The role of a Public Diplomacy Foreign Service Officer in the field (1977)

Note: For a brief period (1978-1982), the United States Information Agency (USIA, 1953-1999) was renamed/reorganized as the International Communication Agency.

From the newly-published papers newly by the Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State:

FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1977–1980, VOLUME XXX [PUBLIC DIPLOMACY]

68. Memorandum From the Director of the United States Information Agency (Reinhardt) to all USIS Principal and Branch Posts and Heads of Offices and Services

Washington, June 17, 1977

Excerpt:

II. Summary of Key Discussion Points During Meetings of June 2, 8, and 15 Policy Explication ... 

If you start with an officer ... he is at least a reflection of the society. He is the contact point, the person the audience knows. He must be someone attractive enough to that audience, interesting to them, one who can develop a relationship with them to permit him to present a whole variety of wares. If he cannot do that, the game is lost. Because we have acquired of late a lot of very attractive wares—VTRs, magazines, etc.—we are becoming increasingly in this Agency impressarios, distributors of products. We are by default almost entirely that, or too much so. If a USIS officer repeatedly says to a foreigner, “I don’t know anything about that, but in two weeks I can get you the best speakers on the subject,” that officer after a while will not have the kind of relationship which will make him useful in that mission. ...