Some Unsolicited Media Advice for Senior Leaders

• John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review
• 30th December 2018

image (not from entry) from
Matthew Lawrence, Strategic Communications and Marketing Professional, via linkedin, published December 27, 2018
It’s no surprise that Army officers tend to be ‘can-do’ type people who don’t shy away from things that need to be done; however, knowing when to get advice from a subject matter expert is the key to success in many ventures. Unfortunately, when it comes to engaging with the media, too many leaders assume that their abilities will enable them to shine because, well, they are great, successful, smart people. Media interviews are deceptively easy-looking, and if you do not put in the same thought and preparation into your media engagement as you do other missions, whether the media outlet is positive, neutral, or negative in nature, can leave you with less than desirable results. Here are some pitfalls that we Public Affairs professionals often see, and some advice on how you should approach any interview.
Be Honest With Yourself
Conducting an inter..

Comment: Gantz is Telling Anglo Olim We're not Israeli Enough

• John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review
• 20th February 2019

Lahav Harkov, Jerusalem Post, February 20, 2019
It could easily be understood that Gantz is delegitimizing English-speaking immigrants as phonies who can’t be leaders of Israel.
Image from article: Benny Gantz speaks at the annual Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 17, 2019
“In a month and a half, we will all choose between a ruler who has English from Boston, heavy makeup, and luxury suits – and an Israeli leadership which is real, caring, authentic and not phony,” Israel Resilience Party leader Benny Gantz said in a speech Tuesday night.
Leave aside the fact that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s English is from spending most of his childhood in the suburbs of Philadelphia, and not Boston.
What are all the other Israelis from Boston, Philadelphia, New York, London, Johannesburg or Melbourne supposed to think?
Regardless of what Gantz intended, that remark, as well as him saying that Netanyahu was busy in America “to improve your English and practice it at luxuri..

Using American Soft Power to Support Women and Girls

• John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review
• 15th February 2019

iop.harvard.edu

Guest: Evan Ryan, Assistant Secretary of State of Cultural, Educational Affairs in the Obama Administration and now Executive Vice President at Axios.
Wise diplomats know that American power includes the ability to persuade others to follow our lead. The United States conveys and highlights our culture and values through a wide range of public diplomacy [JB emphasis] and exchange programs administered by the Department of State. In 2017, OMB Director Mulvaney announced a “hard power budget” which proposed dramatic cuts in State Department and USAID budgets. What is the value of soft power in promoting and supporting women’s rights? What programs have been most effective in conveying the important values of equality and opportunity?
Date and time: Thursday, February 21, 2019 – 4:30pm to 5:45pm
Location: Littauer L-166 (IOP Conference Room)

A Path Forward in Afghanistan

• John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review
• 11th December 2018

Bharath Gopalaswamy, atlanticcouncil.org
image (not from entry) fromExcerpt:
The Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center convened policymakers, analysts, and diplomats to assess the gaps in and imminent challenges facing the US strategy in Afghanistan. In a resulting report, “A Review of President Trump’s South Asia Strategy: The Way Ahead, One Year In,” these experts provide some important recommendations to the administration. …
1) Demonstrate US strategic patience and commitment. The Trump administration needs to make clear to its partners its commitment to Afghanistan. The world needs to hear from the highest levels of the administration what the United States and its partners intend to achieve in Afghanistan and what a long-term strategy looks like. At present, US partners are left with the feeling that Washington is only interested in a short-term solution that will allow it to declare victory and exit Afghanistan. This belief needs to be dispelled. …
3) Implement an active publ..

OIC [Organisation of Islamic Cooperation] debacle

• John Brown's Public Diplomacy Press and Blog Review
• 2nd March 2019

The Frontier Post, Posted in Editorial, March 2, 2019
image (not from article) from [see below end line in entry]Excerpt:
India capitalized on the diplomatic inertia of previous PML-N [JB see] government and extended the sway of its economic diplomacy in the Gulf States and Middle East. The appointment of cronies and individuals alien to the difficult art of diplomacy pushed the country to diplomatic isolation. Playing a second fiddle role by the former Prime Minster Nawaz Sharif versus his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the diplomatic front damaged the image of Pakistan even in the Islamic countries. In contrast India posted skillful diplomats in Gulf States and Middle East to strengthen bilateral relation in almost all fields. Apart from professional diplomacy, the Indian diplomats pursued public diplomacy through the Indian nationals involved in business and jobs in various companies in the Gulf countries. No such services for the country were made by the political appointees’ ..