"Public Diplomacy is a cornerstone of today’s influence operations. The MISO [Military Information Support Operations] Community has a symbiotic relationship with the Department of State. MIS teams may be employed to support embassy staff on one end of the spectrum and on the other MIS Task Forces may be deployed to hostile areas to take on the primary burden of supporting US informational efforts."
--Lawrence Dietz, PSYOP Regimental Blog: Authoritative source of information on Psychological Operations (PSYOP) or as it is now called Military Information Support Operations (MISO). Written by a retired senior Army Officer and former Honorary Colonel of the PSYOP Regiment; image from, with caption: Air University offers a one-week Information Operations Fundamentals Applications Course for rated officers and Airmen in public affairs and communications career fields with the ranks E-3 through 0-5; regarding the above quotation, see
NEW BOOK
Collaborative Public Diplomacy – Published - Wandren PD: Collaborative Public Diplomacy: How Transnational Networks Influenced American Studies in Europe. "During the early Cold War, the complex relationship between communities in Europe and the United States was of concern to those on both sides of the Atlantic.
Using archival research and recorded interviews, this book charts the development of American Studies in Europe during that period. It demonstrates how negotiations took place through a network if relationships among the state, philanthropic foundations, and European scholars. Each interaction within this network had the potential to change the odds of a particular outcome occurring. Through analysis of these negotiations the book identifies factors which are influential in the conduct of successful collaborative public diplomacy and draws lessons for public diplomacy in an age when communities are connected through multi-hub, multi-directional networks." Image from entry
VIDEO
The Human Sushi, Norwegian Dance Troupe Interprets Sushi - Rusty Blazenhoff, laughingsquid.com: “'The Human Sushi' is a series of videos by Godfisk (a site backed by the Norwegian Seafood Council) that features a spandexed dance troupe that marvelously 'interprets sushi recipes.'” Via AF on Facebook
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
Four Questions for Hillary Clinton on Benghazi - Helle Dale, blog.heritage.org: "[N]o one has ever explained fully why Ambassador Stevens was so determined to open an American Corner—a U.S. public diplomacy function—in such a dangerous environment and in a 'consulate' that was not even officially
on the books at the State Department. There is still a long way to the bottom of the Benghazi affair." Image from
State Department Is Fighting Jihadist Propaganda With Social Media [inlucdes video] - Alex Fitzpatrick, mashable.com: "Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Wednesday the U.S. State Department is actively countering online propaganda posted by terrorists groups such as al-Qaeda by posting videos and other content of its own. Clinton's comments about the digital propaganda duel came during her testimony to the House of Representatives regarding the September 2012 attack on an American consolate in Benghazi, Libya. Clinton's full comments (which you can also view in the [included] video ... ): 'Social media is a great tool. We've begun trying to use it much more in the State Department — and not to communicate with just leaders and officials but really to get down ... into the grassroots. I started two organizations to deal with countering violent extremism. One a new operation inside the State Department that is stafffed [sic] with inter-agency experts. I'm not saying anything that's classified, but it's beginning to try to respond to al-Qaeda and other jihadist propaganda. So if they put up a video which talks about how terrible Americans are, we put up a video which talks about how terrible they are. We're trying to meet them in the media channels that they are communicating with people.' It was initially thought that an anti-Islam YouTube video sparked the deadly attack last year which claimed four American lives, including that of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. However, it later became clear the attack was an organized operation conducted by terrorists."
Yes, Pakistanis Really Do Hate America's Killer Drones - Conor Friedersdorf, theatlantic.com: "Here at The Atlantic yesterday, Christine Fair, Karl Kaltenthaler, and William J. Miller [Christine Fair is an assistant professor at Georgetown University. Karl Kaltenthaler is a professor of political science at the University of Akron. William J. Miller is an assistant professor of public administration at Flagler College] argued a claim I'd never encountered about the CIA's drone campaign in Pakistan: 'Yes, drone strikes are not very popular among a large section of Pakistani society,' they admit. 'But Pakistanis are not united in opposition to drone strikes. In fact, many Pakistanis support the drone strikes. This suggests that there is room for the United States to engage in a public diplomacy campaign to win over more Pakistanis to the idea that drone strikes are not the bringers of carnage that is so often portrayed in the Urdu-language media in Pakistan if the United States could be persuaded to bring this worst-kept secret out of the closet and into embassy briefings.'
At first, I was skeptical. Humans are typically averse to foreign spy agencies killing their countrymen. Could public diplomacy really rally Pakistanis in favor of drone strikes on their own soil? Could it really disabuse them of the notion that drones bring carnage, given that they do? Then I read the rest of the piece. As it turns out, the advice is as dubious as it seems. The authors offer strained interpretations of public opinion data, are strangely confident that U.S. forays into Pakistani public discourse would be successful, and assume human nature is very different than long experience suggests. And the glaring inadequacy of the interventionist worldview is laid bare in their approach. ... I don't know that I've ever seen a better example of interventionist hubris and naivete than this suggestion. They imagine that the United States is capable of persuading poor Pakistanis to embrace drone strikes with text messages in Urdu and 'other vernacular languages'? Yes, perhaps President Obama can tap another former Bush official, Karen Hughes, to oversee the effort. America has had such success in the past changing 'hearts and minds' in the Muslim world, what's to say that they couldn't radically transform the popularity of blowing up Pakistanis." Image from article, with caption: Supporters of Pakistani Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami protest against the military operations and drone attacks in the tribal areas in Karachi.
U.S. Closes Eyes To Iraq's Crisis - James Gundun, The Trench: "Any easy way out of Iraq's crisis is a mirage - too many Iraqis hold al-Maliki personally responsible for their marginalization and low standard of living. Protesters have denounced the exploitation of anti-terror laws by al-Maliki’s Shia officials and demanded the release of thousands of political prisoners. Al-Maliki has started here to relieve pressure on his government, deploying Deputy Prime Minister Hussein al-Shahristani to apologize and release nearly 2,000 prisoners (half on bail).
Problematically for him, protesters refuse to be appeased and have instead pressed forward, calling for the release of all Sunni political prisoners and the non-negotiable resignation of al-Maliki. The positive sign is that Shia, Sunni and Kurd appear ready to cooperate under more responsive leadership, but al-Maliki can only be removed by a no-confidence vote and new elections. The chaos of this option is feared by both sides of the conflict, negating the possibility in the near future. What is needed from the Obama administration is more truthful and public diplomacy. Calls for dialogue and private U.S.-Turkish diplomacy has led nowhere since the proper environment hasn't been cultivated, and the administration's refusal to take ownership of its mistakes applies more friction to U.S. policy." Image from entry
Department of State Public Schedule January 24, 2013 - posted at rockycoastnews.blogspot.com: "UNDER SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS TARA SONENSHINE 2:15 p.m. Under Secretary Sonenshine attends the launch of the 100,000 Strong Foundation, hosted by Secretary Clinton, at the Department of State. Please click here for more information. 6:00 p.m. Under Secretary Sonenshine attends a dinner hosted by H.E. Zhang Yesui, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in celebration of the Launch of the 100,000 Strong Foundation, at Ambassador Zhang’s residence. 6:30 p.m. Under Secretary Sonenshine attends a reception in honor of the Republic Day of India, at the Indian Ambassador’s Residence."
Regional English Language Office - edcampsantiago.wordpress.com: "The Regional English Language Office supports public diplomacy outreach through English language teaching and training in Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay.
It cooperates with Ministries of Education, Binational Centers, professional teachers’ associations, public and private universities and other higher education institutes, among other partners, in order to build a stronger understanding between the peoples of the Southern Cone of Latin America and the U.S." Image from entry, with caption: RELO Brad Horn shows to a group of English teachers how to play and learn English with video game "Trace Effects."
