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.
AFRICOM’s Regional Engagement: Designing the Right Mix of Authorities, Resources, and Personnel
AFRICOM's ability to execute its unique charter is dependent upon having regional offices with the requisite authorities and personnel to obligate DOD resources in support of other government agencies, IOs, and NGOs.
Beijing provides platform for global artists during Games
Not only will Beijing become a sports arena during the August Games, but also host over 100 overseas performances and about 60 art exhibitions from May 23 until the end of September. The artistic forms on show during the period include opera, ballet, modern dance, folk dance, folk music, symphonies and evening galas. Audiences are expected to total 2 million.
ISAF gives Qingdao high praise
The Olympic Sailing Center received top marks from the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and International Federation for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) on May 11 at an inspection tour during the 2008 IFDS Qingdao International Regatta.
Inside Track: America’s Image Problems
So has America succeeded in improving its image in the Muslim world in any way? Kohut argued that the answer was yes—but only on a very-limited scale. A “Sunni-Shia split” is emerging due to the rise of Iran, prompting more positive views of the United States among Sunnis in Lebanon (Kohut added that this was not a beneficial development, however). And aid money for Pakistan and Indonesia after natural disasters did rehabilitate America in the eyes of Muslims somewhat. Yet Kohut emphasized that the effect of “public diplomacy” is destined to be negligible: policy is the bigger problem.
China and Japan: the symbolism of politics
The game of ping-pong between Hu Jintao and star Japanese player (and Olympic torch-bearer) Ai Fukuhara - watched by the president’s host, Japanese prime minister Yasuo Fukuda - was one example; even more potent was the timely opportunity to engage in "panda diplomacy" provided just before Hu’s arrival by the death on 30 April of 22-year-old Ling-Ling, the last remaining inmate of the panda exhibit at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo.
World Publics Say Governments Should Be More Responsive to the Will of the People
Asked, how much "the government should take into account world public opinion" when "developing its foreign policy," on a 0-10 scale (with 0 meaning "not at all" and 10 meaning "a great deal,") the mean response is above 5 in every nation polled. The average across all 16 nations is 7.1--only slightly lower than the average preferred level for government responsiveness to public opinion at home (8.0).
‘Al-Jazeera is not an Arab news channel’
Though based in Doha, Khan rejects the suggestion that the Qatari government influences the channel's reporting. "We can criticize Qatar. My colleagues, who are ex-CNN, BBC, ABC, Sky, Fox, never felt pressure in any way. But our job is not to criticize, but to show facts and figures." The question seems to irk the veteran Western journalist, whose work at CNN earned him a reputation in Israel as a fair reporter.
First Look: Watching BBC Arabic TV
It will obviously take time for BBC Arabic to establish its place in the crowded world of Arabic TV news. The role it plays and stature it acquires could depend largely on the performance of its main Arab competitors. Despite the different political biases commonly attributed to the editorial lines of Al Arabiya and Al Jazeera, the fact remains that both channels cover most of their news stories most of the time with a reasonable degree of accuracy, detail and balance. Distortions and omissions come mainly when their sponsor-governments’ agendas come into play.
Pages
Visit CPD's Online Library
Explore CPD's vast online database featuring the latest books, articles, speeches and information on international organizations dedicated to public diplomacy.