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In recent weeks I have begun to explore how ChatGPT, a generative Chatbot created by Open AI, may impact the work of diplomats and diplomatic institutions. One blog post examined how ChatGPT may help diplomats automate the creation of texts ranging from social media posts to addresses at the UN. A second blog post examined... Continue Reading →
How to prove the efficacy of digital diplomacy activities? This question has plagued diplomats and scholars for nearly a decade. Diplomats have had to prove the efficacy of digital activities in order to ensure the very existence of digital diplomacy departments. Unlike any other desk or department, diplomats have had to demonstrate that digital diplomacy... Continue Reading →
The word narrative has for some time dominated conversations about digital diplomacy. At the most basic level, narratives are viewed as compelling stories through which state and non-state actors can explain their policies and actions. The narrative is thus a rhetorical and visual device that replaces official press statements lined with diplomatic double entendres and... Continue Reading →
The Crimean Crisis has been regarded as a turning point in the relationship between Western Europe and Russia. The Crisis, which burst onto the scene in December of 2013, saw strongly worded tweets followed by troop convoys, financial sanctions and the expulsion of diplomats. In the wake of the Crisis, governments in Western Europe came... Continue Reading →
In 2015 Dr. Elad Segev and I examined the Selfie Diplomacy of the US State Department. We defined selfie diplomacy as the use of social media sites to proactively manage a nation’s image. In this sense, selfie diplomacy is akin to nation branding campaigns in which a nation’s image can be created, monitored and evaluated... Continue Reading →
Despite the emergence of new technologies the task of evaluating public diplomacy activities remains a daunting one. While scholars and practitioners have offered numerous definitions for the term public diplomacy, they have yet to agree upon a method for measuring the impact of public diplomacy activities. Some have suggested that public diplomacy is a means... Continue Reading →
Two weeks ago I published an analysis of the images of Syria used by the British FCO on Twitter. My analysis found that the FCO employs images that resonate with iconic moments from British history. In addition, I found that these images are an integral part of the British narrative of events in Syria. This... Continue Reading →
Despite recent debates on fake news and the virility of rumors and gossip, it is important to remember that social media users are intelligent, curious and eager to learn about events shaping their world. More specifically, digital diplomacy followers are often interested in insight and analysis of global events. For this reason, narratives may play... Continue Reading →
Exploring Digital Diplomacy 