This news story isn't directly about public diplomacy, but it gives a good example of why attempts to control public discourse by strong-arming news organizations typically cause more problems than they solve.
"Attempt to Steer the News Backfires in Afghanistan," by Pamela Constable - the Washington Post, 22 June 2006
KABUL, Afghanistan, June 21 -- An unofficial attempt by Afghanistan's national intelligence service to quash sensational and negative coverage by the Afghan news media appears to have backfired badly this week, provoking both outrage and ridicule among journalists and opinion makers, and swift repudiation by the office of President Hamid Karzai.
But Afghan and foreign observers said the incident could still have a chilling effect on local news reporting about such crucial issues as terrorist attacks and official corruption, at a time of intensifying insurgent violence and public disillusionment with the Western-backed government.
Some analysts, however, said it cast a useful spotlight on the tendency of the fledgling Afghan news media, especially several private TV stations, to sensationalize violence, denounce allegations of wrongdoing without proof and relentlessly attack Karzai.
The controversy erupted Tuesday when an unsigned but official-looking document was delivered to Afghan media outlets, listing 17 instructions. Some were vague: the press should not publish or broadcast material that "weakens public morale or damages the national interest." Others were nit-pickingly specific: the press should use "freedom fighter" instead of "warlord" to describe former anti-Soviet militia leaders.
The document contained language suggesting that it carried official authority, and it followed similar verbal warnings made at two recent meetings between intelligence officials and Afghan media owners.
The intelligence service has not denied writing it, and several Afghan and foreign officials said they had confirmed its source.
The document ended with a stern warning against copying or distributing the contents, which ensured that hundreds of photocopies were floating around the capital within hours....
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