Telling the American Story: Public Diplomacy in the Trump Era
The news this past weekend that the Trump administration plans to shutter the United States Agency for Global Media was hardly unexpected. It nonetheless came as a shock to many who work in what is called "public diplomacy" - government-sponsored efforts to affect public opinion overseas, which had been done by Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and other entities since World War II.
On Friday, Congress passed the Continuing Budget Resolution, which included funding USAGM for another year. Nonetheless, on Saturday, Kari Lake - who is serving as a special White House adviser to USAGM - suspended some 1,300 VOA reporters, producers, and other public diplomacy professionals and canceled the charter of those independent agencies controlled by the board. (On Monday, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty filed a lawsuit against Lake and USAGM acting CEOVictor Moralesseeking to restore the news organizations federal funding.)
It is my fervent hope that the administration sees this not as a final chapter, but as an opportunity for a new beginning.
All but the agencys harshest critics see some need for public diplomacy - or "soft power" as it is sometimes called. Gunboats, tanks, and pinstriped ambassadors are important, but in a world inundated with instant communications, the idea that the U.S. government should stop trying to tell our side of the story to a global audience is shortsighted and counterproductive. Our adversaries have already doubled down on the information wars. We should not cede the field, least of all at this critical moment.
Further, our story - the American story - is a powerful diplomatic tool that is uniquely our own. There are reasons that American movies, music, books, and television captivate audiences worldwide. As a nation of immigrants from across the globe, ours is a culture that is as close to universal in its appeal as any in history. It is no wonder that two of the post-war presidents we consider great communicators - Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan - both embraced public diplomacy. They understood the power of a great story and the need to deliver it to a world they wanted to change.
This is our chance to reimagine how we tell Americas story abroad. Here are a few modest suggestions:
-- Streamline the bureaucracy. On the Eastern Shore of Maryland where I live, we have what we call "telescope houses." These are dwellings that may have started in the 18th century as humble lean-tos, with rooms, wings, and outbuildings added by ensuing generations. The result can be architecturally charming, but impractical. Our current public diplomacy apparatus is the bureaucratic equivalent, minus the charm: an improvised ramshackle assembly of acronyms, boards, missions, and budgets that need to be gutted and built anew. To that end: The White House could name a new public diplomacy czar who reports directly to the Secretary of State, give him or her clear direction and authority, and redesign the organization from the ground up to serve the mission.
-- Speaking of mission, there has always been a headache-inducing debate at the root of our conduct of public diplomacy. One side argues that we succeed best by modeling for foreign audiences the independence enjoyed by our own fourth estate. For that reason, some public diplomacy practitioners - including most of the reporters, producers, and editors at Voice of America - consider themselves journalists and subscribe to a code of objectivity. They believe that by placing truth-telling above advancing the State Departments immediate (and sometimes transitory) objectives, they in fact serve Americas greater cause.
Others argue that, inasmuch as we have a profusion of wire services, networks, newspapers, and online outlets that already cover America "warts and all," the primary role of any initiative should be to hone and deliver content that supports Americas global agenda. Message first; journalism second.
It is time to decide. I come down on the side of the latter argument. This doesnt mean blatant propaganda, disinformation, or lies - but the guiding principle for managers, editors, and reporters should be: Does what we write, produce, and broadcast increase Americas chances for foreign policy success? Clarifying the mission would help attract individuals who - like our military and state department personnel - understand and honor the greater goal for which they labor. We need the best people all rowing in the same direction, especially given the growing sophistication of our adversaries and the state of the current media landscape.
-- Speaking of the current media landscape, it is time to reevaluate some of the most fundamental aspects of the public diplomacy apparatus in light of what has happened - and is about to happen - to global communications. There is no crystal ball, but a few high-level trends are already clear, and we have to adjust.
