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  • August - September 2005 (1)
  • Dec 2005 (1)
  • Feb 2006 (2)
  • May - July 2005 (1)
  • Oct - Nov 2005 (1)
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Jan 2006

Canadians Change Gov't - But Not Concerns - 26 Jan 2006

EU Inquiry Into Secret Prisons Inconclusive - 25 Jan 2006

Iraqi General's Son Decries US Military Court Decision - 25 Jan 2006

Indian Activists Seek to Influence US History Texts - 23 Jan 2006

A Philosophe Looks at America - 23 Jan 2006

USAID Lowers Profile Ahead of Palestinian Elections - 22 Jan 2006

US Seeks to Regain Japanese Trust on Beef Exports - 22 Jan 2006

Public Interactions Part of New US Army Focus on Counterinsurgency - 22 Jan 2006

Australia's Image Tarnished at Home & Abroad, Says Ex-Diplomat - 21 Jan 2006

Pakistan Air Strikes and Public Diplomacy - 20 Jan 2006

TV Marti: If a Tree Falls in a Forest... - 20 Jan 2006

Iranian Public Opinion a US Concern in Handling Nuclear Issue - 20 Jan 2006

US Will Increase Diplomatic Staffing Outside Europe - 19 Jan 2006

Mexico's Presidential Candidates Agree on Migration Issue - 19 Jan 2006

HRW: US Torture Denials "Ring Hollow" - 18 Jan 2006

Canadians Want PM Who Can Handle Washington - 18 Jan 2006

African TV to Combine "CNN's Reach w/Al-Jazeera's Agility" - 18 Jan 2006

"Karen's Rules" for Public Diplomacy - 18 Jan 2006

Rice & Chertoff Announce More User-Friendly Visa Procedures - 18 Jan 2006

NATO Afghan Mission Divides Dutch Voters - 17 Jan 2006

Iran Rebukes CNN for Mistranslation of Nuclear Statement - 17 Jan 2006

US Uses Times Square Technology to Reach Cubans - 17 Jan 2006

Egyptian Int'l Visitor Says US Program Tainted by Security Measures - 15 Jan 2006

Marty: US Violated HR Laws, European Gov'ts Complicit - 14 Jan 2006

February 18, 2006 in Feb 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Feb 2006

Indian Public Admires US But Values Independence - 28 Feb 2006

Italian Candidates Agree Guantanamo Should Be Closed - 28 Feb 2006

Tutu: Cartoon Protests "Symptom of a More Serious Disease" - 28 Feb 2006

Poll on World Opinion on Iraq Yields Surprising Results - 28 Feb 2006

OpEd: Are We Winning Battles But Losing the War on Terrorism?  26 Feb 2006

The Rhetoric of Destruction in Samarra - 26 Feb 2006

Hebrew-Speaking Hamas Member Gets Israeli Airtime - But Does He Change Minds? - 26 Feb 2006

EU & Poland Launch Pre-Election Broadcasts to Belarus - 26 Feb 2006

Indians Protest US Visa Denial for Top Scientist - 23 Feb 2006

Max Boot: US Needs PD for Today's Challenges - 23 Feb 2006

1 in 10 Korean Youth Would Side with Washington Against Pyongyang - 22 Feb 2006

Saudis Seek Better Image Among American Public - 22 Feb 2006

Gallup Poll: Most Americans Unhappy w/US Image - 22 Feb 2006

Der Spiegel Reports on "US PR Machine" - 22 Feb 2006

Quality, Not Quotas, Seen as Way to Defend Asian Films' Market Share - 21 Feb 2006

Danish Cartoon Protests Continue - 21 Feb 2006

Hughes Defends Guantanamo in Al-Jazeera Interview - 21 Feb 2006

US Uses "Less Brute Force," "More Hearts and Minds" in Iraq - 18 Feb 2006

Rumsfeld Calls for Aggressive Press Work in War on Terror - 18 Feb 2006

Hughes to Address US-Islamic Forum in Doha - 18 Feb 2006

Annan, Tutu, UK Gov't Minister Back Call to Close Guantanamo (Plus: Rumsfeld Response) - 16 Feb 2006

US Dials Up Broadcasts to Iran; Other Programs Also Expanded - 16 Feb 2006 (Updated 22 Feb)

Cartoon Riots in Pakistan a Threat to Musharraf? - 15 Feb 2006

FP Poll: Allies Growing Disenchanted with US (Added 2/17: Teens Shun US Brands) - 15 Feb 2006

NYT: Lincoln Group Cut Corners on Truth to Win USG Contracts - 15 Feb 2006

West Point Recommends Whispering Campaign in Mideast - 15 Feb 2006

(Australian) TV Broadcasts New Abu Ghraib Photos - 15 Feb 2006

OMB Says Post-9/11 PD Efforts Fall Short - 13 Feb 2006

Draft UN Report Says Guantanamo Undermines HR Law - 13 Feb 2006

Hughes Leaves Press Behind on Mideast Trip - 13 Feb 2006

Cartoon Protests Continue; Protest Violence Also Condemned - 13 Feb 2006

UK Investigates Footage of Troops Beating Iraqi Teenagers - 12 Feb 2006

Americans Are the Bad Guys in Turkey's Latest Box Office Hit - 10 Feb 2006

US PD Officers Among Those Shifted from Europe to Asia - 10 Feb 2006

Family Vows Revenge for Iraqi Killed by US Security Contractor - 9 Feb 2006

Egyptian Educational Reform Promotes Democratic Values - 9 Feb 2006

Asharq Alawsat: News Media and Internet Helped Shape Cartoon Controversy - 8 Feb 2006

US 'AntiEuropeanism' Strains Transatlantic Ties, Observer Says - 8 Feb 2006

VOA English Service on the Chopping Block? - 8 Feb 2006

Danish Muslim Spokesmen Misrepresented Photo in Cartoon Row, AP Says - 8 Feb 2006

