Exchange of persons programs “are a lot like dark matter.” That was Dr. Allan Goodman’s assertion at the “Hard Case for Soft Power” panel discussion at American University. They’re hard to see, but critical to U.S. “soft power.” Goodman and four other speakers filled a large conference room at the SIS on Monday, February 25…
Joe B. Johnson consults on government communication and technology after a career in the United States Foreign Service. He is an instructor for the National Foreign Affairs Training Center, where he teaches strategic planning for public diplomacy. Read More
Renewing my membership in the Public Diplomacy Council just got easier. Responding to our President’s reminder message last Sunday, I followed his link to our Membership page, clicked on its “Add to Cart” button, and paid my 2019 annual dues with my Amex card in about 90 seconds. (Just got the receipt via email.) Council…
At the meeting of the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s Board of Governors this week our Council’s president, Adam Clayton Powell III, weighed in on a question up for debate these days: in today’s world, are things getting better or worse? The world is getting better, and American investments and values are the reason, he…
A State Department video caught my eye today. “How to spot disinformation” gives five tips to recognize disinformation in one’s news feed. The video fleshes out each of the tips, which are: Identify the sources Look beyond the headline Recognize satire Check the references Consider your own bias The International Information Programs Bureau has produced…
This is the second in a series of factual updates about United States public diplomacy and broadcasting. You’ll find a link to each of these on our Advocacy page. Public Diplomacy Field Operations Overseas operating costs in Fiscal Year 2017: $493 million* More than 4100 personnel: 700 Foreign Service and 2600 Locally Employed Staff (2018)…
What can public diplomacy staffers learn from a data scientist? A new book by a Google alumnus sheds light on how Big Data differs from opinion surveys, and how statisticians and social scientists find and use digitized public records to tease out insights on human behavior. State Department public diplomacy staffers are learning to pay…
I needed some cheer on this rainy Friday in Washington, and I found something that put me in a better mood. A government report. American Spaces, the collection of places where people overseas can learn about America, are growing faster than the weeds in my yard. Last year, visitor numbers increased to 58 million —…
Dr. Michael Schneider, the director of Syracuse University’s D.C. Public Diplomacy program, calls our attention to an update on the topic of China’s “sharp power” thrust. The Journal of Democracy carries a set of eight articles on “China in Xi’s new era” examining the country’s internal changes in the wake of the 19th Party Congress, its expanding global ambitions, and its…
Occasionally I co-lead a strategy workshop for State Department practitioners of public diplomacy. Each participant brings a topic and develops it into a public diplomacy campaign over five days; it’s learning by doing. The hardest thing for our students – both Foreign Service Officers and locally-hired staffers – is to define a clear objective and…