"Hillary Clinton has decided to choose Internet as her weapon."
--Li Xiguang, a professor of Tsinghua University whose most recent book is Soft Power and China Dream; image from
“In this battlefield, popular perceptions and rumor are more influential than facts and more powerful than a hundred tanks.”
--David Kilcullen, Fundamentals of Company-Level Counterinsurgency
GUIDE
U.S. Air Force Social Media Guide
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
The Middle East Revolutions – All Part of American Public Diplomacy 2.0 Initiative – The New Shock & Awe? - The truth is Incidiary: "During this revolutionary fervour tearing throughout the Middle East, Western governments have chosen their words very carefully when commenting, fearful for being accused of diktats from abroad, a stark contrast to Iran’s so called 'Green Revolution' of 2009. It turns out that behind the scenes, the US state department and the British government have long been engaged with youth groups from Iran, Egypt and elsewhere, coaching them in how to make the best of online tools – how to effectively harness the social networks to mobilise mass support for a cause. ... So what you have is a congruent coming together of the US state department, with partners like YouTube, Google and Facebook, to take advantage of social networking technology to tell America’s story and to encourage young people with political grievances to find outlets for their protests. ... We’ve seen the hard power of shock and awe in Iraq. Are we witnessing across the Middle East right now a form of soft power?
A shock and awe 2.0 where American social networks drive the change rather than laser guided missiles?" Image from
As Talks Stall with Iran, US Steps Up Propaganda War - Barbara Slavin, Inter Press Service: "Egypt's revolution appears to have stiffened the spine of the Barack Obama administration when it comes to Iran. In the wake of the mass protests that ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Washington has begun to 'tweet' in Farsi as well as Arabic. President Obama - and to an even greater extent, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton - have toughened their language against the Iranian government. Meanwhile, the troubled Persian service of the Voice of America has hired a U.S. Foreign Service officer to direct broadcasting to Iran. ... The Obama administration has struggled to find ways to communicate support for Iranian protesters without giving the Iranian government ammunition to blame unrest on outside interference. Broadcasts by the Persian News Network (PNN) - the Farsi service
of the Voice of America – are a component of the strategy even though VOA's mandate is to present news without political bias. On Monday, Ramin Asgard, an Iranian-American Foreign Service officer whose last posting was as a political adviser to Central Command – took the helm of the PNN. VOA executives said it was the first time since the waning days of the Cold War that a non-journalist has assumed such an important position in U.S. government-funded broadcasting. VOA management has had difficulty finding the right person to run the sprawling service, which has one hit show – a 'Daily Show' clone called 'Static' or 'Parazit' in Farsi - but has been riven by disputes among its staff over what vision of Iran's political future to promote. Some members of Congress as well as some Iranian expatriates have complained that PNN is too critical of U.S. policy and too accommodating to Tehran." Image from
State Dept launches Twitter feeds in Arabic, Farsi, with Chinese, Russian, Hindi to be added - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting: "[I]t will be interesting to compare and contrast the output of these State Department Twitter accounts with those of VOA, RFE/RL, Alhurra, Radio Sawa, and Radio Free Asia. Ideally, the State tweets should represent and advocate for US policies, and the broadcasters' tweets should stick to the news."