Nationalism For Us, Not For Them - Taylor Marvin, Smoke and Stir: "Thomas L. Friedman has a new column out. While it’s arguably futile to critique his writing — Friedman’s been penning self-congratulatory paeans to conventional wisdom for a decade now — but it does touch on an interesting fallacy that dominates
Clinton – Broadcasting Board of Governors is practically defunct - BBGWatcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "HILLARY CLINTON: 'Our Broadcasting Board of Governors is practically defunct in terms of its capacity to tell a message around the world. So we’re abdicating the ideological arena and we need to get back into it. We have the best values. We have the best narrative. Most people in the world just want to have a good decent life that is supported by a good decent job and raise their families and we’re letting the Jihadist narrative fill a void.
We have to get in there and compete and we can do it successfully.' ... Ted Lipien, a former Voice of America acting associate director and former regional marketing director for the BBG, gave this comment to BBG Watch: ' ... As correct as she was in her overall assessment of U.S. international broadcasting efforts, Secretary Clinton should have, however, given credit to rank and file BBG journalists who are doing an outstanding job, unless they are prevented from executing the agency’s mission, which has recently happened at RFE/RL. Those journalists who still can produce excellent programs with America’s pro-human rights and democracy message and deliver them around the world. But to be successful in the highly competitive international media environment, the BBG needs more programming and program delivery resources, just as much as it needs reforms.'" Clinton image from
Inspector General report blasts Victor Ashe - wbir.com: "Former Mayor of Knoxville and U.S. Ambassador to Poland Victor Ashe was blasted in a recent report by the Office of Inspection General (OIG) for his role as a board member in an important agency that has turned 'dysfunctional.' When Victor Ashe was sworn in on July 12th, 2010, he made the following comment during an interview with John Becker on 10 News at 5 p.m., 'We don't micromanage it, but we set the broad policies. We make sure that we're meeting the goals and the missions that have been set by the congress when they enacted this.' In the January, 2013 report OIG said that is not happening." Via MC on Facebook
Steven Korn condemns media critics of his soon-to-end tenure as RFE/RL president - BBGWatcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "The outgoing Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) president and CEO Steven Korn, whose resignation becomes effective January 25, blasted
his media critics in an interview with the English-language Czech newspaper The Prague Post. Korn claims that he is resigning purely for personal reasons to be with his family in Atlanta, but media reports suggest that the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) members who had hired him in 2011 have asked him to leave." Image from entry
Rep. Rohrabacher warns Radio Free Asia "susceptible to becoming a personal fiefdom" - Kim Andrew Elliott reporting on International Broadcasting.
More than 400 Russian and international media reports on Radio Liberty crisis - BBGWatcher, usgbroadcasts.com: "The BBG Watch’s far from complete List of Russian and International Media Reports on the Radio Liberty Crisis has now well over 400 items."
Scathing IG Report on BBG Demonstrates Lack of Concern By Obama Administration - PSYOP Regimental Blog: Authoritative source of information on Psychological Operations (PSYOP) or as it is now called Military Information Support Operations (MISO). Written by a retired senior Army Officer and former Honorary Colonel of the PSYOP Regiment - "The Washington Post of 23 Jan 2013 ran an article (article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/report-blasts-foreign-broadcasting-board-as-dysfunctional-and-ineffectual/2013/01/22/1f3b1a84-64cd-11e2-9e1b-07db1d2ccd5b_story.html?hpid=z9) about a scathing Department of State IG Report (see http://oig.state.gov/documents/organization/203193.pdf) on the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). The BBG 'oversees all US Government-supported, civilian international broadcasting'. This includes the Voice of America (VOA), Office of Cuba Broadcasting (OCB), as well as private, nonprofit corporations: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. The BBG FY 2013 budget request was $720 million. The report was classified as 'Sensitive But Unclassified' but was redacted in part and released as unclassified. There were a number of 'Key Judgments' cited in the report. Among them was a comment praising the commitment of the broadcast entities and professional staff, but that was the only positive comment.
