January 21

"[I]n 'truthful' research, the answers are what they are, regardless of the researcher's point of view. By contrast, 'propaganda' starts with an answer and relies on research not to find out how things work but to prove a predetermined conclusion."

--Judith Feder, Chair of Academy Health, "Why Truth Matters: Research versus Propaganda in the Policy Debate"; above image illustrating Francis Bacon quotation, "What is truth? said jesting Pilate; and would not stay for an answer"

“Feel free to call me a propagandist!”

--Stephen Worth, the Director of the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive, a museum, library and digital archive devoted to the use of professional artists and students.

BLOG OF INTEREST

VOA Public Relations – Joan Mower: "My blog takes you behind the scenes at the Voice of America (VOA), the largest U.S. international broadcaster with a radio, television and Internet audience of over 125 million. I'll also post information about VOA."

PUBLIC DIPLOMACY IN THE NEWS

Helping Haiti and Doing Public Diplomacy – Philip Seib, Huffington Post (blog): “Public diplomacy involves a country reaching out directly to people, not to their government. This makes sense for a number of reasons in Haiti, and if it is done well in this case, there is no reason that this approach should not be tried more frequently elsewhere, without waiting for humanitarian emergencies.

The United States can afford mini-Marshall Plans where need is greatest throughout the world. Although USAID and other agencies do fine work, it is often overshadowed in the midst of the broad array of U.S. policy initiatives. That could be changed, and making such public diplomacy the true centerpiece of American foreign policy would change the way the United States looks at the world and, more important, would change how the world looks at America.” Image from

Voice of America Reaches Out to Haiti – Helle Dale, Heritage Foundation

Public Diplomacy running out of time? – Lena, Global Chaos: “The last couple of days we all have been bombarded - quite literally - with analyses and assessments of Obama's first year in office. These, for most part, have not been positive, put mildly. There is general disappointment, disillusionment, and even, increasing hostility against many of the things he stands for (and Brown's victory is Massachusetts only underscores that). The case has been very similar - if not even more prominent - around the world, where hopes have been raised, but also swiftly destroyed by speeches such as those in Prague, Cairo, and Oslo... and certainly, by actions that were far from what was read into his words. ... [Obama] came, carried in by all those who believed in the change he promised. He was the perfect and the highest ranking American 'public diplomatist.' But the thinking should focus on the longer term. He needs time and support, since he can't do it all by himself. But it seems like neither the world, nor his own people are willing to grant him that...” See also John Brown, After the honeymoon: Electing Barack Obama president won't be enough to improve America's standing in the world, Guardian (26 Jun 2008) and Can America change hearts and minds? Obama may be popular abroad, but it won't be so easy for his new public diplomacy secretary to improve America's image, Guardian (22 Apr 2009).

The Soft Power Solution in Iran: Here's what a serious plan to undermine the regime in Tehran would look like: James K. Glassman, Michael Doran, Wall Street Journal: “So how can the U.S. support the [Iranian] opposition? The key is strategic communications that integrate words and deeds to achieve a major political goal—in this case, changing the character of the Iranian leadership. ...

Such a policy would have four separate tasks: Provide moral and educational support for the Green Revolution. ... Tighten sanctions on the Iranian economy and publicize the connection between regime belligerence and economic malaise. ... Do all we can to increase communications within Iran, as well as between Iran and the outside world. Opposition movements succeed through sharing and disseminating information. Broadcasting by the taxpayer-funded Radio Farda and Voice of America satellite TV should be ramped up, and we should encourage the U.K. to do the same with the BBC. ... Finally, we should refute, in campaign style, the ... key propositions of Iranian propaganda. ... Iranians like Americans.” See also Scott Lucas, The Latest from Iran (21 January): Speaking in Codes, Enduring America, which notes: “(A far-from-unimportant opinionated side note: Glassman and Doran were both key officials in the George W. Bush Administration’s disastrous and often unintentionally humourous efforts at ‘public diplomacy’.)” Image from

Should Guantanamo Bay Be Closed? - Council on Foreign Relations: “Clifford D. May, President, Foundation for Defense of Democracies[:] No doubt, al-Qaeda does utilize Guantanamo as a recruiting tool. However, al-Qaeda was recruiting terrorists long before there was a Gitmo--the attacks of 9/11/01 represent only the most lethal example. More to the point: Whatever public diplomacy advantage may be achieved by closing the facility would be offset by the damage done to national security.”

