This is part of a larger international cyber diplomacy effort, that the State Department is undertaking that’s weaving all of these different aspects of cyberspace together, and that includes everything from...internet freedom, to economic issues and governance issues on the internet, to cyber security issues...this basket of issues is now a foreign policy imperative or a foreign policy priority.

In a clear act of public diplomacy, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appeared on BBC Persian this week to engage the network's Iranian audience on a range of issues regarding the state of relations between Iran and America. In an interview-format program, she tried to address some important issues raised by Iranians living either in Iran or outside the country.

Almost every day, we see new examples of the power of connection technologies...The Arab spring brought home the power of the Internet to governments far beyond the Middle East, and the result has been more censorship, more surveillance and more restrictions...the Internet space – which has seemed so open and free – could become less so.

China's leaders have agreed guidelines aimed at preserving "cultural security" and expanding Chinese soft power...Analysts say the meeting was largely aimed at strengthening the party's tight control over the media and the Internet. But...Xinhua said the meeting should be seen as a strong signal for China to do better in the cultural field, where it has been lagging.

The Internet has become an ambassador for American soft power abroad through brands like Apple and Google, but policymakers need to appreciate that it is just a medium and not a panacea for competitiveness in the long term. The challenge for the United States is to think anew about products and their distinctiveness.

The site opens the cyber-doors of the Department of State and is designed to reach untapped audiences nationally; it is a primer for groups seeking to learn more about diplomacy and the U.S. Department of State.

Jon Ronson, the British reporter...is currently posting a video series about attempts to “control” the Internet...His investigation in those two videos focuses on an unfortunate effort by some Israelis to produce a counter-flotilla YouTube video this past summer when that issue was at its hottest.

The Department of State and the Global SchoolNet Foundation announce the 2012 "Doors to Diplomacy" award competition, recognizing the student-created Global SchoolNet Web projects from around the globe that best teach others about the importance of international affairs and diplomacy.