Public diplomacy

Public diplomacy is a government’s communication and engagement with foreign publics to advance its interests. It includes cultural exchange, broadcasting, and direct dialogue beyond formal state-to-state relations.

Soft power: The ability to shape others’ preferences through attraction rather than coercion or payment. Public diplomacy seeks influence by making a country, its policies, or its values attractive.
Cold War: A geopolitical rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union and their allies from the late 1940s to 1991. Both blocs built extensive outreach to influence opinion beyond their borders.
United States Department of State: The U.S. federal department responsible for foreign affairs and diplomatic relations. Its public diplomacy offices manage overseas outreach, exchanges, and cultural programs.
Propaganda: Communication designed to influence opinions or behavior, often through selective or misleading presentation. The label captures the credibility risks public diplomacy faces when messaging suppresses evidence or debate.
Strategic communication: The coordinated use of communication by an organization to support its objectives. Governments coordinate messages across public diplomacy and other instruments of statecraft.
United States Information Agency: A U.S. government agency that conducted overseas information and cultural programs from 1953 to 1999. The agency institutionalized U.S. public diplomacy during the Cold War.
British Council: The United Kingdom’s international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities. It advances connections through English-language teaching, arts, and education programs.
Public relations: The planned management of communication between an organization and its publics. Public diplomacy resembles public relations but operates across national boundaries and serves state interests.
International broadcasting: Radio, television, or digital media services that transmit content across national borders. State-funded broadcasters can reach foreign publics directly with news and cultural programming.
Voice of America: A U.S. international broadcaster that began radio transmissions in 1942 and later added other media. Its overseas broadcasts became a prominent instrument of government outreach.

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