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John Brown aggregates all the most recent public diplomacy related news, including current issues in U.S. foreign policy, international broadcasting and media, propaganda, cultural diplomacy, educational exchanges, anti-Americanism, and the reception of American popular culture abroad.

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PRESS AND BLOG REVIEW, FEBRUARY 1-2, 2008
by John H. Brown

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY PRESS AND BLOG REVIEW, FEBRUARY 1-2

“Next thing you know, the Defense Department will be putting on cultural programs.”

--Gerald Loftus, “Communicating America’s Message—Whose Core Competency?” (Avuncular American: An expatriate view from Europe, February 1)
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PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: BOOKS, ARTICLES, WEBSITES #37

Intended for teachers of public diplomacy and related courses, below section F is an update on resources that may be of general interest. Suggestions for future updates are welcome. Kindly provided by Bruce Gregory, Director, Public Diplomacy Institute, George Washington University, (202) 994-0389, BGregory@gwu.edu

IMAGES

Military advice: What to do if you encounter an archeological site
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courtesy of a valued PDPBR subscriber

VIDEO

David Letterman on Bush’s State of the Union Address
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via
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POLITICAL CARTOON
I Got You Babe
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A) PUBLIC DIPLOMACY (1-29)

1. James Glassman: The Journalist Turned Journo-lobbyist’s Bid to Be PR Czar - Diane Farsetta (PR Watch.org, Center for Media and Democracy, January 31): If the Foreign Relations Committee and full Senate confirm James Glassman, the nominee for Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, he’s likely to follow in his predecessor Karen Hughes’s footsteps, with a greater emphasis on Internet tools and a new cadre of “credible” pro-U.S. Muslim influencers. But unless the United States makes real changes in its foreign policy, the U.S. global “brand” will remain tarnished.
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2. America’s New Publicist Takes the Stand; James Glassman: “enemies are eating our lunch online” – (PRNewser, February 2): “James K. Glassman ...  took the stand this week in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. ... What emerged from the testimony is that Glassman—creator of the naysaying Tech Central Station—believes the U.S. needs to step up its online information efforts. Our humble and outsider opinion is that shooting a few thousand new pages of text in to the wind won’t do much to raise the country’s standing in the world from now until GWBII is over, or alleviate tension within the State Deparment.”
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3. The War of Ideas – Michael Goldfarb (Weekly Standard, February 1): JAMES GLASSMAN, in his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations this week: “Muslims in America embrace U.S. values and participate actively in U.S. society, yet they differ with other Americans and with the U.S. government on policy. That is to say, policy is not the determining factor in their view of America. This is precisely the condition we should strive for in the world. People in other countries will not agree with our policies all the time, but we want them to have an accurate picture of those policies and the motivations behind them, and we want the disagreements to be constructive.” GOLDFARB COMMENT: Glassman “certainly strikes the right message here. We can’t change our policies in the Middle East because al Qaeda’s put a gun to our head, but we should strive to make sure ‘policy is not the determining factor’ in how Muslims view America. Let them hate us for our Big Macs and cultural imperialism as the French do, and like the French, let them do nothing about it.”
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4. Propaganda: Inbound—Bad; Outbound—Necessary (But It Mustn’t Look Like Goebbels) - Gerald Loftus (Avuncular American, February 1): “[T]o my mind, of equal importance to the question of whether Americans should or should not be the target of government propaganda (I tend to tilt towards the latter, consensus, view), is the question of who performs ‘good’ propaganda, or public diplomacy. The best kind is citizen public diplomacy, of the kind practiced by such organizations as ‘Business for Diplomatic Action’ ... and ‘American Voices’ (a choral group that brings the best of the American spirit to audiences abroad). ... When the US Government needs to tell its story—a natural function, shared by all governments, businesses, charities, etc.—it should have the services of a dedicated organization. It used to have that in the US Information Agency. Whether that entity is revived or something else comes into being, that ‘something else’ should be civilian, not military.”
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5. Understanding the failure: what’s really wrong and why won’t new agencies or doctrine be enough to fix it - (MountainRunner, January 31): Weak centralized leadership from State has so far been unable to find a voice or a real purpose. Nobody wants Defense to be America’s chief public diplomat, least of which the DoD.
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6. In War against Islamism, We Must Listen to the Words of Our Enemies - Zuhdi Jasser (Family Security Matters, NJ, February 1): Listening only to President Bush and others in his administration supposedly leading the contest of ideas, one would never understand what the other side, the Islamists, were actually all about or what they were actually saying. They presented the Islamists with no open challenge, debate, or critical engagement. The Public Diplomacy program for all intents and purposes has failed to both spread the ideas of freedom and improve the image of America in the West.
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7. Green party leader Elizabeth May’s Crusades talk is useful - Father Raymond J. de Souza (National Post, Canada, January 31): George Weigel, author of: “Faith, Reason and the War Against Jihadism” and leading Catholic commentator, papal biographer and theologian of just war doctrine, argues that the war against jihadism cannot be won without recognizing that it is importantly, but not exclusively, a religious challenge. Theology is thus an essential front in this war alongside the other aspects Weigel highlights: military prowess, public diplomacy, creative realism and cultural perseverance.
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8. Mothers of the Disappeared – onequietguy75 (Iraq Bush World States United, January 31): America is connecting itself with practices that are associated, in the minds of hundreds of millions of people, with the most odious of tyrants and the worst of authoritarian regimes. No matter how skillful US public diplomacy may be in the future, it’s going to take an enormous amount of effort and considerable time to overcome this self-inflicted damage. SEE BELOW ITEMS 45-47.
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9. Diplomatic Failings – (Nick Wadhams blog, February 1): Always count on the great dull-o-tron of American public diplomacy to spoil the message. A few days ago, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer called the chaos in Kenya’s Rift Valley ethnic cleansing, which it clearly is. Now State Department spokesman Sean McCormack employs the well-known strategy of packing a thought with so many useless words that it can no longer be considered a coherent thought.
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10. American foreign assistance still valued abroad - Surya B. Prasai (American Chronicle, February 1): In Secretary Rice´s concept of winning both hearts and mind through American public diplomacy, “Transformational diplomacy is rooted in partnership; not paternalism. In doing things with people, not for them, we seek to use America’s diplomatic power to help foreign citizens better their own lives, build their own nations, and transform their own futures.” In addition to defining what America does best given its diverse culture and economic prosperity, USAID´s global partnerships also define how it does it best the American way.
