PD commentary
Selection and commentary by PDC members and authoritative experts in the field
Friday, May 24th 2013
May 24, 2013 - Some of the blogs and news media have picked up on the letter sent this morning by a number of ex-ambassadors and senior government officials to the Secretary of State.
The letter speaks for itself, so it is repeated here:
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Wednesday, May 22nd 2013
Many Public Affairs Sections get involved in preserving or restoring cultural heritage sites, and so does the military. It helps to understand how U.S. Defense Department offices view cultural heritage. So a recent talk by PDC Vice President Robert Albro may be of interest.
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Monday, May 20th 2013
As controversy over federal intrusion into AP journalists’ phone records roiled Washington, an investigator reported a steep decline in the government’s support of free media development overseas.
A panel of experts convened by the Center for International Media Assistance http://cima.ned.org joined former U.S. News Editor and Reporter Peter Carey to review his paper U.S. Government Funding for Media Assistance: Trends and Strategies. Public diplomacy garnered only a mention during the hour and a half discussion at the National Endowment for Democracy last Thursday. But the findings are salient for any public diplomacy section interested in the topic.
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Thursday, May 9th 2013
Helle Dale of Heritage tipped her hat to Nicholas Cull’s presentation of his book “Decline and Fall of the U.S. Information Agency” at our Forum on May 6 (thanks for the mention!) But her main subject was the impending departure of Under Secretary Tara Sonenshine, leaving a new gap in public diplomacy at the State Department.
Dale asserts that “rapid leadership turnover undermines strategic planning and operational effectiveness.” True to an extent, but less attention has been paid to another layer of leadership.
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Wednesday, May 1st 2013
It’s a pleasure to begin contributing to the PDC’s web presence. I come to the Council as an independent analyst of PD and international development and 13-year veteran of the former U.S. Information Agency’s Office of Academic Programs.
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