a poor option, given that the U.S. is deeply implicated in the crisis in Arab minds already and staying silent only allows others to fill the void.
Public Diplomacy 2.0 or Propaganda Museum Exhibits
Voice of America is the only U.S. Congress-funded international broadcaster that has tried to resist BBG’s marketing strategy, but “Marrying the Mission to the Market” and Public Diplomacy 2.0, which in their current form can only be described as Propaganda 2.0, have largely replaced objective journalism in U.S. efforts to communicate with foreign audiences. One of the first Voice of America broadcasting units eliminated by the BBG was the VOA Arabic Service, which was highly-respected in the Middle East for independence and the quality of its radio programs.
Three Quick Steps to Jump-Start America’s Public Diplomacy
As the new administration enters office, the following three major steps can be taken right away to set a new tone for America's public diplomacy under the Obama administration. First, America's diplomats should embark on a one month "listening tour" of the world...Second, we must transform the American government's primary means of public communication from a one-way broadcast model to a two-way dialogue model...Third, America needs to speak to the world in the languages the world understands.
To tweet or not to tweet, what is the question?
New tech is changing the face of engaging with foreign populations, whether you’d like to call it PD 2.0 or not. Craig Hayden’s post on CPD blog raises some important questions in this area and one of the key questions for different organisations will be through which of the spaces, platforms or technologies should they seek to engage?
The Obama challenge: is Europe just a spectator?
For Europe it demands a recognition that the postmodern world of cuddly multilateralism that some imagined would come to pass after the fall of the Berlin Wall has not materialised. The US war in Iraq may have tested to destruction the efficacy of unilateral military might. But events since 1989 have shown also that normative, or soft, power is an inadequate answer to conflict and disorder. Europe needs to accept more of the burden of action.
Beijing splurges on media
While media organisations in the rest of the world are trying to cut costs, those in mainland China are busy recruiting for new overseas television channels and newspapers, reports said. After setting up French- and Spanish-language television channels ahead of the Beijing Olympics last year, China Central Television (CCTV) is planning new channels in Russian and Arabic, said station officials yesterday.
The LUX European Film Prize: an interview with jury member and producer Klaus Maeck
Arguably, the translation of a single film will have a relatively small impact on the cultural landscape of Europe, however Mr. Maeck insists that the LUX prize occupies the all-important space between artists and politicians: “I think it's a good idea that politicians have to become more engaged in film, or rather in culture; a special screening room was built in the Parliament for this very purpose. Of course, only a few members were able to see all of the nominated films, but there's not much more you can do than to deliver the films right to their doorstep...
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