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11. Hawaii talks take aim at post-Kyoto agreement - Darren Samuelsohn (EarthNews, January 31): Bush’s climate efforts have won support among his allies on Capitol Hill and in industry. “It improves our public diplomacy position in the world,” said Ohio Republican Sen. George Voinovich. “I didn’t support Kyoto. But the fact of the matter is that was kind of a litmus test out there.”
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12. How the 2008 campaign made the world love America again - James Forsyth (Passport, Foreign Policy, February 1): Under the Bush presidency, anti-Americanism has reached new—and absurd—heights, and in too many countries the United States became pigeon-holed as the country of Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo, and global warming. The Bush administration’s public diplomacy in Europe has been nothing short of shocking. The 2008 campaign has reminded the public overseas, and especially in allied countries, of the diversity and vibrancy of American democracy. Another piece of good news is that all three candidates with a realistic chance of being the next president play well abroad in a way that George W. Bush does not.
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13. Obama initiatives embody spirit of Gonzaga mission - Mark Ludeking (Gonzaga Bulletin, February 1): “In talking to many Jesuits over the past four years I have heard many say that they wish learning a foreign language was a requirement for graduation. Obama has an American Voice Initiative that would expand opportunities for fluent speakers to go to other countries and serve. This service will come in public diplomacy and include engineers, doctors and teachers. I mention this not only because many Gonzaga students are interested in spending time overseas helping other nations by doing what the world needs most, but because the last seven years have been devastating for our relations around the world.”
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14. Now That Edwards, Kucinich, Richardson And Other Progressives Have Abandoned The Race, I Will Now Run For President - Alone (OpEDNews, February 2): Public diplomacy and lower cost products like shooting simple laser beams at satellites are cheaper than what the U.S. defense program has been trying to do—i.e. try and outspend (militarily) all other competing countries around the planet year after year.
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15. (Kim Andrew Elliott Discussing International Broadcasting and Public Diplomacy), latest edition
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16. Embassy reporting officers: interchangeable? – The Cookie Pusher, February 1): “[S]enior P[ublic]D[iplomacy] [State Dept.] officers still remember USIS days far too clearly, and a few continue to believe their mission doesn’t require the same kind of coordinated effort with other sections. I’ve had older PD officers tell me they regret the loss of ‘objectivity’ regarding U.S. policy they once had. They didn’t have to ‘sell the same message. This, if true, further underlines my belief that the end of USIS was necessary and fundamentally in U.S. interest.’”
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17. Embassy reporting officers: interchangeable? - (Life After Jerusalem: The Adventures And Musings Of An American Indian, Native Sandlapper (South Carolinian) Serving As A Public Diplomacy-Coned Foreign Service Officer, February 1): “This is an interesting piece from The Cookie Pusher. I can’t decide if I agree or not. I think the argument has valid points, and as a Public Diplomacy coned officer, I certainly believe we could do our jobs better if we were integrated into political and economic sections. ... But if you think of public diplomacy not in terms of being a feel good cone and more in terms of a tool to advance foreign policy (and I do), whether it be by explaining clearly our foreign policy or by working with political and economic officers to make sure people they identify as good contacts or future leaders get to participate in the International Visitor program, then having the sections united makes sense.”
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18. Iniquities of War, Inequities of Life - Ray McGovern (Consortium News, January 31): “The three who killed themselves [at GUantanamo on June 10] incurred the wrath of Guantanamo commander, Rear Adm. Harry B. Harris, Jr., who announced that the suicides were ‘not an act of desperation, but an act of asymmetrical warfare against us.’ In similar spirit, Colleen Graffy, deputy assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy, told the BBC that the suicides ‘certainly (are) a good PR move to draw attention.’ I wonder how Graffy would describe the actions of those U.S. veterans experiencing such suffering that they, too, commit suicide.”
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19. My government is retarded - Curzon (ComingArnarchy.com, February 2): “The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has now taken a tactic unfortunately typical of government under the Bush administration—instead of improving their shitty services, they’ve started a blog, Evolution of Security at tsa.gov, to tell you about the great job they’re doing. ... Part of this is just as sad as sending Karen Hughes to run US public diplomacy in Saudi Arabia...”
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20. Meeting Of The U.S. Advisory Commission On Public Diplomacy – (Media Note, Office of the Spokesman, U.S. Department of State, February 1): The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy will meet on Thursday, February 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon in Room 602 (Lindner Family Commons) at the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University, 1957 E Street NW, Washington, D.C. The meeting is open to the public. The Commissioners plan to discuss public diplomacy issues, including the application of political communication theory, and associated disciplines, in U.S. government public diplomacy efforts.
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21. Public Diplomacy: Reinvigorating America’s Strategic Communications Policy (Heritage Foundation; posted at James’ DC Event Feed, February 1): This panel will address the efficacy of the current administration’s strategy and give recommendations for the next administration, whether it is Democrat or Republican. Date: Wednesday, February 13, 2008. Time: 12:00 - 1:30 PM. Location: The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Auditorium.
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22. US Mission to European Union - Derek Lough (Hotel Brussels, February 1): “After a much welcomed morning off from any meetings or responsibilities (which most of us used for sleep), our group spent the afternoon at the United States Embassy talking to directors from the United States Mission to the European Union. Public Diplomacy Officer Merry Miller offered her insight and experience into becoming and working as a Foreign Officer for the United States government to the delight of several political science majors in our group.”
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23. United States Policy Guided by Belief that Sri Lanka Engrossed in Ethnic Warfare than Counter-Terrorism - Daya Gamage(Asian Tribune, February 2): “The Sri Lanka administration acts as if there is only one issue in Sri Lanka: the ethnic Tamil issue. They have to realize that Sri Lanka’s major national issues do not necessarily revolve round the ethnic Tamil issue. Sri Lanka’s overseas public diplomacy is so weak that they do not know how to get about in the important area of men and matters. “
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24. Forum discusses Taiwan’s public diplomacy - Allen Hsu (Taiwan Journal, February 2): To further understand how Taiwan’s public diplomacy has been conducted so far, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened a forum Dec. 24, 2007 in Taipei where distinguished guests were invited to deliver keynote addresses and share their expertise on this matter. Speaking of new ways to boost public diplomacy, board member on the Taiwan-U.S. Fulbright Foundation William C. Vocke mentioned Japan’s anime subculture, New Zealand’s sports, and Malaysia’s creative campaign titled “Malaysia, truly Asia.” In his eyes, Taiwan is acknowledged internationally as employing “fairly good” public diplomacy. LINK