Cartoon Uproar Makes Static for US Outreach - 8 Feb 2006

Danish Cartoon Fallout Spreads to Cyberspace, Chechnya, Asia, Africa - 8 Feb 2006

Danish Cartoon Protests Mark Extreme Fringe of Widespread Anger - 7 Feb 2006

EccStar Is Going on Vacation - 26 Jan 2006

February 18, 2006 in Feb 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dec 2005

A Watershed Week for US Credibility? - 11 Dec 2005

Torture Concerns Persist, Despite Rice Statement - 10 Dec 2005

'Russia Today' Begins Broadcasting - 10 Dec 2005

Nobel Laureate Uses Acceptance Speech to Slam US & UK - 8 Dec 2005

Contradictory Accounts Mar Rice's Berlin Visit - 7 Dec 2005

Reports: Rice Announces Shift in US Stand on Interrogations - 7 Dec 2005

NYT Profiles Rice Press Agent - 6 Dec 2005

Praisesong of Bush Slips Into Pakistani Textbook - 5 Dec 2005

Amman Bombings Turned Arab Publics Against Zarqawi - 5 Dec 2005

Rice Speaks on Rendition Before Leaving for Europe (added 12/6: Merkel Meeting) - 5 Dec 2005

LA Times Report on Security Contractors in Iraq - 5 Dec 2005

DOD Resorting to Realism on Torture Issue? - 4 Dec 2005

KR: State Dept. Screening Private Speakers on Political Views - 4 Dec 2005

Design a Jihadi Web Site & Win a Chance to Fire a Missile! - 4 Dec 2005

How to Talk to Americans - 3 Dec 2005

US Iraq Vet Talks About Working for Hearts & Minds - 3 Dec 2005

Arab Publics Distrustful of US, Telhami/Zogby Poll Finds - 3 Dec 2005

"Shut Up," Rice Will Explain to Europeans - 3 Dec 2005

Hughes to Lead Disaster Relief Delegation to Central America - 1 Dec 2005

France to Launch Global TV Network - 1 Dec 2005

European Analysts Comment on Bush Iraq Speech - 1 Dec 2005

January 15, 2006 in Dec 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oct - Nov 2005

LA Times: DOD Contractor Planting Positive Stories in Iraqi Press - 30 Nov 2005

Some Egyptian Voters Question US Democracy Support - 30 Nov 2005

UK Investigates "Trophy Video" of Contractors Shooting Iraqi Civilian Traffic - 29 Nov 2005

'Secret Prisons' on Agenda for Rice's Upcoming European Trip - 29 Nov 2005

Venezuelan Lawyer Gains Celebrity for 'Proving' US Interference - 28 Nov 2005

Does Public Opinion Have a Diminished Role in Middle East Conflict? - 28 Nov 2005

"Double Standard" Undermines Russia's Public Diplomacy - 26 Nov 2005

Venezuela Offers Cheap Heating Oil to US Publics - 24 Nov 2005

UK Mirror: Blair Quashed US Proposal to Bomb Al Jazeera - 22 Nov 2005

Rolling Stone Profiles John Rendon (of The Rendon Group) - 21 Nov 2005

CIA's 'Unique Methods' Are Not Torture, Goss Says - 21 Nov 2005

Zarqawi Defends Jordan Bombings - 18 Nov 2005

Pakistani Pol: Hughes Asked Me to Be Taleban Go-Between - 18 Nov 2005

UN Team Cancels Guantanamo Visit - 18 Nov 2005

Liz Cheney: Misperceptions Underlie Criticism of US - 16 Nov 2005

Amman Bombings Alienate Al Qaeda Supporters - 15 Nov 2005

Spain Opens Investigation of Extraordinary Rendition Flights - 15 Nov 2005

UK's Independent of US Handling of White Phosphorus Reports - 14 Nov 2005

Karen Hughes & Business Leaders View Pakistan Earthquake Damage - 14 Nov 2005

Debate on a US Torture Ban Continues - 13 Nov 2005

Iraqi Reporters Question US Reconstruction Record - 13 Nov 2005

Chicago Tribune: Low-Profile Firm Conducts DOD 'Information Battle' - 13 Nov 2005

Some Place Amman Bombings in a Familiar Frame: Israel Did It - 12 Nov 2005

Italian Judges Want CIA Operatives Extradited - 12 Nov 2005

Canadian Fast Food Boycott to Protest US Softwood Duties - 12 Nov 2005

NYT: Deeds, Not Words, Harm US Image - 11 Nov 2005

Latin America's Telenovelas Thrive in a Globalized World - 11 Nov 2005

Amman Bombings Suggest Militants Not Heeding Advice on Public Opinion - 10 Nov 2005

French Riots Draw Worldwide Attention, Comment - 9 Nov 2005

EU Investigates Secret Prison Allegations; Congress Wants to Investigate Leak - 9 Nov 2005

Admin Figures Realizing Cost of 'The Detainee Mess'? - 7 Nov 2005

Undersecretary Hughes & Justice Kennedy on Promoting Democracy - 7 Nov 2005

How BBC News Played Role in Uzbekistan Politics - 6 Nov 2005

US Must Work With, Not Against, Independent Arab Media (IHT op-ed) - 5 Nov 2005

European Press Reacts to 'Black Sites' Report - 4 Nov 2005

Al-Hurra Audit Tied to Ousted CPB Board Member - 4 Nov 2005

Islamists Burnish Image through Earthquake Aid - 4 Nov 2005

'Highbrow' Anti-Americanism in Europe - 4 Nov 2005

Ramadan TV Serials Criticize Terrorism, Extremism - 3 Nov 2005

US Faces Obstacles at Americas Summit (Updated 11/6) - 3 Nov 2005

Egypt's Coptic Community Launches TV Service (Updated 12/8: CSM Article) - 3 Nov 2005

