John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review

Ali Fisher, uscpublicdiplomacy.org As the sources and instruments of power have adapted to a new information age, the extent to which different groups have access to influence has also shifted.Public diplomacy [JB emphasis] in the 21st century has to navigate the complex architecture of multi-hub, multi-directional networks that exist between communities around the world. As a result, calibrating public diplomacy and strategic communications to face specific challenges requires fine-tuning the specific approach to engagement with foreign publics as well as an understanding of the tactics employed by any adversaries who wish to influence those same publics.This complexity is not a new phenomenon, but the information age has added an additional layer of methods to communicate or share information, and additional opportunities to analyze available data. This is true whether discussing how the Media Mujahidin seek to spread their theology, Russian attempts to influence political discourse,..

Yoni Hersch and Eli Leon, israelhayom.com Image from article, with caption: Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein (left) is interviewed by Israel Hayom Editor-in-Chief Boaz Bismuth at the IAC conference | Photo: Perry Bindelglass Speaking at Israeli-American Council conference, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein also says it is "high time" haredim accept compromise on IDF draft law • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi emphasizes importance of maintaining bipartisan U.S. support for Israel. Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said on Sunday that it was his hope that in the future Israelis living overseas would be able to vote in Israeli elections. "When I was minister of Public Diplomacy [JB emphasis] and Diaspora Affairs, I said that I didn't think that Israel should be different from France or Russia or the United States, where citizens vote in their embassies. I hope that this legislation will finally pass," Edelstein said in an interview with Israel Hayom Editor-in-Chief Boaz Bismuth at the Israeli-A..

Thomas Kent, The Hill Uncaptioned image from article, with label: © Getty Images Congress is reviewing legislation that will help guarantee outside oversight of America’s international media networks. The bill is valuable as it is, but could be even stronger. Bill S.3654, sponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and approved Wednesday by the Committee on Foreign Relations, is the latest in a long series of measures to change the structure of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. USAGM, which was known until August as the Broadcasting Board of Governors, administers the operations of the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the three other media networks financed by Congress: Radio Free Asia, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and Middle East Broadcasting Networks. Together, the networks operate in some 60 languages on radio, television and the internet, serving 345 million people outside the United States. S.3654 limits the sweeping powers that Congress granted USAGM’s CEO ..

bloomberg.com To overcome authoritarianism, the U.S. must harness the private sector and stay true to its values. By James Stavridis, bloomberg.com, December 3, 2018, 11:00 AM EST James Stavridies is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former military commander of NATO, and dean emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University [JB link; also note mention another Tufts University link -- to John F. Kennedy-era USIA Director Edward J. Murrow -- re Murrow also see ]. He [Stavridis] is also an operating executive consultant at the Carlyle Group and chairs the board of counselors at McLarty Associates. Image from article: Still possible? Photographer: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images As we approach the end of a long and complex year, and a turbulent election that saw a change of power in the House, it seems an appropriate time to hit pause and contemplate an approach toward a long-term global strategy for our country. We live in a highly ta..

Soumya Bhowmick, orfonline.org Excerpt: According to a report, ‘The Soft Power 30’ (2018) by Portland, Facebook and USC Centre for Public Diplomacy [JB emphasis], a soft power index was devised for various nations based on six major verticals of Education, Government, Culture, Digital, Engagement and Enterprise. Neither does India and China feature in the top performers for such indices nor does it show any significant improvement in rankings over the years. This calls for a collaborative structural transformation for developing and using soft power in both the nations. Such an agenda can be fueled by the fact that the recent propaganda of core social values in China such as prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, etc. are very dear to the people of India and further interactions will foster societal and economic convergence. ..