25. Editor’s Notes: Looking the other way - David Horovitz (Jerusalem Post, February 2): Dismally, and in marked contrast to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s careful investment in PR advice for his own political well-being, inadequate thought, to put it mildly, was devoted to the public diplomacy aspect of this Gaza power reduction. Israel’s deficient emphasis on public diplomacy, indeed, meant that after Israel merely cut back fuel supplies to the Strip, Hamas exploited a non-existent crisis to ensure that Israel was blamed for maliciously causing a humanitarian disaster.
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26. Bahrain Honors Michael Rice – (Bahrain News Agency, Bahrain, February 2): “Michael Rice [Chairman of Bahraini Society ] has been the ambassador of public diplomacy between Bahrain and Britain without presenting official credentials and found doors set open for his mission so he rendered great services to Bahrain society to grow and become one of the biggest and most active friendship societies.”
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27. Russia’s Regression: Now a crackdown on the British Council - Michael Weiss (Weekly Standard, January 31): One theory popular among Putin’s domestic enemies is that the FSB is quite happy to level charges of espionage and “provocation” at so harmless an outfit as the British Council because its own agents desire to live in England. After all, the greater the supposed threat posed by Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the more spies from the other sides are required for surveillance and counterintelligence.
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28. School Official Loses $200,000 in Attack - David Nowak (Moscow Times, February 1): The deputy head of the British International School was assaulted and robbed of more than $200,000 after he left a bank in western Moscow carrying a bag of cash, police said Thursday.
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29. Another new FCO blogger (ish) - Simon (puffbox, February 1): “The Foreign Office launched itself into blogging last September, with a couple of ministers and a couple of high-profile ambassadors joining in the fun. Indeed, I note they’ve been scoring some PR points with it: Jolyon Welsh, FCO’s head of ‘Public Diplomacy’ presented a case study on it at a conference last week.”
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B) RELATED ITEMS (US torture, 30-33; Iraq, 34-36; Afghanistan, 37-40; Pakistan, 41; North Korea, 42; France, 43; Serbia, 44; democracy in world, 45-47; Rice, 48-49)