Views of Proposed DOD Spokesman Questioned - 2 Nov 2005

WPost: US Holds Prisoners at Secret 'Black Sites' - 2 Nov 2005 (updated 4 Nov)

Bin Laden's Writings Being Published in English - 1 Nov 2005

US Base Seeks Good Relations with Kyrgyz Public - 1 Nov 2005

Telesur Begins Live News Broadcasts - 1 Nov 2005

Korean & US Filmmakers at Odds Over Market Access - 31 Oct 2005

Candidate Makes US Influence an Issue in Bolivian Elections - 31 Oct 2005

US Earthquake Aid to Pakistan - 31 Oct 2005

Rand Fellows Look at Public Diplomacy - 30 Oct 2005

Ahmadinejad Statement Hailed at Home, Condemned Abroad (Updated 11/4) - 29 Oct 2005

NYT Interview w/Business for Diplomatic Action President - 29 Oct 2005

US Invites UN Investigators to Guantanamo - 29 Oct 2005 (Updated 2 Nov 2005)

China Gaining 'Soft Power,' Observers Say - 27 Oct 2005

Op Eds on Cultural Diplomacy from NYT & CSM (Updated 10/28) - 27 Oct 2005

Sudan Gets a Shill in Washington - 26 Oct 2005

US-Canadian Tensions Reflected in Public Attitudes - 26 Oct 2005

Congress Negotiating Defense Bill Torture Ban - 26 Oct 2005

BBC To Launch Arabic TV Service in 2007 (Updated 10/29) - 25 Oct 2005

Domestic Rhetoric 'Tripping Up' Public Diplomacy, Critics Say - 24 Oct 2005

What Does Osama bin Laden Want? - 24 Oct 2005

US Speechwriter on Palestine's Abbas - 24 Oct 2005

Karen Hughes in Malaysia (Updated 10/24) - 23 Oct 2005

Zawahiri Calls on Muslim Aid to Earthquake Victims - 23 Oct 2005

Iraqi Poll Raises Questions in UK on State of Hearts & Minds - 23 Oct 2005

Meet Homer Al-Shamsoon - 22 Oct 2005

Arab League Condemns Insurgent Violence in Iraq - 22 Oct 2005

That Rice-Straw Southern Tour, Explained (Updated 10/25) - 21 Oct 2005

US Votes Against UNESCO Cultural Diversity Agreement - 21 Oct 2005

Karzai Responds to Reported Body Burning by US Troops (Updated 10/25) - 21 Oct 2005

Karen Hughes in Indonesia (Updated 10/24) - 21 Oct 2005

US Prof Finds Indonesian Students Woefully Ignorant of American History, Politics - 20 Oct 2005

Russian Afghan War Film Marks Changing Attitudes - and Evokes Chechnya - 20 Oct 2005

Iraqi & Regional Comment on Saddam Hussein Trial - 20 Oct 2005

Mugabe Blasts US & UK - But to What Effect? - 19 Oct 2005

Washington Times Editorial on Al Hurra TV - 19 Oct 2005

Spanish Court Seeks US Soldiers in Baghdad Hotel Attack - 19 Oct 2005

Venezuela's Chavez Taking Questions from BBC Audience Members - 18 Oct 2005

US-Based Indonesians Offer Advice for Karen Hughes Trip (Added 10/19: Bernama int) - 18 Oct 2005

Turkish Public Opinion toward the US and the Iraq War - 17 Oct 2005

The Rhetoric of Beheadings - 17 Oct 2005

Op Ed: US Public Diplomacy Needs More Arabic Speakers - 16 Oct 2005

UN Official: US Denying Iraqi Civilians Access to Food, Water - 16 Oct 2005

Reuters: UK's Straw to Shill for Bush in US South? - 15 Oct 2005

Syria Challenging Egypt's 'Soft Power' in Arabic TV & Film? - 15 Oct 2005

US Set to Oppose UNESCO Convention on Cultural Products - 15 Oct 2005

Canada Turns to Public Audiences in US Trade Dispute (Added 10/25: Rice Visit) - 15 Oct 2005

Coalition Publics Polled on Troop Commitments in Iraq - 15 Oct 2005

Evangelicals and US Foreign Relations - 14 Oct 2005

Karen Hughes Trip to Malaysia & Indonesia (Updated 10/15) - 14 Oct 2005

Beirut's Daily Star: AUB Hosts Program on US Public Diplomacy - 13 Oct 2005

Europeans Still Sizing Up the US, Post-Katrina (Added 10/15: Australian on US 'Working Poor') - 13 Oct 2005

Push to Renew Israel's 'Brand' - 13 Oct 2005

Dutch Court Won't Extradite to US - Has Doubts On Detainee Rights - 13 Oct 2005

WPost: Hughes Argued for Bush Meeting w/Palestinian Officials - 12 Oct 2005

Al Qaeda Letter to Zarqawi Available On-Line (Updated 10/13: Forgery Charge) - 12 Oct 2005

Taiwan Turns to 'People's Diplomacy' to Replace Official Ties - 11 Oct 2005

Venezuela's Chavez Running Strong on Alleged US Threats (Updated 10/15: Missionaries Expelled) - 11 Oct 2005

Palestinians Discuss Their International Image - 11 Oct 2005

US Earthquake Aid to Pakistan Has a PD Dimension (Updated 10/20) - 10 Oct 2005

More Reviews of Karen Hughes Trip (Updated 10/11: Lee Hamilton op-ed) - 9 Oct 2005

Al Qaeda Worried About Losing Hearts & Minds? - 9 Oct 2005 (Added 10/10: Syrian TV Program)

Vox Populi on Bush's Vox Dei - 9 Oct 2005

Turkey Uses PD in Quest for EU Membership - 8 Oct 2005

Ex-Marine's Iraq Account Published in France - 8 Oct 2005 (Added 10/10: Yee Book Excerpted in UK's Times)

