The U.S. Ambassador Who Is Also A Reality Star

Season two of the Danish reality show I Am the Ambassador from America premiered in October, 2015. The show, which stars the U.S. Ambassador to Copenhagen, Rufus Gifford, offers Danish viewers an up-close look at both the Ambassador’s personal life—including his recent wedding to now-husband Stephen DeVincent—as well his professional work at the U.S. embassy, including state dinners, press conferences and people-to-people activities with Danish citizens.

Yet while the reality star is winning over Danish audiences, some traditionalists question whether or not the Ambassador is merely promoting his own image rather than cultivating positive public opinion about America and U.S. foreign policy. This video from PBS News Hour explores how the ambassador is using new media platforms to connect with Danish citizens, and raises the possibility that such non-traditional applications of public diplomacy might in fact be a “different, fresh approach” to engaging foreign publics abroad. 

Read more about Ambassador Gifford and the public diplomacy possibilities of reality TV is this CPD Blog here.