Never.no announced that its Interactivity Suite (IS) is being used to incorporate social media into programming for Voice of America (VOA), the multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government...— a critical component of VOA's strategy of audience engagement

Author’s Note: This blog is the edited version of a speech I gave at the recent NATO conference on The Power of Soft Power.

When Joseph Nye first coined the term soft power over 20 years ago, the United States and Europe were in a different place than they are today.

Qatar’s soft power is exercised through its satellite TV station Al-Jazeera. And while some in Washington may object to its editorial slant, there is no denying that this Qatar-owned satellite TV station is equally responsible for the blossoming of the Arab Spring by bringing uncensored news to millions within the Arab world.

It has long been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. The challenge is understanding which words to which people...Context matters. Each viewing will be shaped by a personal or group context influenced by experience, culture, language, narratives, and other inputs direct and indirect.

...state media groups push aggressively into overseas territories, buying or opening radio stations and television channels as Beijing develops its "soft power" policy. ... these foreign ventures are often not huge revenue generators, continuing the decades-long tradition in which party mouthpieces consume government funds in return for projecting a positive image of China and its rulers.

Open Hands Initiative co-founder and chairman Jay T Synder says,” “This is not just a comic book; it’s a breakthrough effort in public diplomacy that helps forge lasting bonds and understanding between the youth of the United States and the Middle East.