Why Muslim Publics Disbelieve Accounts of Terrorist Acts - 8 Oct 2005

Anti-US Sentiment Hurts American Economy, Businessman Says - 6 Oct 2005 (Updated 10/8)

Senate Passes Rider Banning Torture of Detainees - 6 Oct 2005 (Updated 10/8: DOJ nominee withdrawn)

Advisory Comm. Member Wants Cultural Diplomacy Report Released - 5 Oct 2005 (Updated 10/10)

Rice: Extraordinary Times Call for Extraordinary Diplomacy - 4 Oct 2005 (Updated 10/7: Gulf Times Comment)

Pakistan's Aziz on Causes and Consequences of Extremism - 4 Oct 2005

US & Overseas Commentary on Hughes Trip - 3 Oct 2005 (Updated 10/4)

Think Tanks Look at US Public Diplomacy - 3 Oct 2005

"The Voice of the Caliphate" Debuts on Web - 3 Oct 2005 (Updated 10/6)

Afghan Contractor's Death Stirs Tensions - 3 Oct 2005

HRW Condemns Iraqi Insurgents' Tactics - 3 Oct 2005 (Updated 10/5)

USA Today Offers Conflicting Views on Hughes Trip - 1 Oct 2005 (Updated 10/3)

October 11, 2005 in Oct - Nov 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rumors & Urban Legends

Saigon in 1966 was, as always, a city of rumors. It breathed rumors, consumed only rumors, for the people of Saigon had long since ceased to believe anything stated officially as fact. Rumor was the only medium. Among the stories of comets falling and bombing halts there was that year one rumor that stood out from all the rest. A work of art, a Fabergé among rumors, it was so embellished with circumstantial evidence of murders and secret meetings, so exquisitely crafted of inference, coincidence, and psychological truth, that its purveyors established its value without question. The central theme of the rumor was that Premier Nguyen Cao Ky and a number of other highly placed politicians in Saigon belonged to a secret society formed in northern Vietnam before the Indochina war. The aim of this society was now to subvert the Saigon government and enlist the Americans in helping the North Vietnamese to conquer the south. (FitzGerald, 32)


Definitions

  • Rumor: 1. A story or statement in general circulation without confirmation or certainty as to facts. 2. Gossip. 3. Archaic. A clamor, a din. (Random House)
  • A collaborative interpretation of events that "allow[s] people some measure of joint control over ambiguous, stressful situations." (Samper)
  • A "collective problem-solving interaction" arising from "a combination of anxiety, uncertainty, and credulity." (Bordia and Rosnow)
  • Urban legends are similar to rumors but more complex and resonant. They crop up in somewhat different versions across geographic space and over time, like modern folktales. Their themes are "expressed through developed narratives, involving the teller through circumstantial evidence situated in his/her close environment and resorting to the ubiquitous validating character of a friend of a friend." (Campion-Vincent)


Examples

  • Foreigners posing as tourists are kidnapping village children in order to sell their body parts to wealthy Americans whose own children need organ transplants.

    This rumor "surfaced and re-surfaced" in Latin America from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s. There were several incidents in which foreign tourists were attacked (and some killed) by people who believed the tourists were threatening their children. (Samper)

  • CNN video footage of Palestinians celebrating news of the 9/11 attacks was a hoax. The footage shown was actually a decade old, shot during the first Gulf war.

    This rumor has been traced to a Web posting made by a graduate student in Brazil the night following the attacks. He wrote that one of his professors had told him s/he had copies of videotapes with the exact same footage from 1991. CNN received media queries about the claim within 24 hours of the posting. CNN issued an official denial of the allegation, backing it up with a statement from Reuters (which provided the footage) that the film was authentic. Nonetheless, the rumor continued to circulate. (Callahan)

  • The wrap-around sunglasses worn by U.S. soldiers in Iraq give them X-ray vision. The soldiers use the glasses to ogle women through their clothes.

    This was one of a number of rumors about the US military that New York Times reporter John Tierney found circulating in Baghdad in August 2003. American soldiers "can definitely see through women's clothes," an engineering student told Tierney. "It makes me angry. We are afraid to take our families out on the street." Tierney found that the rumor "would not die," even when a soldier let a boy try on his glasses to see for himself that they were just sunglasses. "He was still convinced they had X-ray vision," the soldier told Tierney. "He kept saying to me, 'Turn it on, turn it on.'" (Tierney)


Notes from Research and Practice

  • Rumors are not solely about information. They also serve psychological and social needs. They can resonate even if their factual basis is proved false. As writer Jessamyn West said of good fiction, a rumor can, for believers, "reveal a truth that reality obscures."
  • Rumors thrive when people lack credible information on, or explanations for, current events. (Bordia and Rosnow)
  • The stronger an emotional reaction someone has to a rumor, the more likely they are to pass it on - even if they don't or can't really believe it. (Fearn-Banks, 44)
  • People tend to judge the credibility of a rumor by the reliability of the person or source they hear it from rather than that of the original source. (Callahan)
  • Rumors can help individuals form activist groups by articulating shared anxiety, outrage, or grief. (Samper)
  • Stakeholders often understand that an organization can't comment on a rumor for legal or institutional reasons. In those circumstances, however, it's crucial that you make clear to stakeholders why you can't speak. ("Industry rumors")
  • Third party credibility is always helpful in responding to rumors. It's especially helpful when a respected, independent person or institution is willing to comment on a rumor that you are unable to comment on yourself. ("Industry rumors")
  • One business communication specialist puts rumors into six categories, each requiring different handling:

    1) Intentional rumors - "started to achieve a purpose;" (i.e., 'You might see Madonna if you come to our restaurant at lunch today...')