30. It’s torture; it’s illegal: The attorney general’s evasions on waterboarding are repugnant, and set a dangerous global precedent – Editorial (Los Angeles Times, February 2): The attorney general of the United States, Michael B. Mukasey, testified this week that he would consider waterboarding to be torture if it were done to him, but that he cannot say it’s always illegal. Such repugnant equivocation will be mimicked and distorted in dark corners around the world, and will make it more likely that waterboarding and other forms of torture will be used against U.S. soldiers and civilians.
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31. Tortured Testimony: Mr. Mukasey shows why Congress needs to intervene – Editorial (Washington Post, February 1): The Bush administration’s use of torture and continued use of extreme interrogation techniques have done untold damage to the moral standing of the United States. Having the attorney general state flatly that the technique is illegal could help the country begin to rehabilitate its image in the eyes of the world.
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32. Mukasey’s confession: Is waterboarding torture? It it’s done to him, it is; if it’s someone else, uh, he’s not sure - Tim Rutten (Los Angeles Times, February 2): We have suffered terrible casualties in the war with the Islamic terrorists, but the only real victory they’ve achieved was the one the Bush administration handed them when it replaced law with vengeance and sanctioned torture.
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33. Torture or Mystery? Waterboarding - William Loren Katz (CounterPunch, January 31): Isn’t it time to come clean about torture—and about the adherence to law and democracy we expect from our leaders?
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34. 126 Reporters Have Been Killed in Iraq Since the Start of the War: The Most Dangerous Country in the World for Journalists -Patrick Cockburn (CounterPunch, February 1)
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35. Fear of Looking Weak - Dan Froomkin (washingtonpost.com, February 1): How would it look to the world if we left Iraq now? President Bush and Vice President Cheney both expressed concern yesterday that it would make the United States look weak.
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36. Why the Surge Worked - Michael Duffy (Times, January 31): One year and 937 U.S. fatalities later, the surge is a fragile and limited success, an operation that has helped stabilize the capital and its surroundings but has yet to spark the political gains that could set the stage for a larger American withdrawal.
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37. The NATO Emerging in Afghanistan - Victoria Nuland (Washington Post, February 1): Despite some dire headlines, there were major successes in the past year for the Afghans and their 40 international security partners, including all members of NATO. (The writer is U.S. ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.)
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38. Talibanization and nukes - Arnaud de Borchgrave (Washington Times, February 1): NATO allies are already tiring of the Afghan campaign. NATO’s future is now clearly at stake in the Pakistani-Afghan mess.
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39. US Faces Unraveling Afghan Mission – IslamOnline (February 2)
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40. A Pair of Allies, Self-Destructing - Jim Hoagland (Washington Post, February 3): The United States still has a chance to save Karzai and Musharraf from the extremists. Washington has no chance, however, of saving them from themselves. That task belongs to them.
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41. Pakistani P.R. - Editorial (New York Times, February 1): Successfully moving Pakistan from military rule to civilian-run democracy is essential to combating extremism. Mr. Musharraf has a major role in making this happen. The United States and its allies must keep reinforcing that message.
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42. In North Korea, Process Over Progress - Michael Gerson (Washington Post, February 1): Having begun the path of negotiations, the State Department has consistently moved the goal posts closer to keep North Korea at the table.
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43. Sarkozy and Kerviel chase a French-American dream - Paul Betts (Financial Times, February 1): For all the fear and loathing of capitalism in France and its criticisms of the US system, the country is not only becoming more American but has always embraced the American dream.
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44. Losing Belgrade: Russia’s gain - Jason Epstein (National Review, February 2): Washington became a reckless cheerleader for Kosovo’s independence. In the process, a resurgent and less than amiable Russia exploited Serbia’s quest for diplomatic support to regain its sphere of influence in the Balkans. American foreign policy toward Serbia needs an adjustment.
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45. Rights Group Faults U.S. for Support of Autocrats - Nora Boustany (Washington Post, February 1): In its latest report, Human Rights Watch, a New York-based advocacy group, delivers a harsh critique of the Bush administration, suggesting that by accommodating autocratic allies in the fight against terrorism, it has failed to meet its declared goal of promoting democratic values.
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46. New human-rights report: Around the world, “sham democracies” thrive – Edward M. Gomez (World View, SF Gate, February 1)
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47. Athens or Rome: which will it be? – Patricia H. Kushlis (Whirled View, February 1): Americans too forget that one size, or model, doesn’t fit all and that “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Neither are democracies.
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48. Are You Ready for Formal Ursula? - Princess Sparkle Pony ‘s Photo Blog: I keep track of Condoleezza’s hairdo so you don’t have to, January 31): PHOTO: Austrian Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer, Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik and Education Minister Claudia Schmied during the opening of Vienna’s traditional Opera Ball, on Thursday, January 31, at Vienna’s State Opera. COMMENT: “If this public appearance doesn’t cement the affable Austrian giantess’ reputation as the Anti-Condi in every way, I don’t know what could. Ursula, tonight, was ab so lute ly stunning; almost regal, but relaxed. Oh, Ursula, please come and rescue us all!”
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49. This Time It’s the Frog Who Comes to Rescue the Princess - (Princess Sparkle Pony’s Photo Blog: I keep track of Condoleezza’s hairdo so you don’t have to, January 31): PHOTO: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice greets French Defense Minister Herve Morin, Thursday, Jan. 31 in the Treaty Room of the State Department in Washington.
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C) ONLY IN AMERICA?