New director of VOA Persian News Network already taking flak from the right - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
VOA website still hacked as of 1500 UTC (updated with more reports) - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting
Voice of America Website Hacked by Islamists as Plans to Terminate VOA Radio to China in Favor of Internet-Only News Come Under Criticism - bloggernews.net: "VOA insiders told Free Media Online that the BBG [Broadcasting Board of Governors] executives who make decisions to eliminate
radio broadcasts have no experience of living under communism and do not understand the psychology of authoritarian rulers and those who suffer under oppressive regimes." Image from
China Relationship US-China Policy Advisory Roundtable (Chinese) [Video]: Conversations on Public Diplomacy and Educational Exchange - CSCI (Center for Strategic & International Studies)
Voices of online masses can make China heard worldwide - Li Xiguang, Global Times: "US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech on Internet freedom on February 15 has been criticized by the Chinese media as hypocritical. However, I think it should be seen as a wake-up call for Chinese policymakers to prepare a Web-based public diplomacy with the US. Clinton might sound rude and affront when she blasted and lectured China about Internet freedom. But her proclaiming Internet freedom to be a new priority for US foreign policy should serve as a good but bitter advice to Chinese foreign policy. China should learn to utilize the full potential of social media and word-of-mouth communication technology to achieve its foreign policy goals and to enhance its power of setting global agenda. Web-based public diplomacy, also nicknamed as diplomacy 2.0 or e-diplomacy, refers to the diplomatic practices through the Internet and mobile devices. Ever since Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State, she has pursued an 'e-diplomacy' strategy,
mobilizing the US public to 'get busy on the Internet' and proactively interact with foreign audiences to carry out US diplomatic strategies. ... The Chinese government should utilize the new opportunity that social media presents to formulate proactive public diplomacy policies and to make Chinese voices heard loudly, correctly and completely." Image from
Nobody Cares About Public Diplomacy - mustbeawesome.com: "Barack Obama’s 2009 Cairo speech demonstrated that the U.S. government will continue to centralize public diplomacy initiatives in the White House, leaving State Department assets twisting in the wind as hollow emperors in the field. U.S. legislators will increase the depths to which they could give a shit less in 2011 about PD because PD does not create jobs for Americans. Meanwhile, 20th century institutions of public diplomacy like Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Broadcasting Board of Governors will continue to wither and die in the digital age as on-the-minute social reporting and citizen journalism make them further irrelevant. Funding for PD initiatives will continue to stagnate while implementers will find more creative methods of achieving strategic PD goals, mostly via the private sector tech sector and citizen diplomacy organizations. China and some European countries will continue to lead with non-obvious but concerted national efforts in global influence, the effects of which will remain undiscovered by their targets (i.e., US) for years."
US Support for Public Education in Brazil - Public Diplomacy, Networks and Influence: "I came across this 2009 cable from the US Embassy in Brasilia discussing activities designed to support public education in Brazil.
I think what is interesting about this cable is that it details a clear rationale for the programme of work and that the elements of the programme reinforce each other. For instance alumni of youth exchange programmes help to provide training for English language teachers. This is also a programme that that supports Brazilian government objectives while advancing US priorities. The work is conducted through a network of Binational Centres and in collaboration with Brazilian government agencies and NGOs. In total you can see a programme of work that promotes English language teaching in the context of an engagement with the US educational system that promotes American models and linkages and thus helps to support US influence in Brazil. This is relational PD in action. I think that an important point is that constructing a programme like this is not about identifying a message but about organizing mutually beneficial activities." Image from
Michelle Kwan visits SAS, encourages healthy lifestyle - Alexis Hiles, saseye.com: "Kwan’s activities off the ice have been just as remarkable as her accomplishments on the ice. ... [As a] U.S. ... public diplomacy envoy ... [s]he travels the world and meets with young people to speak about leadership and engages them in conversations on social and educational issues. Kwan spoke to students at SAS {Singapore American School] on Jan. 13, encouraging them to enjoy their lives while working hard to pursue their dreams."
Soft Power - Turn Left: "In general, the U.S. Democrats readily refer to the ideal of a soft power to win back (a term often used about the policies proposed by Barack Obama) in contrast with the Republicans more easily tempted by the politics of pure power
(although many of them readily refer to a 'public diplomacy' that would spread American values and improve its external image)." Image from
It' s Not Propoganda [sic] if teh [sic] Government Does it: Deciphering Messages in Strategic Communication - Denise, Occasionally Clever: A semi-regular blog on public diplomacy: "Recently, in a comparison of US and Al Qaeda public diplomacy efforts as they stand,a seasoned British journalist described the US as an elephant and the latter as a snake."