That’s The Taliban Promise! - Spencer Ackerman, Attackerman: “[The]Taliban’s public-diplomacy strategy ... is a challenge to be countered. The U.S. and its allies can still throw success away.”

The Implementation of Sustainable Security Measures Demands a TSA Head - americansecurityproject.org: “According to one U.S. official, 'blond-haired, blue-eyed types,' with American passports, are among those training in Al-Qaeda’s Yemen camps, reports the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Al Qaeda in Yemen and Somalia: A Ticking Time Bomb, released yesterday.

If it was not clear already, this information only makes it only more obvious that racially profiling at our borders and airports harms the American people – not only because it is poor public diplomacy, but also because this method will also likely fail to stop the next ‘underwear bomber.’” Image from

Military Base Dispute Strains US-Japan Alliance - Bruce Klingner, Heritage.org: “Washington should boost public diplomacy efforts to better educate Japanese officials and the populace on the necessity of forward-based U.S. forces to not only defend Japan but to also maintain peace and stability in Asia.”

Obama and Africa: A One-Year Assessment - Peter Pham, Family Security Matters: ‎“President George W. Bush made engagement with Africa one of the lasting legacies of his two terms in the White House, launching a whole raft of new development and humanitarian initiatives—including the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI)—which have positively demonstrated American commitment to Africa and strengthened the ‘soft power’ links between the United States and the nations of the African continent. And, of course, Bush’s tenure saw the establishment of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) with its mission, ‘in concert with other U.S. government agencies and international partners,’ to conduct ‘sustained security engagement through military-to-military programs, military-sponsored activities, and other military operations as directed to promote a stable and secure African environment’ representing America’s recognition of the strategic importance of Africa, such that its security not only concerns Africans, but also impacts the interests of the United States and the international community as a whole. ...

[T]he [Obama] administration has yet to deal adequately with the exaggerated expectations which many Africans have for a government headed by the son of a man from a small village in western Kenya. So far, the President remains very popular in many parts of Africa, even if the euphoria has died down a bit. However, the administration needs to continually work to manage expectations lest they inadvertently turn into a backlash of resentment. That, even without a financial crisis, there is a limit to what American can and will do in and for Africa is a message that has yet to penetrate the political elites of certain African countries, much less the masses. America’s public (and not-so-public) diplomacy need to better communicate this reality.” Image from

US Embassy in Djibouti Hosts MLK Ceremony - Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyler Wilson, dvidshub.net: “The U.S. Embassy in Djibouti hosted a ceremony celebrating the 34th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the embassy Jan. 19. ... ‘This is the largest public diplomacy reception of the year,' said James Swan, U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti. 'I believe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has special resonance for our African partners here in Djibouti and throughout the continent and it's important for us to celebrate his accomplishments.’”

People Are Angry... - Cultural Property Observer: “On the Today Show, Senator Elect Scott Brown recognized that public dissatisfaction with Washington's ways made his surprise win possible. He stated, ‘[P]eople are angry. They’re tired of the back room deals. They want transparency, t’ey want good government, they want fairness and they want people to start working to solve their problems. ...

Come to think of it, that is all ancient coin collectors want too.They are angry at the bureaucrats in the State Department. They are tired of back room deals like that apparently involving former Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns. ... They want transparency. ... They want fairness. ... They want common sense solutions to cultural property issues that encourage cooperation not conflict. ... Hopefully, Judith McHale, Undersecretary for the State Department Bureau of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, and Judith Ann Stewart Stock, nominee to be Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, will take some notice.” Image from

Israel's Relief Effort in Haiti Saves Lives, Boosts Image - Nathan Guttman, ‎Forward: “The crowd broke out in cheers as an ambulance pulled out of what was once Haiti’s main tax administration office, carrying a survivor rescued from the wreckage by an Israeli team four days after this city’s devastating earthquake. ‘Bravo!’ the onlookers shouted. ‘We love you, Israel.’ It was a picture-perfect moment for Israeli public diplomacy. ... [O]n the ground was a retinue of Israelis dedicated to making sure people heard about their country’s humanitarian mission and spreading the word. Press officers from the Israeli military were flown in, as were photographers and a video team to document the work of Israeli medical and rescue personnel.

