1. STEPS TOWARD LONG-OVERDUE CHANGE: In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, racism continues to grab the attention of much of the country and even the wider world. Let me cite just a few recent media efforts that might be of interest to PD professionals. A little-noticed move that…
Details
Seven Senators wrote to new global media director Michael Pack threatening budget cuts if the United States-supported media are politicized. The group, in an announcement June 2, expressed “deep concern” over what they termed as a purge by the Trump administration of five senior officers of U.S. international multimedia organizations shortly after the resignation of Voice of…
Details
An Intergenerational Dialogue When newly elected PDC President Sherry Lee Mueller and newly hired PDC Fellow Olivia Chavez first met, they both were unsure what their new responsibilities entailed but they knew one thing; they wanted to work together and learn from each other. What follows is an excerpt from our conversation on multigenerational leadership,…
Details
1. CALLING OUT CHINA: In case you haven’t noticed, official statements on U.S policy towards China have recently become much, much tougher. For proof, go no further than the June 24 speech delivered in Phoenix by National Security Advisor Robert C. O’Brien. It was a stinging critique of the Chinese Communist Party as a threat…
Details
On June 17, Michael Pack, the newly-confirmed director of U.S. international broadcasting, arrived at its headquarters in southwest Washington, D.C, with this pledge: “I am fully committed to honoring the VOA Charter, the missions of the grantee broadcasters (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, the Middle East Broadcasting Network in Arabic and Radio-TV Marti…
Details
1. TURBULENCE AND TRANSITION CONTINUE: This time they directly impact public diplomacy and America’s international media efforts. A new CEO, Michael Pack, finally confirmed by the Senate, has been installed at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), and the heads of four USAGM entities – Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio…
Details
The newly-installed CEO of five publicly-funded multimedia overseas networks, Michael Pack, wasted no time during his first day in office June 17 in announcing his dismissal of four civil service heads of the networks. They are: President Jamie Fly of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a recently named specialist in Russia and Eastern Europe President Bay…
Details
The resignation of Amanda Bennett as director of the Voice of America began a slew of developments that have captured news headlines. Bennett resigned as Michael Pack, a film-maker, was confirmed as the new Chief Executive Officer of VOA’s parent organization, the United States Agency for Global Media. Pack has since fired the directors of…
Details
I am a decade retired, but 31 years in the Foreign Service, 25 overseas, give me a feel for the difficulties – no, the agonies — of the Public Diplomacy officer now serving abroad. Everyone in the world with a smartphone has witnessed the horrific killing of George Floyd. All have seen the protests, tear…
Details
Interested in citizen diplomacy? Due to globalization, the internet, and long-term democratization trends, citizen diplomacy is likely to grow in the future, becoming a more important part of public diplomacy and international affairs. Citizen diplomacy entails citizen-to-citizen communication and collaboration across borders for political, economic, religious, cultural, educational, or other public purposes. Government funding and…
Details