The report blasts the Board from a number of angles. ... This posting will not discuss the recommendations, but will step back and look at the impact of the report. The Department of State is the US voice overseas and the broadcasting companies under the BBG are like the ‘information artillery’ for Public Diplomacy. That is, they should provide consistent support to US objectives and provide their audiences with high quality information comparable to any world class information or entertainment medium. Public Diplomacy is a cornerstone of today’s influence operations. The MISO Community has a symbiotic relationship with the Department of State. MIS teams may be employed to support embassy staff on one end of the spectrum and on the other MIS Task Forces may be deployed to hostile areas to take on the primary burden of supporting US informational efforts. It is this symbiotic relationship and the need to depend on our DOS partners that underscores the need for an efficient and effective BBG. As the size of the DOD force shrinks, the need for consistent broadcasting efforts will likely increase thereby exacerbating the need for optimal management of the DOS resources. The fact that the BBG’s effectiveness has deteriorated so drastically should be of major concern to the President as he shifts his foreign policy gears during his second term. It may also mean that MIS forces may not be able to count on any support from a population that has been listening to US informational broadcasts." Image from entry
Russia to Embrace Soft Power - Stanislav Budnitskiy, PD News – CPD Blog, USC Center on Public Diplomacy: "Just over two decades after Joseph Nye coined the term 'soft power', Russia is set to officially introduce the phrase into its foreign policy vocabulary at the highest echelon. It was recently announced that, starting in 2013, Russia will jump on to the soft power bandwagon by making the highly demanded concept the focal instrument of its new foreign policy strategy. ... Konstantin Stanislavski (1863–1938), a legendary Russian theatrical pedagogue and creator of the internationally renowned method of acting, would exclaim 'Ne veryu!' ('I don’t believe it!') every time one of his actors failed to deliver a natural and believable performance. With the international image of Russia in the recent months defined by the Pussy Riot case and inhumane anti-adoption legislation, the country will have to master Joseph Nye’s phrase and the underlying concept exceptionally well in order to avoid hearing the phrase coined by Stanislavski."
Church communications bristle in all directions: If the world's best message to be out, the church think more in marketing and branding, says vicar [Google translation] - Birgitte Kragh Engholm, kristeligt-dagblad.dk: "The State Department has been working for several years with strategic offensive Marketing and branding of
Second, public diplomacy efforts to view to continually strengthen Denmark's international reputation, because the perception of Denmark affecting among other things, Denmark's global influence, Danish exports and tourism and treatment of Danes abroad.Studies show that the perception of Denmark becomes more positive, the more people know us. Therefore, the task of promoting Danish values. So when both Church Minister Manu Sareen (R) and former spin doctor Download Budget Outlook Laybourn on church mediedag in Fredericia pointed out that there is a need for a common ecclesial communication device, it is an expression of a progressive and forward-looking vision." Image from article
Conrad Bird, blog.kellyhoppeninteractive.com: "The GREAT Britain Campaign - Kelly Hoppen "Conrad Bird is the Director of the GREAT Britain Campaign, designed to showcase Britain’s capabilities, to enhance it’s [sic] reputation abroad and to maximise the economic potential of last year’s Olympic Games.
