The new Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy, Tara Sonenshine, and a bundle of other diplomatic nominees received the Senate stamp of approval. Sonenshine’s challenge will be to grapple with several substantive issues including the challenge from China.

“The slow pace of adaptation to e-diplomacy by many foreign ministries suggests there is a degree of uncertainty over what e-diplomacy is all about, what it can do and how pervasive its influence is going to be."

Our most important shortcoming in foreign policy is the lack of an integrated, up-to-date, and above all, an initiative and creative program in image-building and confronting the organized efforts of the West in destroying the system’s reputation.

It is a new beginning down at Foggy Bottom. Tara becomes only the seventh Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs since the job was created upon the merger of USIA into the Department in 1999.

Just before heading out of town, the Senate confirmed dozens of Obama administration appointments, including a host of ambassadors and several top officials at Foggy Bottom. Among the newly confirmed appointees are Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Tara Sonenshine...

In the new information environment world leaders are finding that they must communicate with multiple audiences. This panel considers the range of approaches governments are using to meet this public diplomacy imperative as well as the diverse objectives behind these efforts.

The United States faces many obstacles in foreign policy, but major one is growing anti-American sentiment. Studies show that global opinion toward the United States has plummeted since 2002. But we can address this problem through soft power diplomatic approaches like international education.

Also confirmed was Mike Hammer as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs (he’s been “Acting” all this time). A list of all confirmations for the State Department, Ambassadors and Assistant Secretaries, including for the Bureau of Conflict and Stability Operations, is below.