    2) "Premature fact" - "an early version of what will eventually become the truth" (e.g., an in-house rumor about pending personnel changes);

    3) Malicious rumors - "started to damage competitors' businesses";

    4) Outrageous rumors - stories so unbelievable that most people think they cannot have been made up;

    5) Nearly true rumors - rumors built around a kernel of truth; and

    6) 'Birthday' rumors - rumors that come around as regularly as birthdays (i.e., urban legends) (Fearn-Banks, 44-5)

  • An article on best practices by corporate PR specialists found that the most effective responses to rumors served one of two purposes:

    1) They limited stakeholders' uncertainty as to what might happen next (by reiterating values, principles, or priorities; by setting time limits on upcoming decisions or changes; by renewing commitments to agreements or procedures; etc.); or

    2) They improved the quality of official communications with interested groups. (DiFonzo and Bordia)


Conclusions

  • It's easier to discourage rumors than it is to stop them. The way to discourage rumors is to engage in open and candid public communication with important stakeholder groups, and to respond to stakeholder concerns before they become a source of anxiety and speculation.
  • In some cases, the best response to a rumor is to do nothing. Publicly responding to a rumor can backfire by giving it more credibility than it had to begin with. ("Why would US officials be so upset about this story if there wasn't something to it?") The key to judging when, and how forcefully, to respond to a rumor lies in understanding how concerned your stakeholders are by the allegations. When a rumor starts to threaten your relationship with a stakeholder, it's time to speak up.
  • Bordia and Rosnow's definition of rumor-mongering suggests an 'equation' for the resiliency of a rumor that might look something like this:

    (Lack of information) + (anxiety) + (lack of trust) = persistence of rumor

    Rumor 'control' that focuses exclusively on the facts of a case is not likely to succeed because it addresses only one of the three elements that feed a rumor. An effective response must also include 1) steps to address the concerns underlying the rumor and 2) efforts to increase stakeholders' trust in official sources. In fact, given the documented cases where evidence has done nothing to stop the spread of a rumor (see Tierney and Callahan), it is probably wiser to put limited public diplomacy resources into allaying anxieties and building stakeholder relationships than it is to try again and again to set the record straight.
  • Attempts to quash a rumor by getting news media to stop reporting it are risky. This approach might be effective in a case where a malicious rumor had not spread far or found much of an audience. However, with genuine rumors (rumors that resonate with the public) this strategy only makes the lack of information worse, and risks increasing public anxiety and mistrust. (Another problem with trying to censor the news is that it damages the public standing of news media that might otherwise be able to provide third party credibility for your claims.)
  • Questions that can help you decide how to respond to a rumor include:

    - What kind of a rumor is this?

    - Is there any truth to it? Does it point to a problem we need to fix?

    - Is the issue important to our stakeholders? Which ones? Why?

    - Are our stakeholders paying attention to the rumor? If so, what's their response to it? Do they want to hear something from us about it?

    - Can we provide information that might dispel the rumor? Do we need to be more open with information in general?

    - What's the underlying concern or anxiety expressed by the rumor? Can we do anything constructive to address it?

    - What is the state of our relationship with the groups influenced by the rumor? Could or should we do anything to improve the quality of that relationship?

    - Are there credible third parties (independent media, academics, community figures, etc.) who might help dispel the rumor?


Malicious Rumors / Disinformation / 'Smear Campaigns'

A favorite Soviet trick [of the 1960s] was to forge a letter or pamphlet containing outrageous sentiments (usually racist or imperialist), make it look as if it originated with USIS [the U.S. Information Service], and then give it wide circulation. Although the "black propaganda" forgeries were believed by some, the device backfired with others, who saw through the forgeries, sympathized with USIS, and blamed the Communists for making trouble. (Sorenson, 156)

There is such a thing as malicious rumor-mongering. Communications literature tends to look at such cases in a business context, but the phenomenon certainly occurs in politics and diplomacy as well.

One (rather simplistic) way of looking at a malicious rumor is to treat it as an attempt by a rival to break your relationship with a key stakeholder group. In those cases, the appropriate response is to tend to your relations with the group in question.

However, there are certainly more complex cases where the actual target of a malicious rumor is not the party being smeared, but rather an allied person or institution. Allegations that a US-funded education project is distributing pornographic images to children might be an indirect way of criticizing the local government, or of forcing the government to work with a party or union, or even of pursuing some material gain, like steering a textbook contract to a particular company. In those cases it's important to understand who is involved in the rumor-spreading, and why. It's also important to understand and accept what you can and can't change about the situation. You have some control over your reputation and your relationship with stakeholders. You have little if any control over what other people choose to say about you.


Sources

Bordia, Prashant, and Ralph L. Rosnow. (1998, December) "Rumor rest stops on the information highway." Human Communication Research, p 163. Retrieved from InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP database.

Callahan, Christopher. (2001, November) "Anatomy of an urban legend: How the bogus notion that CNN's footage of Palestinians celebrating the September 11 attacks was actually a decade old took root on the Internet." The American Journalism Review, 23:9, p 46(3). Retrieved from InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP database.

Campion-Vincent, Veronique and Nancy Scheper-Hughes. (2001, August-October) "On organ theft narratives." (Exchange of views.) Current Anthropology, 42:4, p 555. Retrieved from InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP database.

DiFonzo, Nicholas and Prashant Bordia. (2000, Summer) "How top PR professionals handle hearsay: Corporate rumors, their effects, and strategies to manage them." Public Relations Review, 26:2, p 173. Retrieved from InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP database. (Also available online, from the Institute for Public Relations.)

Fearn-Banks, Kathleen. (2002). Crisis communications: A casebook approach. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.

FitzGerald, Frances. (1972) Fire in the lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.

"Industry rumors challenge even the savvy PR veteran." (2004, July 26) PR Week, p 9. Retrieved from InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP database.

Random House Webster's College Dictionary. (1991) New York: Random House.