Three questions Turkey’s Ambassador would not answer… - Harut Sassounyan, times.am: "Turkey’s Ambassador to the United States, Namik Tan, spoke at the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy on February 16. His topic was: 'Public Diplomacy: The Turkish Experience.' ... Even though Amb. Tan avoided answering my questions,
our public exchange had the beneficial effect of exposing the university audience, the Ambassador and his entourage to the just demands of the Armenian people for the crimes committed by Turkey. Indeed, it is also imperative to challenge Turkish officials at every opportunity, so that neither they nor their audience would be able to ignore the Armenian grievances." Image from
The Power of the European Union in Global Governance: A Proposal for a New Public Diplomacy - Teresa La Porte, Figueroa Press, USC Center on Public Diplomacy at the Annenberg School University of Southern California: "The objective of this paper is to explain the capacity that the European Union has to develop an effective public diplomacy strategy in the new global context. The first section of this paper will discuss and analyze the distinctive characteristics of the international scene and the evolution that diplomacy is experiencing as it adapts to current trends. To continue, the persuasive potential of the European Union, its normative power, and the organization's specific contribution in three community scenarios — cooperation in development, the prevention of conflicts, and the defense of human rights — are described. Finally, various lines of action are suggested to overcome the weaknesses of the organization, improve the effectiveness of its public diplomacy, and contribute to the emerging system of global governance."
Labour urged not to let Iraq war legacy prevent repeat of Kosovo intervention: Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy reminds party colleagues 'you have a responsibility beyond your own borders' - Allegra Stratton, guardian.co.uk: "Murphy's thoughts
will inform the two-year defence policy review he is undertaking while fellow Labour shadow cabinet members review their own policy areas. He will build on his ideas in a speech at the Royal United Services Institute on March 3, in which he is likely to emphasise the need for greater public diplomacy ahead of interventions abroad." Murphy image from article
Estonia - Foreign Minister Paet and Swedish Foreign Minister Bildt: Sweden is Also Celebrating Restoration of Estonia’s Independence - Isria: "Today Foreign Minister Urmas Paet met with his Swedish colleague Carl Bildt and gave a speech at the celebration of the 93rd anniversary of the Republic of Estonia at the German Church in Stockholm. ... 'I thank everyone who has helped to preserve and pass on the Estonian language, culture and history in Sweden,' said Paet. The foreign minister also encouraged Estonians to always turn to the Estonian Embassy
or honorary consuls with any concerns, suggestions or ideas. 'With a small nation, the threshold between the state and the people must not be very high, especially since all Estonians abroad are in some way ambassadors of our country,' said Paet. The foreign minister added that public diplomacy is especially important for a small country, and it is one opportunity to give more meaning to our identity." Image from
Ex-communist Europe: Eastern approaches - economist.com: "OUR CEE correspondent's weekly column at European Voice, the Economist's sister paper in Brussels, is called 'Wi(l)der Europe'. He recently attended a psychological warfare conference in eastern Estonia, and writes as follows: It brought together Estonian spooks, politicians, military officers and journalists with experts from the US, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. ... I can see that governments need to undertake offensive information-warfare operations (in the US, it has the anodyne title ‘public diplomacy'). And I can see why defensive measures are necessary too. But it would be a mistake to regard the local media as either an enemy or a partner in this."