They distributed daily footage to the press. Representatives of Israeli and foreign media were embedded with the group, and other reporters were invited. ... ‘I’m just amazed,’ the CNN reporter, Elizabeth Cohen, declared. ‘This is like another world compared to the other [makeshift] hospital.’ Later in the report she asked how it could be that the United States did not set up a hospital in Haiti while ‘the Israelis came from the other side of the world.’” Image from article: Providing help: An injured woman is rushed to an Israeli medical relief center in Port-au-Prince.

Israel starving Gaza and help Haiti? Is it compassion or propaganda to clean up the brutal face of Zionism? - Salim Nazzal, thepeoplesvoice.org: “In the absence of any evidence that Zionists have any compassion towards humanity one might conclude that the aid the Zionist are giving to the devastated people of Haiti nothing more than ‘crocodile tears’. A cleverly crafted piece of propaganda, designed to clean up the reputation the Zionist state has for the brutal disregard for human suffering.”

Haiti: An Israeli Public Relations Moment? Critics accuse Israel of exploiting the disaster in Haiti for public diplomacy - Benjamin Joffe-Walt, The Media Line: “It's been a tough year for Israeli public diplomacy. In the aftermath of the Gaza war, for over 12 months the Jewish state has been slammed by international media, think tanks, rights organizations and the United Nations. ... Israel has without question been in dire need of an image makeover. They got it: for better or worse, Israel has received its public relations knight in shining armor in the form of an earthquake in Haiti. ... But while praising Israel's response, critics say Israeli attempts to accent their aid to Haiti have been over-the-top, and accuse Israeli public relations officials of exploiting the disaster for political ends. ‘The extreme right wing in Israel is using the Haiti operation to reframe the fallout from the Goldstone report in the eyes of the world,’ Dr Yoel Donchin, an Israeli anesthesiologist and a veteran of Israeli rescue operations told The Media Line. ‘They know the Haitians are not part of the agenda and this is just for propaganda. But if it's good for Israel they don't care.’ ...

Minister Edelstein [Yuli Edelstein, Israel's Diaspora Affairs and Public Diplomacy Minister] said that while Israel was not offering aid as a tactic of public diplomacy, he hoped the positive images would change perceptions of Israel." Edelstein image from

Birthright Celebrates Decade, IDF Pledges More Soldiers - Malkah Fleisher, Arutz Sheva: “The now-famous Taglit-Birthright program, which brings Jewish young adults to Israel for free 10 day trips, will increase the number of trips and participants by 20% in 2010. ... This week, Birthright celebrated its 10 year anniversary, proudly acknowledging the feat of bringing 250,000 young Jews and children of Jews from around the world to Israel, where they also spend time meeting IDF soldiers. ... During the celebration, attended by President Shimon Peres, Head of the Jewish Agency Natan Sharansky called the Birthright project an important tool of public diplomacy in this time. ‘This is one of the brightest ideas in Jewish history,’ Sharansky said, ‘while [Birthright] Jews hear claims in their countries that Israel is the most frequent violator of human rights, they can recall their stay in the country and thereby be ambassadors for the state.’"

Israel Policy Forum gets absorbed by CAP – The Jewish Week: “Effective January 1st, Israel Policy Forum [IPF] will bring its experience and expertise to Middle East Progress (MEP), a project of the Center for American Progress (CAP), to form a strong base of American support for a comprehensive Middle East peace, including a two-state solution. ... In the cosmos of pro-peace process groups, IPF was always the one striving for the centrist label. It fashioned itself more as a think tank than advocacy group, and loved studies and talks by its ‘scholars,’ including public diplomacy guru Stephen Cohen.”

China always welcomes foreign journalists: FM spokesman - Mu Xuequan, Xinhua: “The Chinese government welcomed more foreign journalists to the country, and would provide them with better information services, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu on Wednesday. ...