Samper, David. (2002, January-April) "Cannibalizing kids: Rumor and resistance in Latin America." Journal of Folklore Research, 39:1, p 1(34). Retrieved from InfoTrac Expanded Academic ASAP database.

Sorenson, Thomas C. (1968) The word war: The story of American propaganda. New York: Harper & Row.

Tierney, John. (2003, August 7) "G.I.s have X-ray vision, of course." The New York Times, p A-10. Retrieved from ProQuest National Newspapers database.

October 08, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (4)

Aug - Sept, 2005

More Abu Ghraib Photos May Be Released - 30 Sept 2005

Lebanon's Daily Star Condems Talk of US Iraq Withdrawal - 29 Sept 2005

Advisory Commission on PD Issues 2005 Report - 29 Sept 2005 (Updated 9/30)

Karen Hughes in Turkey - 28 Sept 2005 (Updated 10/1)

Iraqis Comment on Lynndie England Sentence - 28 Sept 2005

A View of the US from a Baghdad Neighborhood, Then and Now - 27 Sept 2005

Asharq Alawsat Columnist on Karen Hughes' Mideast Tour - 27 Sept 2005 (Updated 9/28)

Karen Hughes in Saudi Arabia - 27 Sept 2005 (Updated 9/29)

Karen Hughes in Egypt II - 27 Sept 2005

Arab Super Heros Embody Popular Values - 26 Sept 2005

Karen Hughes in Egypt - 26 Sept 2005

China Sets Further Limits on Internet Content - 25 Sept 2005

Iraq Analyses: Taking the Name of Public Opinion in Vain? - 25 Sept 2005

HRW: US Military Tortured Iraqi Prisoners at Fallujah Base - 24 Sept 2005 (Updated 9/27)

Al Jazeera Journalist Discusses US Image Problem - 24 Sept 2005

Report Sets Scene for Hughes Trip - 24 Sept 2005

David Ignatius: Lessons on Anti-Americanism in Cairo - 23 Sept 2005

US-Led Forces Alienating the Iraqi Public, Australia's Jeffery Says - 23 Sept 2005

Oxford Analytica Conference Looks at Brand America - 22 Sept 2005

Hughes to Visit Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey - 22 Sept 2005 (Updated 9/25)

NPR Airs Reports on Katrina & US Image - 21 Sept 2005 (Added 9/22: LA Weekly)

Australian Brigadier: Guantanamo Costing US Int'l Support - 20 Sept 2005 (Updated 9/26)

Taking Stock of the US, Post-Katrina III - 20 Sept 2005

US-Mexican Relations: Preemptive Praise? - 20 Sept 2005

Commentary: Chavez Wins "Game, Set and Match" with Katrina Aid - 20 Sept 2005

Newsweek: Al Qaeda Turns to English-Speaking Rep's, Media - 19 Sept 2005

US Foundations Support African Universities - 19 Sept 2005

Chavez Speaks to US (and Home) Audiences, Media - 18 Sept 2005

Iraqi Hearts & Minds Wooed with Ads, News, PR -- and Threats - 18 Sept 2005

Clinton, Murdoch (Maybe Blair) Say BBC Katrina Coverage Was Biased - 18 Sept 2005

Guantanamo Still in the News (Hunger Strke) - 17 Sept 2005 (updated 19 Sept; AlJazeera.com item removed 26 Sept 2005)

Chavez Blasts US, Wants UN to Leave NY - 16 Sept 2005

UK Public: Bush Handled Katrina Badly (Added 9/16: Russian Poll) - 15 Sept 2005

DC Firms Will Lobby for India, Pakistan - 15 Sept 2005

Bush Adopts Kinder, Gentler Tone at UN This Year - 15 Sept 2005 (updated 19 Sept)

Fool Me Once...? US Case on Iran Gets Mixed Reaction - 14 Sept 2005 (updated 19 Sept)

Are There Universal Moral Values? - 14 Sept 2005

Katrina Sets Scene for Bush UN Address - 14 Sept 2005 (updated 17 Sept)

Bush to Ask World Leaders' Support on Iraq, Democracy - 14 Sept 2005

Iran Focus: Katrina Exposed US Weakness - 13 Sept 2005 (Correction re. source added 26 Sept 2005)

US Diplomacy and German Public Opinion - 13 Sept 2005

A Russian History of Cultural Diplomacy - 13 Sept 2005 (updated 16 Sept)

Russians Want Tighter Control of Adoptions to US - 13 Sept 2005 (updated 14 Sept)

Taking Stock of the US, Post-Katrina II - 13 Sept 2005

A History of US Public Diplomacy - 12 Sept 2005

Hughes Address to ISNA: An Audience Member's View - 12 Sept 2005 (Updated 16 Sept: Mass. Proposals)

Katrina Delivers a Blow to US Image VI - 11 Sept 2005 (corrected 12 Sept)

Musharraf Hopes to Repair Pakistan's Image in US - 11 Sept 2005

Editorial Cartoons on Katrina, 9/11 Anniversary - 11 Sept 2005

Mexico Provides Katrina Aid to US; Concern for 'Illegals' Caught in Storm - 10 Sept 2005

Palestinian Authority Strives to Revise Gaza's Image - 10 Sept 2005

Private Contractors and US Image in Iraq - II - 10 Sept 2005

AFP: Al Qaeda, Losing Ground, Steps Up PR - 10 Sept 2005 (updated 14 Sept)

US Amb Thanks France for Katrina Aid - 10 Sept 2005

Karen Hughes Sworn In as Under Secretary for PD - 10 Sept 2005 (updated 11 Sept)

Katrina Delivers a Blow to US Image V - 10 Sept 2005

Historic Ties Prompt French Post-Katrina Aid - 10 Sept 2005

Hughes Presents PD Strategy to State Personnel - 9 Sept 2005

Views on Katrina from a Prague Street - 8 Sept 2005

Greek FoMin Hosts Conference on Public Diplomacy - 8 Sept 2005

Leach: US Int'l Image on Trial Following Katrina - 8 Sept 2005

Pakistan Seeks Support at Home for Talks w/Israel - 8 Sept 2005 (updated 9 Sept)