Public diplomacy without credibility - Lindsey, PD Globbers: Thoughts and Analyses on Public Diplomacy: "The term hasbara means 'explanation' but it has come to characterize Israeli public diplomacy as a whole. Its all about information, and lots of it, from videos to press releases and targeted news articles. But a quick google gives more information about the Israeli 'propaganda machine' than any of their own diplomatic releases. Again, why? Because ‘the failure of the State of Israel in the realm of Hasbara [explaining] ... especially in everything related to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, is an established fact’' (Gilboa quoting Schleifer). Even Israeli National News has run a story to that effect. Sure, the ongoing Palestinian conflict is a lot to overcome, but for a long time Israel’s world image was much better than it is now (PD wiki). The problem seems to stem from how they go about their public diplomacy (at least according to critics): heavy handed,
explanation-heavy to the point of propaganda (Huffington Post). And as soon as the word propaganda gets thrown around, your credibility is gone. ... Huffington Post, “How Israel's Propaganda Machine Works,” 9 January 2009.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-zogby/how-israels-propaganda-ma_b_156767.html Etyan Gilboa, “Public Diplomacy: The Missing Component in Israel’s Foreign Policy.
http://arcdc.org.il/attachments/article/24/gilboa_israel_publicdiplomacy_Oct06.pdf" Image from
How Mideast Autocrats Win Friends And Influence People In Washington - Domani Spero, DiplPundit: "Via HuffPo: Control of the state media is not the only way the oil-rich island kingdom polishes its reputation. A month before the arrests, one of Washington's most powerful lobbying firms began working for Bahrain. Qorvis, a lobbying and public relations giant with a roster of high-profile clients from Intel and the Washington Post to Saudi Arabia and Equatorial Guinea, began work under a subcontract with Britain's Bell Pottinger. Among its goals: to position Bahrain as a key ally in the war on terror and as an advocate for peace in the Middle East. As part of its work, Qorvis pitched major media outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times, reports O'Dwyer's PR Daily. One Qorvis staffers working on the account, former State Department Official Matt Lauer,
was recently named one of Washington's most influential people under 40. Lauer did not return several requests for comment. It is unclear what advice Qorvis is offering the government amid Bahrain's current unrest, in which government soldiers have fired live rounds on thousands of protesters and at least six people have been killed and hundreds injured. ... Matt J. Lauer, according to his bio was the executive director of the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy at the Department of State prior to joining Qorvis. The commission, a bipartisan panel appointed by the president, analyzes and evaluates the U.S. government’s international public relations capabilities." Lauer image from
Survey of American Alumni of the JET Program - jetwit.com: "The survey is being conducted by JET alum Emily Metzgar, Assistant Professor at Indiana University’s School of Journalism.
Her research focuses on public diplomacy, political communication and social media." Image from article
RELATED ITEMS
They're doing it without us: Rendering a decade of U.S. policy irrelevant, the people of the Middle East are transforming the region themselves - Andrew J. Bacevich, latimes.com: Events of the last several weeks have made it abundantly clear not only that important parts of the Islamic world are ripe for change but that the impetus for change comes from within. Transformation is not something that outsiders can induce or impose or control. The process is organic, spontaneous and self-sustaining. If the Muslim masses demanding political freedom and economic opportunity prevail, they will do so not thanks to but despite the United States. Yet by liberating themselves, they will also liberate us. Our misbegotten crusade to determine their destiny will finally end. In that case, we will owe them a great debt.
Doyle McManus: Rattling the palace windows in the Persian Gulf: The Obama administration now finds itself in the awkward position of promoting democracy and defending monarchies at the same time in the Arab world - Doyle McManus, latimes.com: Standing for democracy and monarchy at the same time has always meant walking a fine line between change and stability, but it is especially difficult now. An increasingly educated public, with access to news from the rest of the world, can tell the difference between ersatz democracy and the real thing. In Bahrain and elsewhere, history is calling our bluff.
Resettling the Uighurs: The Obama administration says five members of the ethnic group captured in Afghanistan can go free, but they can't settle in the United States - Editorial, latimes.com: We believe the Constitution allows for the release of the Uighurs into the United States.