The Campaign was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron in New York on 21 September 2011, supporting the marketing and public diplomacy efforts of a number of organisations including UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), Visit Britain, the British Council, theForeign Office and other government departments overseas. By using the GREAT Campaign, all partners can ensure the whole of Government speaks with one voice." Image from article
Peter Oborne gives a free pass to Palestinian rejectionists - the commentator, Politic?: "Peter Oborne has offered yet another blatantly one-sided analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Telegraph. Oborne, notorious for his alleged exposé of
The Magic of the Lawbrary - eacaruth, Go West Young Woman: Grad School at DU: "So, it’s week three and I already feel like this quarter has hit the ground running. For Reading the Arab Spring, I’ve already read two books; I’ve submitted a paper proposal for International Development in Cross-Cultural Perspectives, and next week I have an assignment due for Practical Public Diplomacy. ... Other than totally nerding out about libraries, not too much has been going on. I had a Downton Abbey watch party with my friend Rachel, went out to a hibachi place for another friend’s birthday, and made
eggless chocolate chip cookie dough. Skiing with my family was great, but I already miss them and those powdery slopes! Work has been fairly chill; Fall Quarter was insanely busy and this quarter we’re hosting less events. But I’m about to be thrown headlong into planning the New York City Career Connections trip, which hooks up our students with employers in New York City. They go to panels and info sessions with alumni as well as employers, and in general they get a feel for the city. We did this trip to DC at the end of last quarter, which according to the participants was awesome. It’s a great opportunity to practice networking and get other career-building tips from the good ole OCPD!" Image from "Edible Egg-less Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough," Home Grown Chic
RELATED ITEMS
Dealing With Two Russias - Denis Corboy, William Courtney, Kenneth Yalowitz, New York Times: Two Russias are emerging — one seeking freedom and prosperity, the other focused on patriotism and populism. In the first, people can travel abroad, buy and sell their homes and keep money securely in banks. In the other Russia, President Vladimir Putin stifles dissent, alleges NATO missile defense threats, and seeks to ensnare former Soviet neighbors in an unequal Eurasian union. A new diplomacy that deals effectively with both Russias is essential.
A reunification Rx for Korea: 'Vaccine diplomacy' could bring North and South closer - Peter Hotez, latimes.com: Could "vaccine diplomacy" work on the Korean peninsula? The short answer is yes.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, in a New Year's Day speech, called for reductions in international tension and an end to confrontation with South Korea, while raising the prospect of reunification between the North and South. Ultimately, science diplomacy could play an essential role in helping catalyze improved North-South relations in 2013, with joint programs for elimination of neglected diseases as a cornerstone. Image from
What Makes a Good Secretary of State? - Nicholas Kralev, Huffington Post: Although Clinton did a lot to bring the Foreign Service in the 21st century, American diplomacy has changed more dramatically in the last decade than the bureaucracy has been able to adapt. Proper training, sufficient resources and a fair, merit-based and transparent promotion system are just a few of the conditions U.S. diplomats need to address the ever-increasing demands on their profession in a complex and hostile world.
Propaganda boss draws battle lines with claims of secret online army - Leo Lewis, thetimes.co.uk [subscription]: The propaganda chief of Beijing city has singled out China’s version of Twitter as the crucial battleground for hearts and minds and claimed to have a mysterious, two-million strong army of online “opinion formers” on his side.
Lu Wei’s new year rallying cry to senior city propaganda officials went farther than any before in publicly admitting the threat posed to Communist Party rule by “weibo” microblogs and China’s internet users, a population officially clocked last week at 564 million. Image from article
India urged to stop propaganda campaign against Pakistan - Muhammad Riaz, brecorder.com: India must curb negative voices against Pakistan of several hard-liners in their country to promote bilateral relations and trade between Pakistan and India. Renowned economist and Principal Hailey College of Banking and Finance Professor Dr Khawaja Amjad Saeed stated this while talking to Business Recorder here Wednesday. He said that the trade potential is vast between the two countries and hardly any tangible efforts have been taken to tap it for spreading prosperity across the board. Trust is lacking between Pakistan and India while tangible actions need to be manifested for India to accept us as a sovereign and independent country as enshrined in the UN Charter and also in the Charter of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC), he added.