50. Elderly nun gets jail time in sex case - AP (USA Today, February 2): A 79-year-old nun was sentenced Friday to one year in a county jail for sexually abusing two teens when she was their principal four decades ago.
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D) ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY

“When the president of the United States—the leader of the free world, the guy with the nuclear football doohickey and therefore the power to end human if not cockroach civilization—comes to town today to update Las Vegas on the war on terrorism, he will not be standing in a stadium, behind a church pulpit or in a rugged pose in front of Red Rock. Not even in a high school auditorium. No, the president will be at the back of an office park overlooking a rock quarry and snake habitat disguised as an expensive golf course named Badlands.”

--Brendan Buhler, “Bush is on his way, so beat it or else ...” (Las Vegas Sun, February 1)
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E) STALIN JOKES
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F) PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: BOOKS, ARTICLES, WEBSITES #37

Intended for teachers of public diplomacy and related courses, here is an update on resources that may be of general interest. Suggestions for future updates are welcome.

Bruce Gregory
Director, Public Diplomacy Institute
George Washington University
(202) 994-0389
BGregory@gwu.edu

Andrew J. Bacevich, “Prophets and Poseurs: Niebuhr and Our Times,” World Affairs, Winter 2008, Vol. 170, No. 3, pp. 24-37. Bacevich (Boston College) examines the current relevance of 20th century theologian Reinhold Niebuhr’s thinking about “myths and delusions” in the way Americans see themselves and project themselves to the world. Drawing on Niebuhr’s The Irony of American History (1952, soon to be reprinted), Bacevich explores Niebuhr’s views on four themes: (1) the persistence of American exceptionalism, hypocrisy, and pride in America’s self-perception; (2) history as an opaque drama in which the story line and denouement are hidden; (3) the persistence of overconfidence and the false allure of simple solutions; and (4) the imperative of appreciating the limits of power. (Available by subscription)
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Nathan Brown and Amr Hamzawy. “Arab Spring Fever,” The National Interest, September/October, 2007, pp. 33-40. Brown (George Washington University) and Hamzawy (Carnegie Endowment) write that Washington’s “manic debate” on political change in the Middle East misses gradual change “driven to a great extent by an indigenous freedom agenda.” The authors find stunning impatience in Washington’s approach and call for greater realism, a mix of policies, sustainable efforts, and recognition that political realism may be occurring “but not on any U.S. administration’s timetable.”
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Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA), America’s Role in the World: A Business Perspective on Public Diplomacy, October 2007, pp. 1-18. Written by Tom Miller (BDA Vice President), this report examines definitions of public diplomacy, discusses problems for the U.S. economy driven by the decline in America’s global public image, and recommends ways the U.S. business community can help in structuring and promoting an effective public diplomacy strategy. BDA’s recommendations: (1) creation of an independent Corporation for Public Diplomacy (CPD) and a cross-agency National Communications Council (NCC) reporting to the President; (2) development of a “public diplomacy and communications strategy” employing the skills, techniques and processes of global businesses; (3) an increase in public diplomacy resources from $1.5B to $3B; and (4) establishment of a “reserve” Foreign Service Officer and “Goodwill Ambassador” corps.
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Andrew F. Cooper. Celebrity Diplomacy, (Paradigm Publishers, 2008). Cooper (University of Waterloo and Centre of International Governance Innovation) looks at the role of celebrities in diplomacy from Ben Franklin to Shirley Temple Black and Octavio Paz to today’s Bono, Angelina Jolie, and Bill Gates. He examines analytical, normative, and practical issues in the associations of state and non-state actors with celebrities who attract attention and mobilize activists on global issues. His book addresses questions of boundaries, legitimacy, limits, and consequences—and the arguments of critics—in a “mix of public diplomacy and advocacy through both official and unofficial mechanisms.”