Intervening in the Libyan tragedy - Marc Lynch, Foreign Policy: Voice after voice, Libyans and other Arabs alike,
denounce the silence of the international community regarding Libya and call for action. Image from article
Army of fake social media friends to promote propaganda - Darlene Storm - computerworld.com: It's recently been revealed that the U.S. government contracted HBGary Federal for the development of software which could create multiple fake social media profiles to manipulate and sway public opinion on controversial issues by promoting propaganda. It could also be used as surveillance to find public opinions with points of view the powers-that-be didn't like. It could then potentially have their "fake" people run smear campaigns against those "real" people. As disturbing as this is, it's not really new for U.S. intelligence or private intelligence firms to do the dirty work behind closed doors.It's not a big surprise that the U.S. military also wants to use social media to its benefit. Last year, Public Intelligence published the U.S. Air Force social media guide which gave 10 tips for social media such as, "The enemy is engaged in this battlespace and you must engage there as well." Number three was "DON'T LIE. Credibility is critical, without it, no one cares what you have to say...it's also punishable by the UCMJ to give a false statement." The Air Force used the chart below to show how social media influences public opinion.
Black Propaganda: US Government solicits software to generate fake personas - joannenova.com.au: Part of the US Government has been caught trying to buy software that would allow it to generate 500 fake personas generally known as sockpuppets. They plan to use Facebook, Twitter, and blog comments. This particular leaked email refers to a submission from the Air Force, and apparently for use in Afghanistan and Iraq, but the details reveal that “persona management software” is a spookily mature market sector. Who knows how widespread this is already?
How the US Government Promotes Propaganda from propaganda - blog.stunmedia.com: The US government is offering private intelligence companies contracts to create software to manage “fake people” on social media sites and create the illusion of consensus on controversial issues. The contract calls for the development of “Persona Management Software” which would help the user create and manage a variety of distinct fake profiles online. The job listing was discussed in recently leaked emails from the private security firm HBGary after an attack by internet activist last week.
Obama’s Latest Propaganda Arm: Fake People, Fake Profiles, Fake Commenters, Fake Bloggers - Tarpon's Swamp: Fake people, fake commenters, fake bloggers — U.S. Government is now contracting for software to make up false identity on social websites, to promote the government propaganda.
When the internet actually helps dictators - John D. Sutter, CNN: These tech-will-save-the-world types, according to author Evgeny Morozov, tend to believe the internet can do no wrong. It spawns democracy, as has been shown with the protests rifling across the Middle East and North Africa. And it organizes people in new and fast and always-exciting ways.But what about instances when the internet actually prevents democracy from coming about -- when dictators use social media to track the populace, plant pro-government bloggers and online activists and, in short, increase their own power? This contrarian view is the subject of Morozov's new book, "The Net Delusion: The Dark Side of Internet Freedom."
Taliban Use Egypt’s Revolt for Online Propaganda - Spencer Ackerman, wired.com: A peaceful revolution led by secularists unseats an American ally and sends shockwaves through the Middle East. Everyone wants to co-opt the Egyptian revolution. The Taliban is no exception.
In a statement released online this morning, the Afghan insurgents shoehorn the Egyptian people’s achievement into their own context. What matters to the Taliban is that Egyptians deposed a dictator who received “all-sided American and Israeli assistance in financial, political and intelligence fields.” Never mind that the main recipient of that aid, the Egyptian military, is currently in charge of Egypt. Image from article
China Secretly Considers Banning Twitter-Like Services To Stop The Spread Of Democracy - Henry Blodget, sfgate.com: In the wake of huge pro-democracy protests in the Middle East, China is considering cracking down even harder on "microblogs" and other Internet services. On February 12, reports Perry Link in the New York Review of Books,
China's politburo held an emergency meeting to "decide on tactics to counter the current wave of democratization in the Middle East." Among the tactics discussed was increased control over "microblogs," discussion forums, and other Internet communications tools. Image from article
Iran Calls For Media Cooperation Between Independent Countries - turkishweekly.net: Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast has called for expansion of media ties between independent countries in efforts to neutralize the Western propaganda campaign against independent states. Mehmanparast made the remarks in a meeting with Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi on Friday.
