On January 23, 2017, the Polish Embassy in the US published a YouTube video titled “Words Matter”. The video aims to ensure that journalists and social media users employ the correct term when referring to concentration camps built by Nazi Germany on Polish soil during World War 2. This video serves as a fascinating example... Continue Reading →
On the use of images in the diplomatic struggle over Syria
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 →
The Russian Tweet Heard Around the World
On Thursday, the 29th of December 2016, President Barack Obama announced the expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats from the US as well as new economic sanctions targeting Russia's intelligence agencies. Both measures were part of the American response to Russia's alleged interfering in the 2016 Presidential elections. Russia's digital response was immediate. Within an hour... Continue Reading →
On the use of narratives and images in Digital Diplomacy
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 →
Do World Leaders attract #digital diplomats? 2016 analysis
Two weeks ago I evaluated the extent to which Donald Trump has been able to attract diplomats, MFAs, embassies and foreign affairs journalists to his Twitter account. My analysis suggested that most digital diplomats, and diplomatic institutions, do not follow Trump online. This week, I decided to expand my analysis and see if world leaders... Continue Reading →
10 Tips to Increase ROI on #DigitalDiplomacy
On Friday, December 2nd, the Oxford Digital Diplomacy Research Group, and the Latvian Mission to Geneva, co-hosted a Digital Diplomacy event at the UN headquarters in Geneva. The purpose of the event was to examine whether there is a Return On Investment in digital diplomacy activities. The event demonstrated that the first stage of digital... Continue Reading →
Has Donald Trump Obtained Digital Diplomatic Recognition?
Several weeks before the 2016 US elections, I analysed the extent to which Presidential candidates attract digital diplomacy followers. To do, I evaluated the number of Twitter followers Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump attracted from five epistemic communities: MFAs, UN missions in NY and Geneva, Multi-Lateral organizations and foreign affairs journalists. My results showed that... Continue Reading →
The 2017 Social Network of Foreign Ministries
Introduction In May of 2014, I published my analysis of the social network of world foreign ministries (MFAs) on twitter. My assumption was that MFAs would actively follow one another online in order to gather relevant information. For instance, by following other ministries an MFA may be able to identify policy changes in certain countries,... Continue Reading →
Evaluating Palestine’s Digital Diplomacy Strategy
Note: A version of this post originally appeared on the USC Centre on Public Diplomacy's Blog From a diplomatic perspective, Palestine represents a puzzling case study. On the one hand, Palestine has been recognized as an independent state by the UN General Assembly. On the other hand, it is not a full member state of... Continue Reading →
Three Leaders Three Narratives: Digital Diplomacy at the UN General Assembly
The yearly session of the UN General Assembly may be regarded as the pinnacle of the diplomatic calendar year. Within the space of a few days, global leaders are all offered the opportunity to address the General Assembly and, through global news channels, the world. Additionally, the General Assembly is often the sight of intensive... Continue Reading →