CSIS Commission on Smart Power, A Smarter, More Secure America, Co-Chairs, Richard L. Armitage and Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Center for Strategic and International Studies, (2007), 1-79. Armitage (former deputy secretary of state), Nye (Harvard), and a bipartisan commission of American scholars and practitioners call for the next U.S. president to implement a smart power strategy that complements military and economic might with greater investments in soft power. Recommendations focus on six areas: reinvigorated alliances, partnerships, and institutions; elevated global development; strengthened public diplomacy; economic integration; technology and innovation; and creative approaches to how the government is organized, coordinated, and budgeted. Public diplomacy recommendations include increased exchanges with a focus on youth, U.S.-China and U.S. India Educational Funds, expanded Middle East language competencies, and creation of an independent, nonprofit “center for international knowledge and communication.”
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Steven R. Corman and Kevin J. Dooley. Strategic Communication on a Rugged Landscape: Principles for Finding the Right Message, Report #0801, Consortium for Strategic Communication (CSC), Arizona State University, January 7, 2008. The authors build on an earlier CSC paper (A 21st Century Model for Communication in the Global War of Ideas, April 2007, which argued that U.S. strategic communication is based on an outdated “message influence model.” In this new CSC study, they assert that U.S. communication efforts are limited by a fruitless quest to centralize and tightly control its messages. Using the metaphor of a rugged landscape with many peaks, Corman and Dooley call for a new approach with “multiple integral solutions,” greater tolerance for experimentation and random variation in communication, and recognition that “failure is normal part of the path to success.” (Courtesy of Stephanie Helm)
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Brent Cunningham. “The Rhetoric Beat,” Columbia Journalism Review, November/December, 36-39. CJR’s managing editor examines the crucial political role of the press in its choices of words, metaphors, and linguistic frames. Cunningham looks briefly and selectively at framing literature and media framing choices in the decision to go to war in Iraq. He proposes that news organizations employ “rhetoric reporters” to research the history and use of words applied to policies and actions “to help keep political discourse as clear and intellectually honest as possible. 
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Defense Science Board Task Force on Strategic Communication, Report on Strategic Communication in the 21st Century, Chair, Vincent Vitto, January, 2008, 1-149. In its third year-long study since 2001, the Defense Science Board’s (DSB) Task Force has substantially refined and updated its views with particular attention to deep comprehension of attitudes and cultures, relationships between government and civil society, adaptive networks within government, new media, and technology transformation. The Task Force, comprised of members from government (diplomacy and military) and the academic and non-profit research communities, urges a national commitment to strategic communication “supported by resources and a strength of purpose that matches the nation’s commitment to defense, intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland security.” Key recommendations: amplification of the DSB’s call in 2004 for an independent, non-profit, and non-partisan Center for Global Engagement to leverage knowledge and skills in civil society (beginning with a “deep understanding of cultures and cultural dynamics, core values of other societies, and media and technologiy trends"); a permanent strategic communication structure within the White House; strengthened capacity in the Departments of State and Defense; and a thorough review of the mission, structure, and functions of the Broadcasting Board of Governors. 
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Daniel W. Drezner, “Foreign Policy Goes Glam,” The National Interest, No. 92, November/December 2007, pp. 22-28. Drezner (Fletcher School, Tufts University) examines the increasing influence of celebrities in advancing policy agendas in global issues. Although the role of celebrities in world politics is not new (Shirley Temple, Jane Fonda), Drezner argues the influence of today’s celebrities can be attributed to differences in the way citizens consume information, new incentives in the entertainment industry, the impact of soft news, and power shifts to individuals and non-state actors driven by the Internet and an information ecosystem in which attention, not information, is the scarce resource. Drezner examines the pros and cons of celebrity activism, noting that problem awareness differs from problem solutions. (Full online text for subscribers.)
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Francis Fukuyama and Michael McFaul, “Should Democracy be Promoted or Demoted?” The Washington Quarterly, Winter 2007-08, 23-43. Fukuyama (Johns Hopkins, SAIS) and McFaul (Stanford) review moves toward greater autocracy in many countries, increasing skepticism toward the democracy agenda in U.S. foreign policy, and deficiencies in the Bush administration’s efforts to promote democracy. The authors systematically engage the central arguments against democracy promotion and call for a more sustainable strategy in achieving it. Key elements: restoring the U.S. example, improved public diplomacy, diplomatic engagement with autocracies, ambitious reorganization of U.S. programs (including a new cabinet level Department of International Development), a firewall between U.S. assistance to states and to NGOs, and enhanced international institutions.