news.az Wed 05 Dec 2018 11:07 GMT | 15:07 Local TimeText size: Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has commented on the first meeting of the Russian-Armenian “Lazarev Club”, which was held in Yerevan on November 1 – December 2., 2018.“Armenian and Russian media outlets earlier released information about the first meeting of the Russian-Armenian “Lazarev Club”, which was held in Yerevan on November 1 – December 2. One of the main initiators and organizers of this club is Konstantin Zatulin, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee for CIS Affairs, Eurasian Integration and Relations with Compatriots, who is positioning himself as a new format of public diplomacy [JB emphasis],” the Azerbaijani ministry said in a message on Dec. 5.“The invitation of representatives of the illegal regime created in the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territories, as well as statements of Zatulin, former chairman of the Council of Veterans of the Russian Foreign Ministry, having the ran..

koreajoongangdaily.joins.com Dec 06,2018이미지뷰Ambassadors and spouses from some 40 countries, Korean government and officials, and other dignitaries pose for a commemorative photo for the second Public Diplomacy [JB emphasis] Night hosted by the Korea JoongAng Daily and the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies on Wednesday in Gangnam District, southern Seoul. From the front row, left: Yoon Soon-gu, Korean deputy minister of foreign affairs; Kim Yun-seek, dean of the Corps of Honorary Consuls in Korea; Park In-kook, president of the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies; Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon; Lee Hong-koo, former Korean prime minister; Kang Nan-hee, the mayor’s wife; Jung Soon-kyun, head of the Gangnam District Office, and his wife, Choi Young-mi; and Ryu Kwon-ha, chief executive officer of the Korea JoongAng Daily, behind Choi. [PARK SANG-MOON]Over 100 members of the diplomatic corps, Korean government officials, the Seoul mayor and the heads of district offices, military cadets and sc..

medium.com; original article contains footnotes By: Coby Vail, THO Non-Resident Fellow Public diplomacy [JB emphasis] and the use of soft power have finally come of age internationally and Turkey has become one of its top practitioners. Especially with the rise of the internet, digital communications and social media, states are better prepared and equipped than ever before to engage with foreign publics. But first, what is public diplomacy? According to the USC Center for Public Diplomacy, “public diplomacy has been widely seen as the transparent means by which a sovereign country communicates with publics in other countries aimed at informing and influencing audiences overseas for the purpose of promoting national interest and advancing its foreign policy goals.” But public diplomacy is broad, including anything from an embassy’s social media accounts to “language training, cultural events, radio and television broadcasting” and much much more. It’s a way of leveraging marketing and..

Beijing is buying U.S. media and research outlets to stifle criticism. William A. Galston, The Wall Street JournalDec. 4, 2018 6:39 p.m. ET Chinese President Xi Jinping and members of the Chinese delegation to the G20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Dec. 1. PHOTO: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERSLast weekend all eyes turned toward Buenos Aires, where Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met to avert an all-out trade war. For the foreseeable future, the relationship between the U.S. and China will be the single most important driver of global politics.The relationship is deteriorating, and the American people know it. As recently as 2011, according to the Pew Research Center, 51% of Americans had a favorable view of China. By this spring the figure had fallen to 38%. Though the threat of a naval conflict has risen as China projects its power in the South China Sea, 58% of Americans are more worried about China’s economic strength than its military power. Fifty-one percent of Americans see the loss of U.S..

tribune.com.pk Members of New Delhi's diplomatic corps and others relished the cuisine in large numbers. PHOTO: EXPRESSPakistani cuisine proved to be a major attraction for visitorsat the annual Charity Bazaar, organised by the Delhi Commonwealth Women Association (DCWA) in New Delhi on Sunday.Pakistan’s participation in the event was managed by the Ladies Club of the Pakistan High Commission, led by High Commissioner’s spouse Mahwish Sohail Mahmood.The Pakistan cooking team, spearheaded by Chef Yasir Suleman, prepared a wide range of delicious items, especially biryani, chicken tikka, chicken malai boti and chapli kabab. PHOTO: EXPRESSMembers of the Delhi-based diplomatic corps and various segments of the capital’s social circles thronged the Pakistani stall in big numbers and savoured the food.Pakistani chefs denied Indian visa for Amritsar food festivalSpeaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood noted that DCWA Bazaar was one of the most awaited events in Delhi..