The advent of digital diplomacy was closely associated with the practice of public diplomacy. The State Department first migrated online to converse with Muslim internet users and establish new ties throughout the Middle East. The Swedish MFA created the world’s first virtual Embassy in order to interact with global computer users while the Israeli foreign... Continue Reading →
Monday’s Must Read List
Each week, I publish a list of interesting articles, essays and reports that may be of interest to the digital diplomacy community. This week- The United Nations is turning to artificial intelligence in search for peace in war zones (The New York Times)The Internet is Rotting (The Atlantic)Google boss Sundar Pichai warns of threats to... Continue Reading →
On Memory, Digitalization & Public Diplomacy in Auschwitz
Throughout the 20th century, numerous intellectual have sought to come to grips with the existence of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp. According to author Primo Levy, Auschwitz was its own universe. The laws that govern our universe, those of physics and mathematics, were suspended in Auschwitz. It was a place with its own language, moral codes,... Continue Reading →
Is it time for a terminology shift in digital diplomacy?
The digitalization of diplomacy has been closely associated with the practice of public diplomacy. Indeed, early adopters sought to leverage digital tools such as social media, blog sites and virtual worlds to foster ties with foreign populations. Public diplomacy underscored the digitalization of the US State Department that sought to engage with critical Muslim audiences... Continue Reading →
A Q &A with University Students- Assessing the Impact of Diplomacy’s Digitalization
This week I was invited to a Q&A session with university students in Chile. Many questions were asked, ranging from the role of Ambassadors in the digital age to the live-streaming of UN deliberations. Below are questions and answers that may prove valuable to scholars and practitioners of digital diplomacy. Q: Has digitalization led to... Continue Reading →
Covid’s Diplomatic Legacy
Last month, ‘The Economist’ magazine published an extensive article examining Covid’s impact on the practice of diplomacy. According to the article, the Coronavirus has led to the accelerated digitalization of diplomacy. Once the United Nations Headquarters shut its doors, and as diplomats all over the world found themselves quarantined at home, diplomacy migrated to digital... Continue Reading →
How Chinese Ambassadors Use Twitter
In my 2019 book, The Digitalization of Public Diplomacy, I dedicated a chapter to Ambassadors’ use of Twitter. My assertion was that Ambassadors may be viewed by digital publics as trusted sources of information. This is because Ambassadors have privileged access to information, they have access to the highest echelons of power, they are viewed... Continue Reading →
How World Leaders Framed the Climate Crisis
Traditionally, diplomats and world leaders have turned to communication channels in order to frame crises. Specifically, leaders and diplomats aim to identify the cause of a crisis, or the underlying problem that has precipitated a crisis between states. For instance, following the 9/11 terror attacks, President Bush announced that terror groups had declared war on... Continue Reading →
Monday’s Must Read List
Each week, I publish a list of interesting articles, essays and reports that may be of interest to the digital diplomacy community. This week- Does Big Tech Hurt U.S. National Security? (Foreign Affairs)Lobbying row: Why ministers have two mobile phones (BBC News)Defending democracies from disinformation and cyber-enabled foreign interference (The Strategist)Technology will save emerging markets... Continue Reading →
Is it Time to Abandon State-Centric Approaches to Public Diplomacy? Summary of ISA Roundtable
During the 2021 International Studies Association conference (ISA), I had the opportunity to partake in a roundtable Chaired by Nick Cull and Nancy Snow. The two have just recently finished editing the 2020 Routledge Handbook of Public Diplomacy. Authors who contributed to the handbook, including myself, were asked to reflect on how Covid19 has influenced... Continue Reading →