public service

The Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC), the country's public service broadcaster, is facing some uncomfortable choices now that its budget has been cut by 1%. (Unlike the BBC, funded by licence fee, the ABC is funded by its country's government). The government has also axed the ABC's 10-year contract to run the Asia Pacific TV service, Australia Network. The initial result is that ABC's managing director, Mark Scott, will impose redundancies. Other cutbacks are very likely.

Public diplomacy was believed to be a job solely for the state department but it takes more than Foreign Service Officers to do the job well. It is important for every citizen, resident, official, supporter, etc. of a nation to do their best to fairly represent the nation they associate with to a foreign audience.