USIA exhibit guide in the USSR, 1972 (photo: USIA archives)
Public Diplomacy Community
Challenges of international communications officers posted to Washington, D.C.
A media training specialist wants to learn more about the challenges faced by international communications officers posted to Washington, D.C., and their needs to make an easier transition.
Some specific areas of interest: (1) What challenges do international communicators face when they arrive for a posting in D.C.? (2) What advice would make their transition easier? (3) Where can they turn for answers during the first weeks and months in Washington?
What would be helpful?
- Any examples from first-hand experiences you might have had
- Referrals to international communicators who have insights into this issue
Please reply to Ed Barks of Barks Communications by e-mail: ebarks [at] barkscomm [dot] com
Cambridge Doctoral Student Researching USIA in Italy
Sara D’Agati in Cambridge, UK writes:
"I am a PhD student in American History at the University of Cambridge (UK) and I am working, with Prof. David Reynolds as supervisor, on the role of the United States Information Agency (USIA) in Italy between 1963 and 1973. My research, in investigating the extent to which public and cultural diplomacy contributed to shape the image of America that the Italians had during such a crucial period of the Cold War, bridges diplomatic and cultural history.
"In carrying out my research, the questions I particularly want to focus on include the extent that public diplomacy and propaganda contributed to shape the US victory in the Cold War; the differences between the techniques of persuasion used to influence Western Europe and those used to influence the 'third world'. This means that my analysis will focus both on the tools and strategies used by the agency to influence the different targets in Italy (workers, intellectuals, women and youth), and on the response of the Italian public to the American propaganda.
"I would like to have to opportunity to talk to someone who has been working for the USIA during the Johnson and Nixon administration, ideally if in Italy in order to gain an insight of what it meant to explain American policies and culture to the Italians at that time, what were the major obstacles, and how the local media were receiving the agency’s message. I also would like to know if there was cooperation between Italian journalists and cultural organization and the agency, and what view the agency’s officer had of Italy."
Please respond by e-mail to sara.dagati [at] hotmail [dot] com
Did You Work With James Roach in New Delhi?
Amy Roach, the niece of James Roach who served as CAO in New Delhi from 1974 to 1978, is writing a book about her uncle and would like to speak with any people from the embassy who remember him. You can reach Ms. Roach by e-mail.
Organizations and online resources
Government agencies and services
- U.S. Advisory Commission On Public Diplomacy (deauthorized December 2011)
- Broadcasting Board Governors
Private membership and non-government organizations
- American Foreign Service Association
- The Coalition for American Leadership Abroad
- The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training
- Business for Diplomatic Action
- Foreign Policy Association
- Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired (Dacor, Inc.)
- Council on Foreign Relations, Public Opinion on Global Issues
- U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy
- Great Decisions - Global Affairs Education Program
Academic departments, research institutes, and collaborative development projects
- Public Diplomacy Council, George Washington University
- Readling list of books, articles, and Web sites on public diplomacy, compiled by Bruce Gregory of George Washington University
- University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy
- Association of Public Diplomacy Scholars, University of Southern California
- Public Diplomacy Wiki, maintained by University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy
- Joint MSc/MA program in public diplomacy at Syracuse University.
- Program on International Policy Attitudes, a joint program of the Center on Policy Attitudes (COPA) and the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland.
- DiplomacyMonitor.Com, St. Thomas University School of Law (Miami, Fl). Provides a real-time chronicle of government and international organization public statements
- NancySnow.Com, Web site of Nancy Snow, PhD, author and Assistant Professor of Communications, California State University, Fullerton
- Institute of Communications Studies, Univ. of Leeds
- Foreign Policy Centre (U.K.) public diplomacy research program
- Global Americana Institute: a project to translate the classics of American thought and history into Arabic
- Global Text: writing electronic textbooks for distribution free of charge in developing countries
- OpenCourseWare: offers access to courses at MIT and 120 other universities.
Web logs, news sites, video and audio downloads
- WhirledView, a Web log devoted to public diplomacy and related issues
- Mountain Runner blog - back online January 2012
- John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review
- World Public Opinion, operated by Program on International Policy Attitudes.
- Layalina press review. "Layalina's efforts represent the first private sector initiative to establish new lines of communication and dialogue with citizens and key opinion leaders throughout the Arab world."
- Public Diplomacy Then and Now, Nancy Snow PhD discusses U.S. public diplomacy challenges past and present.
- Selling America, PBS devoted one episode of its POV series on American efforts to develop and market American policies and ideas abroad.