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Barry Fulton, “Geo-Social Mapping of the International Communications Environment or Why Abdul Isn’t Listening,” The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 2 (2007), 307-315. Fulton (George Washington University) calls for a “radical redefinition of public diplomacy” grounded in stimulating “the imagination of those who make a difference in their own cultures.” Giving others the means and motivation to address global requirements can enhance the security of the sponsoring nation. Fulton’s three-point agenda for reforming the conduct of public diplomacy: (1) “reach beyond short-term parochial interests by providing knowledge to the curious, the innovative, and the restless;” (2) hold public diplomats accountable “for enabling connectivity and serving as cultural interpreters;” and (3) “recruit and train artists, scholars, and scientists as public diplomats to engage actively in indigenous social networks.” (Available by subscription)
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Robert M. Gates. “Landon Lecture,” Remarks of the Secretary of Defense, Manhattan, Kansas, November 26, 2007. Secretary Gates makes “the case for strengthening our capacity to use ‘soft’ power and for better integrating it with ‘hard’ power.” His recommendations include: increased national capacity in economic development, institution building, rule of law, good governance, and strategic communication; greater use of expertise in America’s universities; and “a dramatic increase in spending on the civilian instruments of national security—diplomacy, strategic communications, foreign assistance, civic action, and economic reconstruction and development.” The Secretary stated that the “way to institutionalize these capabilities is probably not to recreate or repopulate institutions of the past such as AID or USIA.” The U.S. needs new thinking on how to integrate government capabilities with the private sector, universities, non-governmental organizations, and allies and friends.
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Marwan M. Kraidy. Arab Media and US Policy: A Public Diplomacy Reset, The Stanley Foundation, January 2008. Kraidy (Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania) discusses historical and current developments in the Arab media environment to make recommendations on the structure and conduct of U.S. public diplomacy. His public diplomacy reset includes: avoiding the polarizing rhetoric of the “global war on terror;” addressing the socioeconomic impact of globalization on Arab societies; greater reliance on “pull” media; creating a special public diplomacy advisor to the president; triple funding for Fulbright programs focused on communication, journalism, and media studies; and shutting down the U.S. government’s Al Hurra television network. (Courtesy of Ellen Frost)
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Art Kleiner, “The Thought Leader Interview: Anne-Marie Slaughter,” strategy+business, Booz Allen Hamilton, Issue 48, Autumn 2007, pp. 1-7. Slaughter (Dean of Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School) explains how her thinking about transgovernmental networks and the role of the state has evolved. Included in the interview are Slaughter’s views on the strengths and limitations of networks, the impact on embassy operations of emerging power relationships at the sub-state level, virtual architectures within government, psychological shifts in the roles of diplomats, and models of accountability and openness. (Courtesy of Tom Bayoumi)
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Joshua Kurlantzick and Devin Stewart, “Hu’s on First?” The National Interest, No. 92, November/December 2007, pp. 63-67. The authors (both at the Carnegie Endowment) discuss the strengths and successes of China’s diplomacy and soft power, but they argue “Beijing’s may be reaching its limits” due to a lack of transparency in its domestic political system and lack of business ethics. They conclude that China’s shortcomings will delay its projection of power in Asia, but not indefinitely, and that the U.S. is missing opportunities in the region due to its preoccupation with Iraq and the Middle East.
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Carnes Lord and Helle Dale, “Public Diplomacy and the Cold War: Lessons Learned,” The Heritage Foundation, Backgrounder No. 2070, September 18, 2007, 1-8. Lord (U.S. Naval War College) and Dale (The Heritage Foundation) examine successful public diplomacy campaigns and methods during the Cold War in an analysis of persistent problems in American public diplomacy. Their recommendations focus on Presidential leadership; a unified vision and body of principles and doctrines, and a coherent national strategy.
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Jan Melissen and Paul Sharp, eds., “Rethinking the New Public Diplomacy,” The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, Vol. 2, No. 3. Melissen (Netherlands Institute of International Relations, “Clingendael") and Sharp (University of Minnesota) continue their innovative research journal with a special issue on public diplomacy. Includes articles by:

