News Management in Public Diplomacy

There has been and continues to be a lack of consensus on the meaning of public diplomacy, however it can be argued that, as suggested by its name Public diplomacy refers to a change in the target of diplomacy from the nation state to the people within it, as Sir Michael Butler , a former British representative to the EU stated "The purpose of public diplomacy is to influence opinion in target countries", this refers not to private exchanges with foreign governments and their opinions but instead the opinions of the people of that state, as Edward Murrow said "not only with governments but primarily with non-governmental individuals and organisations".

In light of this definition there are three areas which can be seen as tools in this form of diplomacy, News Management, Strategic communications and relationship building.

-News Management

This aspect has become very important since the rise of the television media as it is now possible to view news from around the world in real time such as the movements in Libya and Egypt. A good example could be Zimbabwe, as the news shows us that the situation in Zimbabwe is dangerous and unstable this forms the basis for a view of that state, but if in the example of the USA the media portrays the land of the free, we instantly could believe that the USA is a good state and we will favour it. In this way the news must now me managed in order to ensure that the image of any state is one that will inspire confidence in another and therefore cultivate a friendship or favour. This does not have to purely political, in fact an insight into the public life can be more useful in allowing people to see what a state is really like and form an opinion.