New Insights from the Public Diplomacy Laboratory

by Joe B. Johnson

When I was a college senior, I would have jumped at the chance to advise the Department of State on its public communication. Now, Anthony Wayne, a PDCA member and Diplomat in Residence at American University’s School of International Service, has enabled some of his students to do just that as part of State’s Diplomacy Lab.

Diplomacy Lab, launched by State in 2013, is a public-private partnership with more than sixty U.S. colleges and universities to sponsor research around various Department-identified topics. It is part of the Office of Global Partnerships, where State engages with outside entities in many ways.

Influencers and public diplomacy …

When Amb. Wayne put me in touch with his six seniors at SIS as one source for their project, I was skeptical. Their topic focused on the use of "Influencers" as part of U.S. public diplomacy. Their client was the Global Public Affairs Bureau (GPA).  This area, which has not been spelled out in Department manuals, is much discussed by practitioners who seek to project policy messages through independent voices. I asked myself:

•    What are the ethical guardrails that separate legitimate local partnerships from deceptive “sock puppetry"?
•    Is this topic too difficult for college seniors with limited practical experience?

The team interviewed a number of sources including PDCA members and some of my former colleagues on the Foreign Service Institute’s training staff. More importantly, they conducted extensive desk research, which shows in their comprehensive report.

The report begins with a general survey of PD, citing 63 sources in a literature review. The team endorses a comprehensive approach incorporating messaging with cultural programs and other PD elements. It upholds transparency and two-way communication. And it describes the alignment of messages, goals and audiences that characterizes effective programs.

After reviewing 2,849 media releases to ascertain themes (security, economic policies and social justice) reflecting the Department’s most important priorities and to identify milestone events, the team went online to find the most effective influencers for specific topics and events, and even provided pitches to propose partnerships. They did the same for specific taskings by GPA like the NATO Summit and migration and refugees. Their descriptions of potential partners with large online followings makes for a fascinating read.

Amb. Wayne recommends the paper, saying, “I think the team's general comments on the use of influencers are solid and worth noting (and are well informed by some in PDCA).”  

… one of many major topics

The influencer paper was one of three projects that Amb. Wayne led in the spring semester.  Others included studies of illicit US arms flows to the Western Hemisphere and best practices in border security.

Amb. Wayne also recommends a Substantive Research Paper (SRP) that he supervised, by a graduating master’s degree student.  In “Strengthening Japanese Public Diplomacy: Steps for the Future", Bettyjane Hoover asserts, “It is time for Japan to consider the limits of soft power, rely on it less, and start integrating its strategic communications with its PD strategy and activities.”

These two studies opened my eyes to quality research that’s being conducted by students below the level of PhD. and to the dedication of Ambassador Wayne and other PDCA members who are teaching the theory and practice of diplomacy in the public sphere.
 
Joe B. Johnson serves on the PDCA Board of Directors. After a career in the U.S. Foreign Service, he worked at a government technology firm and as a public diplomacy instructor at the State Department's Foreign Service Institute.