Google and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem have partnered to launch a new website that allows the public the ability to examine the Dead Sea Scrolls in fine detail. The site provides searchable, high-resolution images of the scrolls, plus explanatory videos and background on the foundational texts.

This information is presented online on a user-friendly, easily understood and engaging map. It’s an... idea that allows us to be more transparent and accessible to the U.S. taxpayers and the public. We are also using it to track trends in human rights violations and in our public diplomacy efforts.

The challenges posed by the new media landscape...will likely take years to fully comprehend. But as the contours of the role of social media in the Arab Spring and elsewhere begin to take shape in the academic and policy-making arenas, everyone seems to agree on one point: The revolution is far from over.

Even by participants’ own estimates, the ongoing OccupyWallStreet demonstration hasn’t been very big. But this small action against bank bailouts, public spending cuts, and money in politics has drawn an outsized presence in the tech and media world. Many protestors cited demonstrations in Egypt--and their use of social media to jump-start a revolution--as an inspiration.

As part of our engagement with emerging African partners in addressing the challenge of climate change, the U.S. Department of State will sponsor Apps4Africa: Climate Challenge, a public diplomacy program comprised of three African regional competitions...

The cultural center is called @america – a name chosen because diplomats in the world’s most populous Muslim country thought it would appeal to the technical savvy young people, while conveying a measure of respect.

A petite blond Midwesterner, who is not Chinese and only began studying the language five years ago, became an iconic translator of American slang for pop-culture-hungry Chinese fans. The popularity of the show, called “OMG! Meiyu” and produced by Voice of America, has not escaped the notice of the agency’s executives, who recognize that hip and eccentric programming is vital to connecting with youths.