This course examines concepts, practices, institutions, and critical issues of public diplomacy. Public diplomacy refers to an actor’s communication and engagement with foreign publics in order to communicate certain narratives and images to promote the interests of this actor. Public diplomacy has become one of the most salient topics in international political communication and this course provides an introduction to the conceptual and theoretical foundations for public diplomacy programs, new media public diplomacy initiatives, and how media outlets and cultural organizations are used by international actors to influence global public opinion. The course covers issues and concepts related to public diplomacy, including international political communication, propaganda, public opinion and nation branding. The course will explore aims and goals of public diplomacy, the questions of executive bodies and audiences as well as issues of impact. The course will then review the public diplomacy efforts undertaken by different groups of states and other international actors.
Students gain knowledge and understanding of:

Theoretical and historical justifications for public diplomacy programs across national contexts. Influence of the media environment and information technology on public diplomacy and strategic communication initiatives. Issues related to public opinion and audience research. Issues related to questions of how to measure and evaluate impacts of communication.

Students develop the ability to:

Identify key differences across governments’ needs for and approaches to public diplomacy. Critically discuss the usage of different research methods with regards to public diplomacy. Identify and specify media and information technology trends that inform public diplomacy. Assess the role of public opinion and audiences in international political communication Develop working knowledge of public diplomacy research tools and other resources. Compare current theories, selecting among and tailoring them to specific policies and programs. Synthesize and integrate theory with practice and specific programmatic situations. Be able to recognize and to shape constructive, critical policy arguments in a public venue – including online, classroom, and simulated public fora.

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