So I was originally going to write about how there are an increasing number of websites out there that allow people to measure the influence that they wield on twitter and facebook, but given the event the class went to yesterday and Professor Hayden's lecture on his new book this afternoon, I'm going to save that post for next week and discuss what we heard about public diplomacy and soft power.
Perhaps the thing that struck me the most about the presentation on Thursday was what not was talked about: private and non-governmental public diplomacy. From what we have read for class and based on what we see every day, the concept that states are the only actors in public diplomacy is just not reflective of reality. In fact, there is probably an argument to be made that they are not even the most important or influential actors in public diplomacy any more either. Yet, with the possible exception of Michelle Kwan and the moderators, both panels were entirely populated by officials from the State Department.
We have talked about the rise of the international civil society in the age of information and, as a result, we increasingly see public diplomacy practiced daily on social networks, the internet at large, and between private individuals. While governments have attempted - with mixed success - to co-opt these forums to exert control over their foreign policy message, increasingly, public diplomacy is conducted without their direction or support. Professor Hayden acknowledged in his lecture this afternoon that, at the State Department, the department of Public Diplomacy does not even conduct the most important aspects of public diplomacy any more.
It would have been helpful to acknowledge this with presentations or panelists who are non-state actors in the public diplomacy debate. In saying all this, I do not want to give the impression that "The Last Three Feet" event was not important, illuminating or useful. Quite the opposite, looking at how the State Department is confronting the challenges of 21st century diplomacy is critical to understanding how the US is viewed around the world, but we cannot ignore the fact that state actors play a smaller role in public diplomacy than they used to.
Evan, this post raises really great points. I too would have liked to see some more diversity at the event, partly because while we discuss and read about PD outside of the State Dept. I'm interested to see what other career paths there are for PD in the private and non-profit sectors. If PD is no longer solely within the public realm, an event highlighting this would be great. Moreover, an event that combined practitioners from all three sectors would probably be helpful to both the audience and the panelists to share innovative ideas and practices. If the State is trying to be more dynamic, especially in the face of new non-state actors, sharing knowledge with a diverse group of people would be a good move. The PDC should think about that when putting together its next event. Perhaps, AU's PD concentration can fill this gap in DC?
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