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The Public Diplomacy Blog is intended to stimulate dialog among scholars, researchers, practitioners and professionals from around the world in the public diplomacy sphere. The opinions represented here are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School.

Posts by Craig Hayden

A CONSTRUCTIVE LOOK AT AL-HURRA AND ITS CRITICS
JUN 24, 2008 - 4:35PM PDT
Posted by Craig Hayden
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I have to admit I did not expect to be writing what could be deemed a defense of Al-Hurra -- the U.S.-sponsored Arabic language television station beamed across the Arab world. Al-Hurra (which means "the free one" in Arabic) has come under scrutiny over the past few years for its potential impact on U.S. public diplomacy objectives. Yet the recent story by CBS News on the failings of Al-Hurra and coverage by The Washington Post, necessitates a critical response. The following blog entry provides two critiques -- first of the oddly framed arguments in CBS's coverage of Al-Hurra, and second... FULL TEXT
 
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MAESTRO DUDAMEL, VENEZUELAN SOFT POWER AND LESSONS FOR AMERICA
MAR 6, 2008 - 7:09PM PDT
Posted by Neal Rosendorf
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The New York Philharmonic's recent Pyongyang concert has garnered extensive international news coverage over the momentary piercing of North Korea's thick carapace. But rather than seeking as far as the Hermit Kingdom for evidence of a truly effective use of classical music as soft power, we'd arguably do better to look in our own back yard: Los Angeles to be precise, in the guise of the L.A. Philharmonic's next music director, Gustavo Dudamel. The extraordinary young conductor is the embodiment of Venezuela's one real soft power asset. The U.S. has much to learn from Maestro Dudamel's story and experience as... FULL TEXT
 
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EXIT KAREN HUGHES
NOV 4, 2007 - 11:57AM PDT
Posted by Craig Hayden
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Not too long ago, Karen Hughes discussed her job as director of U.S. public diplomacy efforts as contributing to a long term process of cultivating America's image. For her, the work of public diplomacy remains akin to "planting a tree under whose shade you would not sit." Now the mantle of that responsibility passes to another, as Karen Hughes announced her resignation this week from her post as Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

What does this signify for U.S. public diplomacy? It may be easy to view this as a sign that the job was simply... FULL TEXT
 
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THE “ROI” ON VIRTUAL WORLDS, THE IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING CULTURE
OCT 29, 2007 - 12:50PM PDT
Posted by Joshua S Fouts

This article first appeared on the MacArthur Foundation's Spotlight blog.

I spent the past week at the Virtual Worlds Conference and Expo in San Jose, California.

There were a number of interesting panels, but two themes caught my attention that I’d like to discuss here: 1) Concern for ROI or Return on Investment in Virtual Worlds; and 2) The Rise of China.

ROI

As interest in virtual worlds and the 3-D Immersive Web continues to peak, there has been much-ballyhooed media coverage about the flood of corporations rushing into the space; some who missed the boat during the dotcom boom... FULL TEXT
 
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THE DIPNOTE BLOG: THE STATE DEPARTMENT’S TENTATIVE STEP INTO GLOBAL ONLINE DIALOGUE
OCT 24, 2007 - 10:59AM PDT
Posted by Craig Hayden
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This September, the United States Department of State launched its own blog – Dipnote. The blog is described as an “alternative source to mainstream media for U.S. foreign policy information” and an “opportunity for participants to discuss important foreign policy issues with senior Department officials.” Seems pretty ambitious. If anything, this belated foray into the blogosphere is a necessary if not crucial step towards making the State Department more relevant to its U.S. constituents, and providing a means for foreign publics to voice their opinions directly to somebody in the U.S. government.

Reaction to the new blogsite was swift in... FULL TEXT
 
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