International broadcasting has long been at the heart of major nations’ public diplomacy strategies as one of the most effective ways to reach international publics. Satellite technology has enabled regional and global broadcasters to transcend traditional borders and wield significant political influence.
The CPD International Broadcasting Research Initiative will look at this topic through the lens of a traditional public diplomacy actor, the U.S. government (USG). It will analyze USG broadcasting and social media capabilities in the context of best practices developed by other international broadcasting entities, such as the BBC, CCTV, Al Jazeera, and others.
Research conducted by CPD will study the tools, strategies, content, technologies and budgets of broadcasting by the USG and by others in the field that are adapting to demands of the social media era. The end-product will consist of recommendations about how to most effectively bridge broadcasting to newer media, including web, mobile and social. The project will also consider ways that platforms such as YouTube and Facebook will empower individual citizens as well as states amidst a new media ecology.
Ultimately, this project will provide a blueprint for public diplomacy practitioners who must build new media mechanisms to reach global publics.
Special thanks to Oscar Castellanos del Collado, MPD class of 2013 for designing the International Broadcasting in the Social Media Era logo.
Resources:
International Broadcasting in the Social Media Era: A CPD Conference Report
An Evaluation of Alhurra Television Programming
Publications on International Broadcasting in the Social Media Era
PD News: A Collection of Articles on International Broadcasting
Principal Investigator:
Philip Seib
Project Manager:
Naomi Leight
Contributing Scholar:
Emily Metzgar
Past Contributing Researcher:
Aleksandra Ristovic
Events:
International Broadcasting in the Social Media Era: A CPD Conference