Op-Ed on Cultural Diplomacy (Boston Globe) - 7 Sept 2005

RSF: Yahoo Helped Silence Chinese Reporter - 7 Sept 2005 (updated 13 Sept)

Ethiopians Warned of Illegal Migration Risks - 7 Sept 2005 (updated 11 Sept)

Chinese See US Differently as Economy, Confidence Grow - 7 Sept 2005

Taking Stock of the US, Post-Katrina - 7 Sept 2005

Canada Hopes Katrina Aid Will Improve Relations w/US - 7 Sept 2005

US, EU Publics Drifting Apart, Poll Finds - 7 Sept 2005

Katrina Delivers a Blow to US Image IV - 6 Sept 2005

Is North Korea Trying a Softer Tone? - 5 Sept 2005

VOA: Karen Hughes' Plans for PD Campaign - 5 Sept 2005

Katrina Delivers a Blow to US Image III - 5 Sept 2005

Commentary: What's at Issue in Struggle for Hearts & Minds - 4 Sept 2005

Karen Hughes: Defender of the Faithful? - 4 Sept 2005

Al Qaeda Hails Katrina - 4 Sept 2005 (Updated 5 Sept 2005)

Katrina Delivers a Blow to US Image II - 4 Sept 2005

Post-9/11 Arab PD in the US / Chalabi's PR - 3 Sept 2005

Saddam Hussein: Yes, It's Definitely Image Repair - 3 Sept 2005

Exhibit Presents Middle East's Perceptions of the West - 3 Sept 2005 (Updated 4 Sept 2005)

Hughes Speaks to Islamic Conference in Illinois - 2 Sept 2005 (Updated 4 Sept 2005)

Katrina Delivers a Blow to US Image - 2 Sept 2005 (Updated 3 Sept 2005)

Foreign Response to Hurricane Katrina - 2 Sept 2005 (Updated 3 Sept 2005)

US Revises Procedures for Guantanamo Hearings - 2 Sept 2005

Egyptian Reformers Ambivalent on US Support - 1 Sept 2005

Businesses in China Battle Rumors, Smears - 1 Sept 2005

Bolivian Candidates Trade Jibes on US, Venezuelan Ties - 31 Aug 2005

Commentary: Public Diplomacy Needs Stronger Internet Presence - 31 Aug 2005

UN Official Says US Policy Undermining AIDS Prevention Programs - 30 Aug 2005

IFJ Wants UN Review of Journalist Deaths in Iraq - 30 Aug 2005 (Updated 2 Sept 2005)

Is America's Pop Culture Its Own Worst Enemy Overseas? - 29 Aug 2005

Venezuela Wants Action on Robertson Remarks - 29 Aug 2005

Public Eye on US Amb's to UK, Canada, Mexico - 28 Aug 2005

Australians Question Guantanamo Detention Case - 28 Aug 2005

South Korea Finds Soft Power in Soaps - 28 Aug 2005

Punishment for Detainees' Deaths Too Light, Karzai Spokesman Says - 27 Aug 2005

UK Press on US Proposals for UN Reform - 26 Aug 2005 (Updated 2 Sept 2005)

Brazilian Soap Opera Shapes Ideas of Emigrant Life in US - 26 Aug 2005

Dissident Journalists Begin Burmese TV News Service - 26 Aug 2005

Pakistan's Public Diplomacy - 25 Aug 2005 (Updated 27 Aug 2005)

Hughes to Attend Islamic Conference of North America Conference - 25 Aug 2005

Commentary on Brand America - 24 Aug 2005

Study Finds US & Chinese Really Do See Things Differently - 23 Aug 2005

Postcard from Cairo: Public Attention Turning Inward? - 23 Aug 2005

A Christian Proposal: Let's Kill Chavez - 23 Aug 2005 (Updated 27 Aug 2005)

Chinese Media: A Thousand Channels Bloom - 22 Aug 2005 (Updated 31 Aug 2005)

Navy Orders Criminal Investigation Into Shooting of Amb's Cousin - 22 Aug 2005

US Influence Over Internet Registries Questioned - 21 Aug 2005

"Rapid Response" Teams to Defend US Image - 21 Aug 2005

US PD in Venezuela Could Be Undercut by Drug Policy - 21 Aug 2005

Official Argues US Case on Guantanamo, Detentions - 20 Aug 2005

US Pop Culture and Social Change in India - 17 Aug 2005

US Ad Campaign on Dangers of Illegal Border Crossings - 18 Aug 2005 (Updated 3 Sept 2005)

US Public Diplomacy Needs Interfaith Dialogue, Realism, VOA Panelists Say - 18 Aug 2005

Sunshine State Downplays US Affiliation for Int'l Tourists? - 17 Aug 2005

Public Diplomacy Potential Seen in Science, Technology Exchanges - 17 Aug 2005

Iraq an Issue in New Zealand Elections - 17 Aug 2005

The Role of Motherhood in Anti-War Rhetoric - 17 Aug 2005

Report Contradicts Official Account of London Tube Shooting - 17 Aug 2005

An American in France on Franco-US Perceptions - 16 Aug 2005

Judith Miller Jailing Bad Example for Hemisphere, LA Journalists Say - 16 Aug 2005

How America Won Over Europe (Book Review) - 15 Aug 2005

London Bombers' Roots Portrayed in Fiction - 15 Aug 2005

Observers See Tough Work Ahead for Karen Hughes - 15 Aug 2005

US Asks Iraqi Public's Help Against Roadside Bombs - 15 Aug 2005

US Exchanges Need More Exchange, US Grad Says - 14 Aug 2005

North Korea: Crazy Talk May Not Be As Crazy As It Seems - 14 Aug 2005

Cold War Thinking Seen in ABC-Russia Spat - 13 Aug 2005

Cleared Guantanamo Detainee Alleges Physical Abuse, Unwanted Repatriation - 13 Aug 2005