For one, a Cold War culture still infuses much of our activities. By that I mean we still think in terms of messaging in an environment of "media scarcity" - that is, reaching audiences whose governments ruthlessly suppress outside voices. That challenge continues in some countries and remains important. But when it comes to reaching a large portion of the global population, the challenge now is the just the opposite: There is an abundance of communication options assaulting the audience on a 24/7 basis - streaming from radio, satellite television, and the Internet. The task at hand isnt always to pierce an iron curtain with a single beam of information; rather, it is to harness the power of those fast-multiplying platforms across the globe that have already amassed audiences and are thirsty for content.
Weve modeled too many of our current public diplomacy institutions after traditional radio, cable, and television networks in the belief that we need to control the pipes to deliver the message. We should be also be thinking like producers and create "VOA STUDIOS" - a distribution-agnostic entity with the goal of creating a range of high quality content with the power to appeal to the largest audience possible on as many platforms as possible. This opens the door to co-productions and novel distribution arrangements and provides a multiplying effect for money and resources. There are now a thousand conduits through which America can push content - we should acknowledge this reality and pursue those opportunities with a brand new entity, purpose-built for the modern era.
Past generations of public diplomacy practitioners embraced change. They harnessed the best of American ideals and translated them into programming that resonated with global audiences and changed the world for the better. They adjusted as communications technology advanced.
President Trump certainly understands the importance of messaging, media, and storytelling. I find it hard to believe that he is going to discard such a valuable diplomatic tool, just when we need it most. Lets take this opportunity to reinvigorate public diplomacy and tell our story to the world.
Andrew Walworth is co-host of RealClearPolitics on SiriusXM radio/POTUS 124 (M-F, 6-7 p.m. ET) and executive producer of the new documentary series 'The Unauthorized History of Political Parties' on Fox Nation.
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CBS News
20 minutes ago
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Downtown L.A. curfew goes into effect after California Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses ICE protests
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One of the 45 people arrested that day was local union leader David Huerta. The protests that took place over the weekend were declared unlawful assemblies and people were ordered to disperse and clear the area. In each case there were small pockets of the demonstrations that turned chaotic, which included hundreds of people converging on the 101 Freeway to block traffic on Sunday afternoon. That same day, several Waymo vehicles were torched to the ground by one group of people. The day prior, hundreds of demonstrators clashed with law enforcement in Paramount and Compton. Reporters on the ground saw as law enforcement and troops dressed in riot gear attempted to clear crowds by using tear gas, beanbag rounds and flash bangs into crowds to try and disperse people. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that people who "lay a hand" on law enforcement officers will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. 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21 minutes ago
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Here are five takeaways from Tuesday's primaries: Sherrill won as many Democratic voters were weighing which candidate would be most electable and as each Democratic candidate pitched a different path forward for the party. Sherrill's victory suggests some Democratic voters want to dust off the party's successful playbook from the 2018 midterm elections, when she flipped a longtime Republican-held House seat. In that campaign and in her primary run this year, Sherrill stressed her background as a Navy helicopter pilot and a former federal prosecutor and pitched 'ruthless competence' as a counter to Trump. 'It just seems so obvious to me what the path forward is. It's effectively govern,' Sherrill recently told NBC News. 'And this is what I've been doing since 2018 when I first ran, right? ... I say to people, 'What's keeping you up at night?'' 