digital diplomacy

Islamic State social media accounts are circulating disturbing and graphic images seemingly showing the executions of gay men, stoning of an alleged adulterer and other public executions. The barbaric acts of violence seem to have occurred in Iraq’s Nineveh province and Mosul.

Longtime CNN anchor Jim Clancy has left the cable news network following a controversial exchange on Twitter over the Charlie Hebdo attack in which he both mocked pro-Israel advocates and used a disability slur.

On Friday, a number of jihadist-linked Twitter accounts began tweeting links to khilafalive.info, a Web site which claims to be an "official website for the supporters of the Islamic State Caliphate." A selection of video and radio channels were hosted on the site, some playing Islamic State propaganda videos and others jihadi nasheeds (a type of Islamic vocal music). Users were able to "chat" with fellow viewers.

This week in Public Diplomacy, the use of new media and technologies dominated the global dialogue.

Israel’s hasbara efforts just received an enormous boost thanks to a new collaborative effort launched jointly by the Prime Minister’s Office and StandWithUs. The initiative, in which StandWithUs will coordinate closely with the PMO’s National Information Directorate, is designed to “educate young people about how to use social media for education and public diplomacy.”

Organized by the Ministry, the conference aimed at creating awareness and encouraging the officials and staff to participate and inject impetus to the advancement of the country's foreign policy goals and objectives of Ethiopia through the proactive deployment of digital diplomacy.

At times, digital diplomacy may be used to foster dialogue between two countries that have yet to establish diplomatic relations.  Last month, Twitter announced that another world leader had joined the world of digital diplomacy – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Islamic State terrorist group has launched a big social media campaign to try to capitalize on the Paris massacre.  Twitter feeds and other social media messages began Sunday, urging each Muslim to act as a “city wolf” and kill co-workers and fellow commuters.

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