Ma said the ministry will make further efforts in public diplomacy this year to help foreign people better understand China. He spoke highly of the role foreign journalists played in introducing China to the rest of the world.” Image from article The 2010 New Year Reception for Foreign Journalists in China is held in Beijing, China, Jan. 20, 2010

Irish Minister hails the success of working holiday agreement with Australia - Visa Bureau: “The Australian Working Holiday Visa allows Irish nationals aged between 18 and 30 the opportunity to enjoy an extended stay in Australia for 12 months and to work to supplement their travels. There is also the opportunity to apply for a second working holiday visa, allowing another full year in Australia, for those who work as a specified worker in rural or regional Australia for three months. ‘Working holiday agreements are a vital part of Ireland’s public diplomacy,’ Minister Martin [The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál] said. ‘Many thousands of young Irish people have benefited greatly from the experience of working and living in foreign countries. In turn, many young people have visited Ireland and have acquired a lifelong love of this country. I am fully committed to these arrangements which are beneficial for the countries involved’.”

DJ focuses on public diplomacy - Dansk Journalistforbund: [Google translation:] "Friday the 29th January, you can gain insight into how to set international agendas. In November 2009 published the DJ, in a study by Stack K, Denmark is the country in Scandinavia, who rates at least at international reputation management through strategic relationship-building.

Public diplomacy is roughly sketched out on, to protect and develop the Danish values abroad for the benefit of Danish culture, politics and business. Friday the 29th January, from 13.00-15.00 o'clock, invite DJ to a mini-seminar on public diplomacy, where you can learn more about how to set an international agenda and what the work of public diplomacy is about.“ Image from

Links from Around the Web - James Ketterer, Global Engagement: Kindly mentions the Public Diplomacy Press and Blog review.

RELATED ITEMS

Let’s Have a Fleet of 15 Hospital Ships - Lieutenant Jim Dolbow, U.S. Coast Guard Reserve, blog.usni.org: Each one of the Department of Defense’s five regional combatant commands should have three hospital ships permanently assigned to their respective areas of responsibility.

Why so many, you ask? It’s so simple that it can be summed up in two words: medical diplomacy. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson (who coined that term) was right on target when he said, “medical diplomacy is the winning of hearts and minds of people in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and elsewhere by exporting medical care, expertise, and personnel to help those who need it most.” Moreover, according to Thompson, “What better way to knock down the hatred, the barriers of ethnic and religious groups that are afraid of America, and hate America, than to offer good medical policy and good health to these countries?” Image from

Responding to Google/China dispute, Secretary Clinton calls "unfettered access" to the internet - Kim Andrew Elliott Reporting on International Broadcasting

"Changing the narrative" and other Al Jazeera in the news and comments -Kim Andrew Elliott Reporting on International Broadcasting

Saakashvili Calls for Help to Deter Russia's 'Mirror Propaganda' - Civil Georgia: In his remarks, which were aired live by the Tbilisi-based Imedi TV, Georgian president Saakashvili focused on Russia’s tactic of, as he put it, “mirror propaganda” applied against Georgia. “I was shocked how much the Russian invaders managed to shape this surrealistic perception that Georgia – the country that they invaded - was provoking the Russian leadership,” Saakashvili said. He said Russia was actively using “mirror propaganda”

by blaming Georgia for committing the very crimes, which Russia itself was about to commit or had already committed. Nazis were the first ones to turn this tactic of “mirror propaganda” into “a sophisticated system,” Saakashvili said. “They accused Jews of preparing the World War; they [Nazis] were in fact actively preparing it… They [Nazis] accused Poles of organizing provocations; they [Nazis] were organizing [provocations] at the border and so on,” Saakashvili said and added that the same approach of “mirror propaganda” was applied by Hutu extremists against the Tutsi minority in Rwanda. Image from

WWI and WWII Propaganda Posters - Stephen Worth, Boing Boing: The concept of propaganda is widely misunderstood. Many people automatically assume that it's a negative thing. But propaganda is just a tool that can be used for either good or bad. Propaganda involves bypassing the intellect and appealing directly to emotion to motivate a group of people to action. During the World Wars, time was of the essence and masses of people needed to work together for the common goal of defending the nation. It would have been too slow to talk each and every move out with the whole population, so governments used powerful imagery to bring everyone together in the war effort.

IMAGE from Boing Boing