The 2021 American Academy of Diplomacy Conference: News, Propaganda, and Diplomacy was co-hosted by the American Academy of Diplomacy, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, and the University of Virginia Center for Politics on October 30, 2021. Recording available.
The rapid evolution of technology has drastically changed the ways in which information is developed, processed, shared, and consumed. Previously, diplomats and journalists were among the few select actors responsible for performing the challenging, and sometimes dangerous, task of going out and reporting to the public and the key decision-makers on what happened in the far-off corners of the world important to U.S. national interest. Information now comes from everywhere, often distorted, and many consumers are poorly equipped to make reasoned judgments on what reaches them. Foreign governments and malign actors, like Russia, China, Iran, and others, have access to much broader global audiences, which has led to a resurgence in state-sponsored disinformation efforts, expanded propaganda campaigns, and outright information warfare. What are the implications of these developments for U.S. national security and diplomacy? Can the U.S. advocate effectively at home and abroad? How does this new informational landscape impact formulation of foreign policy, and public diplomacy? And what is the role of journalists and diplomats in addressing some of these new informational challenges?
To answer these and other questions, the conference will bring together a diverse group of experts. David D. Pearce, a former U.S. Ambassador to Algeria and Greece and before that chief correspondent for the United Press International, will draw on his experiences as a diplomat and a journalist to lay out the complexities facing both journalists and diplomats in the new era of instant information flows and 24/7 news cycles.
Glyn Davies, a three-time ambassador, and former executive director of the National Security Council will focus on the topic of foreign propaganda, and how it is distinguished from public diplomacy, and why concerns for reputation and truth are vital in conducting U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy.
Carol Giacomo, former diplomatic correspondent for Reuters in Washington and member of The New York Times editorial board from 2007-2020, will provide a journalist’s perspective on the changes in the media environment faced by journalists and how such changes impact their relationships with their diplomatic colleagues, foreign contacts, and domestic audiences.
The keynote address will feature Nick Schifrin of the PBS NewsHour, who will reflect on the theme of the conference through the lens of his career as an award-winning foreign correspondent covering Afghanistan, Pakistan, Middle East, Russia, China, and other parts of the world for PBS, Al Jazeera, and ABC News.