Azerbaijan platform for anti-Iranian propaganda? - Information-Analytic Agency NEWS.am: Tension in Iranian-Azerbaijani relations is not so serious, as it is the Parliaments rather than the top officials that are disputing, Vardan Voskanyan, Dean of the Department of oriental Studies, Yerevan State University, told Armenian News-NEWS.am. “In fact, the bilateral relations can hardly be called tense. They are strained,” the expert said.
Regular disagreements between Iran and Azerbaijan have impacts on bilateral relations, without, however, causing any serious consequences. The expert stressed that the recent strain on Iranian-Azerbaijani relations should be viewed in the context of external influence. “Some forces are trying to use Azerbaijan as a platform of anti-Iranian propaganda. It is no coincidence that the Baku-Teheran dispute has overlapped the domestic political tension in Iran,” Voskanyan said. Image from article
AMERICANA
Condi Now Just Doing Matching Armchairs Photo-Ops With Any Old Bedazzled Society Matron - Princess Sparkle Pony's Photo Blog: "So there you go, our first matching armchairs shot in quite a while, and it is a bummer. Condi got an award for her years of dedication to the piano at this society to-do in horrible, horrible Rancho Mirage, California. Have you ever been to places like Rancho Mirage or Palm Springs? Uck. And is Condi wearing a gigantic leftover Christmas tree skirt?" Image from entry.
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ADVICE FROM THE AIR FORCE
TOP 10 TIPS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
1
DON’T GIVE CLASSIFIED INFO
Don’t divulge classified, FOUO or sensitive materials, photos or video. OPSEC is crucial to our mission, think before you speak or film—if you’re not sure, ask someone! A harmless video of an Airman dancing on the flightline could be sensitive if it’s a deployed environment showing bombers on the flightline. Be smart. Security is at the source.
2
STAY IN YOUR LANE
If you’re an aircraft mechanic, you’re well suited to communicate messages about aircraft maintenance. If you’re an aircraft mechanic blogging about legal issues—reconsider your blog.
3
DON’T LIE
Credibility is critical, without it, no one cares what you have to say…it’s also punishable by the UCMJ to give a false statement.
4
GIVE YOUR OPINION
Yes, tell them what YOU think…just make sure you state that this is your opinion and not that of the organization. Also, be sure to identify what is your opinion and what is factual.
5
ALWAYS IDENTIFY YOURSELF
Identification makes your post more credible.
6
SAFETY
Videos that get widespread attention, or become “viral,” feature death-defying stunts or acts that are considered “extreme” in nature. Don’t let the desire to get your message across compromise your consideration for safety.
7 BE AWARE OF THE IMAGE YOU PRESENT
If using a visual medium, don’t let your message get overshadowed because the viewer’s attention is drawn to your improperly worn uniform or something occurring in the background. The image you present will set the tone for your message and often mean the difference of whether or not people listen to your message. Your tactical representation could have strategic and international consequences for the Air Force and the nation.
8 USE COMMON SENSE
This is the bottom line. If you wouldn’t say it in front of your mother, you probably shouldn’t say it on YouTube. Realize that your words and images will go out to thousands and possibly millions of people around the world instantly and once it’s out there, it’s out there for good. Your unit Public Affairs shop should always be a source of advice and guidance in this medium. Also, be careful what personal information you divulge, such as address, phone numbers or any information that could aid identity thieves or the enemy.
9 DON’T BE AFRAID TO TAKE CALCULATED RISKS
Military life often deals in ambiguity: In order to make the best decision, it’s recommended to take in as many variables as possible in order to make the most accurate decision.
10 THE ENEMY IS ENGAGED
The enemy is engaged in this battlespace and you must engage there as well.
ONE MORE QUOTATION FOR THE DAY
"Television creates the illusion of a linear narrative, giving events the semblance of a beginning, middle and end. Real life is never like that."
--Columnist Anne Applebaum