Kathy Fitzpatrick (Quinnipiac University), “Advancing the New Public Diplomacy: A Public Relations Perspective”

R. S. Zaharna (American University), “The Soft Power Differential: Network Communication and Mass Communication in Public Diplomacy”

Craig Hayden (USC Center on Public Diplomacy), “The Role of Argument Formation”

Pierre C. Pahlavi (McGill University), “Evaluating Public Diplomacy Programme”

Giles Scott-Smith, (University of Lancaster), “The Ties That BInd: Dutch-American Relations, U.S. Public Diplomacy and the Promotion of American Studies Since the Second World War”

Barry Fulton (George Washington University), “Practitioners’ Perspectives: Geo-Social Mapping of the International Communications Environment or Why Abdul Isn’t Listening”
(Available by subscription)
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Andras Szanto, ed. What Orwell Didn’t Know: Propaganda and the New Face of American Politics, Public Affairs, 2007. Twenty prominent scholars and journalists use the 60th anniversary of George Orwell’s classic essay, “Politics and the English Language,” to assess the role of the media and political communication today—and “to chart the complex topography of propaganda withn the new landscape of American politics.” Includes an indtroduction by Orville Schelle and essays by Geoffrey Cowan, Mark Danner, Farnaz Fassihi, Francis Fitzgerald, Konstanty Gebert, Susan Harding, Martin Kaplan, George Lakoff, Nicholas Lemann, Michael Massing, Victor Navasky, Aryeh Neier, Alice O’Connor, Francine Prose, David Rieff, George Soros, Drew Westen, and Patricia J. Williams. The essays by David Rieff, Nicholas Lemann, and Geoffrey Cowan can also be found in The Columbia Journalism Review (November/December 2007).
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Sherry Ricchiardi. “Covering the World,” American Journalism Review, December 2007/January 2008, 32-39. AJR’s Ricchardi continues her long-time interest in global news coverage with an in-depth look at the overseas operations of the Associated Press. Her article profiles personalities and looks at AP’s evolving approaches to priorities, training, news analysis, and the safety of reporters.
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Walter R. Roberts, “What is Public Diplomacy? Past Practices, Present Conduct, Possible Future,” Mediterranean Quarterly, Fall 2007, Vol. 18, No. 4. Roberts (public diplomat, teacher, and co-founder of GW’s Public Diplomacy Institute) continues his inquiry into the history and meaning of public diplomacy as practiced by the United States during the 20th century. His article develops judgments on the relevance of this history to the future of diplomacy and the policy process. Available by subscription. LINK

Marc Sageman. Leaderless Jihad: Terror Networks in the Twenty-First Century, (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008). The authory of Understanding Terror Networks (2004) analyzes the evolution of terror networks into more fluid and scattered global leaderless networks connected by the Internet—“a multitude of informal local groups trying to emulate their predecessors by conceiving and executing operations from the bottom up.” Sagemen challenges many of the central tenets of a militarized and excessively ideological U.S. strategy against terrorst networks. His strategic proposals assume that global Islamist terrorism is a self-limiting threat and draw on lessons from George Kennan’s containment logic. Central to his recommendations are demilitarization of the conflict, steps that “take the glory out of terrorism,” policy actions that reduce moral outrage, less emphasis on ideology and religion, and elimination of social and economic discrimination against Muslims, particularly in Western Europe. 

“Smart Power: John J. Hamre Talks with Joseph Nye and Richard Armitage,” The American Interest, Vol. III, No. 2, November/December 2007, pp. 34-41. Nye (Harvard) and Armitage (former Deputy Secretary of State) respond to questions from Hamre (President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies) on the report of the Center’s Commission on Smart Power. Contains their definitions of smart power and public diplomacy, their views on threats and opportunities in national security strategy, and a summary of key judgments in the report co-chaired by Nye and Armitage. Available by subscription.
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J. Michael Waller, The Public Diplomacy Reader (Washington, DC: The Institute of World Politics Press, 2007). Professor Waller (Institute of World Politics) has compiled a collection of approximately 150 short readings—“slices of public diplomacy” from thinkers, practitioners, presidents, advisory panels, and legislation—with a primary focus on the American public diplomacy tradition (from the Continental Congress to the present). Categories include definitions and uses of public diplomacy, the power of ideas and values, truth and trust, cultural diplomacy, humanitarian public diplomacy, religion and public diplomacy, broadcasting, words and language, psychological planning and strategy, public diplomacy and propaganda, counterpropaganda, public diplomacy after 9/11, technology, citizens as public diplomats, and legal texts.
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