Public Diplomacy, Foundations for Global Engagement in the Digital Age

Newtechnologieshaveopenedupfreshpossibilitiesforpublicdiplomacy,butthishasnoterasedtheimportanceofhistory.Onthecontrary,thelessonsofthepastseemmorerelevantthanever,inanageinwhichcommunicationsplayanunprecedentedrole.Whethercommunicationsareelectronicorhand-delivered,thefoundationsremainasvalidtodayastheyeverhavebeen.Blendinghistorywithinsightsfrominternationalrelations,communicationstudies,psychology,andcontemporarypractice,Cullexploresthefivecoreareasofpublicdiplomacy:listening,advocacy,culturaldiplomacy,exchanges,andinternationalbroadcasting.Heunpackstheapproacheswhichhavedominatedinrecentyears–nation-brandingandpartnership–andsetsoutthefoundationsforsuccessfulglobalpublicengagement.Richwithcasestudiesandexamplesdrawnfromancienttimesthroughtoourowndigitalage,thebookshowsthetruecapabilitiesandlimitsofemergingplatformsandtechnologies,aswellasdrawingonlessonsfromthepastwhichcanempowerusandhelpustoshapethefuture.Thiscomprehensiveandaccessibleintroductionisessentialreadingforstudents,scholars,andpractitioners,aswellasanyoneinterestedinunderstandingormobilizingglobalpublicopinion.