Hello!
Welcome to my Public Diplomacy blog. Throughout the coming semester and beyond, you can expect to find original blog posts by yours truly regarding a range of topics under the umbrella of "Public Diplomacy."
That, however, begs the question, "What on Earth is Public Diplomacy?" At its most basic, Public Diplomacy is the way in which governments communicate with foreign publics to advance agendas. In Public Relations and International Affairs: Effects, Ethics, and and Responsibility by James E. Grunig, the public relations scholars Benno Signitizer and Timothy Coombs defines the practice as, "the way in which both government and private individuals and groups influence directly or indirectly those public attitudes and opinions which bear directly on another government’s foreign policy decisions.”
Diplomacy, especially Public Diplomacy, can be a complicated subject, but my hope is that through this blog, we are able to explore many of its facets and learn a little something along the way.
