A call to action on Public Diplomacy.

• Author: Jacobs, Morris E.

The mission of public diplomacy is generally described as seeking to "understand, engage, inform and influence" foreign publics and elites in support of national policy objectives. Public diplomacy has been practiced, in one form or another, for a long time - think Benjamin Franklin in France, charming the nobility to garner support for the American colonies in their struggle for independence. Its modern origins include the first broadcast of the Voice of America in February 1942 (VOA celebrates its 70th anniversary this spring) and the establishment of the Office of War Information in June of that year.

In 1953 President Eisenhower and the Congress established the U.S. Information Agency to conduct public diplomacy. USIA enjoyed considerable success during the Cold War - Edward R. Murrow was one of its early leaders - but in 1999 it was abolished and its functions folded into the Department of State. The office of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs was set up at that time, charged with the responsibility to lead U.S. efforts to communicate with audiences around the world.

While USIA's functions were being transferred to State, Congress passed legislation to establish the bipartisan Broadcasting Board of Governors. Today the BBG operates not only the flagship Voice of America, but also Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting (Radio and TV Marti), and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (Radio Sawa and Alhurra Television).

It is self evident that effective public diplomacy demands leadership and continuity to ensure that planning and resource decisions are consistent and in line with the President's priorities. Since 9/11 numerous reviews of public diplomacy have been published by the Government Accountability Office, the Congressional Research Service, the Defense Science Board, private research outfits, universities, think tanks, and others, have stressed this point.

Recommendations have varied in terms of quality and relevance, but officials at the Department of State and the Broadcasting Board of Governors have attempted to implement the more important ones. For example, during her tenure, Under Secretary Judith McHale put in place a strategic framework for public diplomacy and pushed for its implementation, especially on the all-important questions of personnel and budgets. For its part, the Broadcasting Board of Governors recently issued a new strategy which includes...