Belarus Starts Propaganda War Against the EU - David Marples, charter97.org: The Belarusian TV began a new phase of information war with the West. The showing of the documentary “Pseudomodern” on Belarusian State Television’s Channel One on December 16, 2012, ignited angry responses from Brussels and defiance from the
Belarusian State Television and Radio Company, which has accused the Europeans of trying to subjugate Belarus by privatizing its companies and replacing the Lukashenka regime with an alternative pro-Western government. Image from entry
Naïve Checkbook Diplomacy - Hanne Nabintu Herland, posted at gatesofvienna.blogspot.com: The current Norwegian Labor government has been far too gullibly influenced by Palestinian propaganda.
Hoping to become an internationally renowned peace mediator and content seeing the effects of our checkbook diplomacy, we have closed our eyes to what we actually finance. No wonder our role as a peace mediator in the Middle East seems to be over. Herland image from
Harry: Prince of Propaganda - Mark Borkowski, Huffington Post: Prince Harry is the ultimate recruitment poster boy for the Call of Duty generation. As a soldier Prince, he is in his element: today's media is plastered with pictures of him in subtle battle dress, poses framed by an apache helicopter gunship, underlining his sense of purpose and presenting him in hero-like dimensions. From Las Vegas to Camp Bastion, Harry's headlines - both good and bad - build a modern heroic monomyth around him. He may be a professional soldier - but am I alone in preferring to read about his rock 'n' roll hedonism rather than this latest "I killed in Afghanistan" meme? Hadley Freeman made an apt caricature of Harry's media appearance in the Guardian, comparing them to "an especially sloaney university's production of Top Gun (it's the sunglasses)" and bringing attention to the media "omerta" that surrounds him. Harry's comments have been a media failing for the military, diplomacy and his supporters here in the UK. As Rob Crilly pointed out in his recent Telegraph article, the fight against insurgents will be "as much about PR salvoes as it is about rockets and bullets". Flippant comments have handed extremists a propaganda prize that will have a far more enduring sting than the inconvenience of the media junket.
Movie on Wikileaks is a massive propaganda attack: Assange - simantini dey, firstpost.com: Julian Assange has hit out at the movie being made on Wikileaks, titled the The Fifth Estate, and claimed that it was nothing but a “massive propaganda attack." Wire agency AFP reported that Assange during a video communication with the audiences at the Oxford union debating club said that he has a copy of the script of the film and it is all a lie.
Hollywood movie studio DreamWorks said on Wednesday that The Fifth Estate, starring British actor Benedict Cumberbatch as Assange, will open in US movie theaters in November 2013. The movie will trace the early days of WikiLeaks through the eyes of Assange and his German former spokesman, Daniel Domscheit-Berg (played by Daniel Brühl), culminating in the release in 2010 of a series of thousands of damaging government documents and emails. The movie screenplay is based on Domscheit-Berg’s 2011 book “Inside WikiLeaks,” written after the disillusioned German activist quit the organization, and a second book, “WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy,” by journalists David Leigh and Luke Harding. Image from entry, with caption: Benedict Cumberbatch who plays Julian Assange (left) with Daniel Bruhl who plays Daniel Domscheit-Berg are seen during the filming of the WikiLeaks drama, The Fifth Estate. Image from article
New Gund Gallery Exhibitions Explore Genocide, Propaganda: The 25 political paintings and photographs are set to intensify the viewer’s emotions - Milad Momeni, The Kenyon Collegian: The Gund Gallery’s weekly PB and J spread was missing last week as curators set up for the Gallery’s upcoming exhibitions, which include pieces related to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, the Holocaust and World War II American propaganda.
The exhibit’s Jan. 25 opening will include talks by two of the featured artists, London-based photographer Ori Gersht and Associate Professor of Art Read Baldwin, about their respective pieces. Image from article, with caption: Alfredo Jaar’s series “Untitled (Newsweek)” is featured in a new exhibition opening at the Gund Gallery on Friday. It chronicles the abscence of American media coverage during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
IMAGE
--ॐ Saṃsāra ॐ; Via DR on Facebook
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