ASP Election Video Series: Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communications
ASP’s Senior Policy Analyst Matthew Wallin appears in this video to discuss the status of American public diplomacy and the direction it may take after the presidential election. This includes an analysis of President Obama’s efforts so far, and a look at what Governor Romney may pursue.
Pointing out the need for a new strategic direction for American public diplomacy, Wallin states:
“There hasn’t really been a behemoth of an overarching enemy that we’ve really been able to organize ourselves against. And that’s not to say that public diplomacy is supposed to necessarily be against something, because it’s always better in general to be for something. But we find that today that with modern communication technologies and the general information overload that’s out there, we have issues with keeping people’s attention spans…crafting messages that resonate with them.”
He expanded:
“We need to find a way to strengthen our message, reconnect with the values that founded this country and also try to promote and find ways to enable other people to take those values and make them their own.”
To see the full video watch below:
