Re-Thinking Public Diplomacy

7/28/2019 Re-Thinking Public Diplomacy

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RE-THINKING PUBLICDIPLOMACYTEN LESSONS FROM ITS HISTORY

Nick Cull

University of Southern California


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USIA Founded by Eisenhower in 1953

Built from State, Marshall Plan & OWI Included Film, Radio, TV & Publications

Embassy information centers & libraries

Achievements astonishing

Cold War won FOR the free market but NOT won BYthe free market media

Consolidated back into State in 1999

Lost its academic support structure


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1: The Practices are OLD

AdvocacyCultural Diplomacy

State Sponsored

NewsPsychological

Warfare

in Ancient Greecein the Roman Republic

in Medieval Germany

as old as War Paint

Consistent Lessons:

I. The power of PD as a multiplier

II. The importance of credibilityIII. The danger of the unintended consequence

IV. Need for analysis & supply-side study


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2. The Term in NEW

Coined 1965 by Edmund Gullion, Embraced by USIA

Better than PropagandaorInformation

Argument for expansion

Argument for professional respect

NOT used elsewhere till 1990s

NEW PD goes beyond govt. to include international

CULTURAL RELATIONS

MOVING beyond the past


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3. The US is Sceptical

Feared like a standing army Justified only in emergency

US prefers commerce/philanthropy

LACKS a major constituency

PLENTY of natural rivals

Often VENUE for domestic struggles.

NEEDED its Advisory Commission

Needs advocates today


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4. The Cold War was Anomalous

US PD born of WWII & New Deal liberalism KEY FACTOR threat of Communism

NEVER fully accepted on Hill

Actually a dimension rather than a crisis tool

US PD hostage to the end of Cold War

Beware of arguments based on War on Terror

Second Chance to build on the best practice

Opportunity to get it RIGHT


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5. Its Elements Are Contradictory

Advocacy, Culture, & News agendas clash Field & Washington can clash

Contradictory agendas guarantee tensions

Tensions guarantee external spill over into press

VOA divided Journo v. Lang. v. FSO v. Admin. News, Advocacy & Culture can harm each other

Answer = firewalls (like VOA charter)

Needs advocacy forelementsas well as whole


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6. It is very Leader Sensitive

Newcomer to bureaucratic hierarchy Responsibilities tread on toes

Starts from position of weakness

Tendency to attract criticism

Need a special sort of leader Need direct link to White House

NEED C. D. Jackson or Charles Z. Wick

HAVE USoS w/o management capacity

NEED intervention at campaign level


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7. It is NOTseparate from Foreign Policy

NOT a magic bullet to move the needle

CANT save a flawed policy

CANT dodge the audiences agenda MUST have in-put UP the policy chain

NEEDS a mandated seat on NSC

OTHERWISE cleaning-up after the parade

NEEDS to be figured into policy equation


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8. BUT PD isdistinct

Needs career path & valued staff Needs nurture of special & diverse skills

Original staff recruited mid career

Needs bank of experience

Needs attention to parallel practices Needs professional career development

Needs scholarly analysis and advocacy

Needs restored role of Academic support


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9. Not all messages are intended

Excellent work can come from small things

Excellent work can be undone by bad policy

Beware of the unintended consequence

Foreign Students need especial care

Showing AND Telling (case of Watergate) Need for sustained analysis

Need to think outside the box

Watch for missed opportunities


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10. There must be mutuality

Goal = better relationship

Need BOTH sides speaking

Need BOTH sides respectful

Need BOTH open to being changed

West needs to LEARN to listen

Need PD from THEM to US

Need develop THEIR PD

Obvious role for USCs Center


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The Present Crisis

Danger of short term-ism Inadequate structure @ State

Under investment & trade offs

Spill-over of security concerns

Misapplication of lessons of the past Iraq 2005 is not Germany or Japan, 1946

Middle East 2005 is not Eastern Europe, 1988

Can always reach for a new generation

Potential of expanded NED


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The Future

New competitors New alliances

New opportunities

New players New methods

New ways of living

China Europe

Iran

NGOs Internet etc

Ampersands

In this great future, you cant forget your past

Value in studying the history of PD

Documents

Re-Thinking Public Diplomacy