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By late Tuesday evening, Ciattarelli was carrying all of the state's 21 counties. Ciattarelli's vote share was at 67% by late Tuesday evening, compared with just 22% for Spadea. State Sen. Jon Bramnick, who had been critical of Trump, had won just 6%, followed by two other candidates who had each won less than 3% of the vote. Ciattarelli thanked Trump in his victory speech for his 'endorsement and strong support,' making a joke about his being a 'part-time New Jersey resident.' (Trump owns a home and a golf course in Bedminster.) But Ciattarelli spent most of his speech focused on a general election argument, not on shoring up his base — indicative of the line he'll have to walk in a state Trump lost three times, even after the improvement he showed last year. Both parties are grappling with antiestablishment sentiment, wondering how to handle it, channel it or just avoid getting run over by it. But Tuesday's results were also a reminder that political institutions still have some staying power. New Jersey's traditional political machines were dealt a blow last year following a lawsuit from Democrat Andy Kim during his Senate run, when a court ordered that county parties could no longer give advantageous ballot positions to their preferred candidates. That diminished the sway those parties had Tuesday, but they still demonstrated some power. Ciattarelli was the only Republican who competed for county party endorsements. Fulop didn't compete for Democratic county party endorsements, and Gottheimer sat some out, as well. Some county parties split between the candidates, with Sherrill earning the most endorsements from 10 of the 21 counties. While Sherrill was carrying 15 of the state's 21 counties late Tuesday, Gottheimer was winning his home county, Bergen, which endorsed him. Sweeney, the only candidate from South Jersey, fared far better in the six counties that backed him. He was winning 40% of the vote in Gloucester County while garnering 7% of the statewide vote. The county party endorsements were no guarantee of victory: The Essex County Democrats, for example, endorsed Sherrill. But as of late Tuesday evening, she was trailing Baraka in Essex County, where he is mayor of Newark, the state's largest city. Even in that instance, though, the party endorsement may have helped Sherrill cut Baraka's margins in his home base. Tuesday night's victory speeches were also important table-setters, indicative of how each party is looking to frame the general election. And New Jersey's general election this year may foreshadow much of what we see on the campaign trail around the country in the 2026 midterms. Outside of a quick thanks to Trump, Ciattarelli kept his focus tightly on Sherrill and New Jersey Democrats in his victory speech. He criticized her as 'Phil Murphy 2.0,' arguing that she has 'enabled every extremist and costly idea Phil Murphy has put forth,' and he even revived a key criticism of Murphy from his 2021 campaign. He also criticized Sherrill's focus on Trump as a deflection. 'Mark my words: While we focus on these key New Jersey issues, my Democratic opponent will do everything in her power. Trust me ... if you took a shot every time Mikie Sherrill says 'Trump,' you'd be drunk off your ass every day between now and Nov. 4,' he said. 'But every time you hear her say 'Trump,' I want you to know what it really means: What it really means is Mikie doesn't have a plan to fix New Jersey,' he continued. During her victory speech, Sherrill leaned heavily on her biography but also emphasized a dual mandate — a fight against New Jersey Republicans and also against Trump, a recipe that Democrats have successfully leaned on in past midterm elections. Calling Ciattarelli a 'Trump lackey' who shouldn't lead the state, Sherrill criticized 'Trump and MAGA Republicans in D.C. [who] want to raise your taxes and take away your health care and education dollars.' 'This country is too beautiful to be beholden to the cruelty and self-interest that Jack and Trump are trying to hoist on her,' she said. 'The future is built on hard work and hope, and here in New Jersey, we're known for our grit, our tenacity — maybe a little bit for how loud we are — but it's going to take a strong voice to cut through the noise from Washington and deliver for the people,' she said. 'So I stand here tonight doing just that. And as a mom of four teenagers, you guys know I'm not going to put up with the incompetent, whiny nonsense coming from aggrieved MAGA Republicans.' Tuesday's results showed how money matters in campaigns — and how it has its limits. On the Democratic side, Sherrill won despite having been outspent by some of her opponents whose outside groups dropped millions of dollars on the race. The largest outside spender was Working New Jersey, a super PAC funded by the state's teachers union, which Spiller leads. The group had spent a whopping $35 million on the race as of May 27, according to the latest campaign finance reports, while Spiller's campaign had spent $342,000. As of late Tuesday, Spiller had about 10% of the primary vote. Gottheimer and Fulop were also boosted by outside groups that spent millions of dollars on the airwaves. (Gottheimer drained his congressional account to fund the outside group supporting him.) Sherrill got support on the airwaves from One Giant Leap PAC, which spent less than either Gottheimer's or Fulop's groups but spent most of its funds in the final weeks of the race. Ciattarelli and an aligned outside group, Kitchen Table Conservatives, outspent the other Republicans. And Ciattarelli touted his strong fundraising as proof that he would be a formidable general election candidate. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
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