Public Diplomacy’s Quiet Face Lift

What's hot in public diplomacy? Answer: C-SPAN, but of course. What's not? Answer: Everything else. An exaggeration, perhaps, but there's no denying that the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN), which provides gavel-to-gavel coverage of Congress, press briefings, newsmaker speeches, public policy discussions, and much more, is mentioned more than anything else nowadays by those recognized as in the know who are trying to help "fix" America's lagging public diplomacy effort in the Middle East. Read More

Deep Throat’s Public Diplomacy Connection

So now we are told that Mark Felt may not have been Deep Throat after all. The watchdog group Accuracy in Media (AIM) quotes a Watergate scandal expert, Joan Huff, a Montana State University history professor, as saying that this is all "an orchestrated publicity stunt on the part of the (Washington) Post" to publicize Bob Woodward's new book. Read More

The Arab Satellite Song Boom: Is It Too Hot for US Government Broadcasters?

There's a boom in the popularity of Arab songs on the most successful channels in the Middle East. The digital music marketplace is very technically advanced, and U.S. government broadcasting isn't keeping pace. Apart from the news channels which carry on the war of ideas, many in Arab countries would rather watch video clips of Pussy Samir, a singer/dancer, and Boozy Samir (no relation perhaps, but also a singer/dancer), on the "Melody Hits" satellite channel and website, among many others like it. Read More

A Missed Opportunity

Dead Sea, Jordan - 23 May 2005 When I was younger I occasionally tagged along with my father at conferences in Europe where East-West security issues were discussed. Dad taught me two especially important lessons during this time: 1) find a seat on an aisle near the back, that way you can slip out quietly if things get really boring; and 2) all the really interesting stuff happens during the coffee breaks, at meal times and (especially) in the bar. Read More

The Medium Is the (Personal) Message, but Is DC Getting the Message?

We are being told how very "personal" communication is to become, with carefully-coiffed 60-second video messages containing content just for you or me, downloaded to our picture cell phones, or personal digital assistants, PDAs -- the instruments, not the individuals. One might wonder where U.S. public diplomacy fits into all this? Right now, it doesn't appear to be a good fit overall. Read More

Debate over Al Jazeera’s Role in Terrorism, Kidnapping Takes a New Turn

When I was new to Washington and interviewing for a job way back when, I asked a friend on the Hill to be a reference. "Sure," he said. "I'll be for you or against you, whichever does you the most good." It was an attempt at humor, of course, but humor is often a spoof on reality. For example, when the Nixon administration complained about Dan Rather's reporting to his bosses at CBS News, Rather's career took off. He was controversial and high profile, a newsmaker himself, and a good candidate for news anchor to generate ratings and advertising dollars. Read More

Follow the Money: Is Taiwan Already the New Hong Kong?

SHANTOU, GUANGDONG PROVINCE, CHINA In China there’s been a year’s worth of growth in the few months since my last dispatch. You name it, and it has grown in China. Some examples: the Chinese trade surplus, the Chinese trade surplus with the U.S., and the Chinese trade balance with the rest of Asia, which has gone from deficit to surplus. Read More

Key to Vatican public diplomacy: the Pope’s Executive Producer

Business was brisk this month at the annual MIP international TV program festival in Cannes, France - the best of such fests. MIP-TV is the global TV marketplace where the rage last week was "made-for-mobile" content for picture cell phones, so that kids can watch shows like Bob the Builder and Thomas the Tank Engine while strapped in their car seats or walking along the sidewalk. Read More

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