US-Venezuelan Relations Continue to Worsen - 13 Aug 2005 (Updated 17 Aug 2005)

ACLU, HR Groups Seek Abu Ghraib Videos - 13 Aug 2005

Turks Say Terror Arises from Politics, Economics, Not Faith - 12 Aug 2005

Japan Uses Internet to Reach Chinese & Korean Youth - 12 Aug 2005 (Updated 15 Aug 2005)

Official Statements, Public Passions Deepen Russia-Poland Rift - 11 Aug 2005

'Red Cards' Reined in US Iraq Troops, Australian Officer Says - 9 Aug 2005

Terrorism Changing Int'l Values on Privacy vs. Security? - 9 Aug 2005

Clinton: US Needs Global Goodwill to Fight Terrorism - 9 Aug 2005

Zarqawi Group Uses Internet for Propaganda, Instruction - 9 Aug 2005

9/11 Conspiracy DVD Sent to French Media - 8 Aug 2005

Russian TV to Promote Patriotism, Enhance Int'l Image - 8 Aug 2005 (Updated 12 Aug 2005)

Taleban Figure Boosts Standing w/Video of Helicopter Downing - 7 Aug 2005

Scotland on Sunday Profiles US Ambassador to UK - 7 Aug 2005

Heritage Foundation Backgrounder on Public Diplomacy - 6 Aug 2005

Traditional Indian Theatre Stages Play on London Bombings - 6 Aug 2005

US Guardsmen Reportedly Ran 'Rent' Scheme in Baghdad - 6 Aug 2005

DOD Opens Up to Congress on Guantanamo - 6 Aug 2005

Al Qaeda Tape: Warning to West, or Reassurance to Followers? - 5 Aug 2005 (Updated 6 Aug 2005)

US Will Transfer Afghan Guantanamo Inmates to Afghanistan - 5 Aug 2005

Security Think Tank Provides US News to Foreign Press, Publics - 5 Aug 2005

Renewed Allegations of US 'Secret Prisons' - 4 Aug 2005

US Drops from Top Ten 'Nation Brand' Rankings - 3 Aug 2005

Three Views on Sources of Extremism - 3 Aug 2005 (Updated 4 Aug 2005)

No Evolution in 'War on Terror' - and Conflicting Evidence on Intelligent Design - 3 Aug 2005

Americans Worried by US Image Abroad, Survey Finds - 3 Aug 2005

US Blacks Question Int'l Reach of Racist Images - 2 Aug 2005

US Killing of Iraqi Amb's Cousin Still Unexplained - 2 Aug 2005

When PD Audiences Include Criminals (Israeli Bomb Case) - 2 Aug 2005

Russian FoMin Pulls ABC's Accreditation - 2 Aug 2005 (Updated 3 Aug 2005: Beslan Victim Dies)

Pentagon Pulls Unattributed Quotes from Press Releases - 2 Aug 2005

Private Contractors and US Image in Iraq - 1 Aug 2005 (Updated 4 Aug 2005)

Bolton Gets Recess Appointment to UN - 1 Aug 2005

Australia's ABC: Memos Show Guantanamo Hearings Biased - 1 Aug 2005 (Updated 4 Aug 2005)

US Looks to Traditional Leaders in Parts of Iraq - 1 Aug 2005

September 13, 2005 in August - September 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)

May - July, 2005

Recent Bombings Mark Turning Point in Muslim Public Opinion - 31 July 2005

Carter Denounces Guantanamo at Int'l Baptist Conference - 31 July 2005

A Look Back at Cold War Cultural Diplomacy - 30 July 2005

And Now, Russian Orthodox TV - 30 July 2005

US Argues Guantanamo Secrecy Needed for Detainees' Protection - 30 July 2005

Tardy US Human Rights Reports Raise Questions - 30 July 2005

Conflicting Views from Baghdad Streets, Green Zone - 30 July 2005

Algerian Press Reacts to Murder of Diplomats in Baghdad - 29 July 2005

Russians Protest ABC Interview with Chechen Terrorist - 29 July 2005

Saddam's Image on Brazilian Phone Cards - 28 July 2005

Argentine Activists Seek to Ban Bush Visit - 28 July 2005

Egyptians Debate Sources of Extremism (Updated 7/30/05) - 28 July 2005

Art Buchwald on Pro-Americanism - 28 July 2005

Niger Famine - Would A More Timely "CNN Effect" Have Helped? - 27 July 2005

'War on Terror' Evolves Into...Something - 26 July 2005

US Military Increases Afghan Employment - 26 July 2005

Venezuela's Telesur Begins Broadcasts - 25 July 2005

Jailed US Filmmaker Claims 'Embedded' Status w/US Mercenaries - 24 July 2005

Pakistani Clerics Say Anger Distorts Idea of Jihad - 24 July 2005

London Tube Shooting Highlights Public Fears, Anger (Updated 7/27) - 24 July 2005

Iran: University Petition Supports Nuclear Program - 24 July 2005

Americans & Japanese Differ On Views of Past, Future - 24 July 2005

Bin Laden Inspires Indians - to Sell Insurance - 22 July 2005

Released Guantanamo Inmate Gives Different Account of Koran Abuse - 22 July 2005

Hughes Senate Confirmation Hearing (Updated 7/26) - 22 July 2005

Radio Free Venezuela? - 21 July 2005

Iraqis Observe Moment of Silence for Victims of Bombings - 21 July 2005

Congressman's Remarks on Bombing Islamic Holy Sites Gets International Attention - 20 July 2005

Koreans Clash Over How to Remember MacArthur - 19 July 2005

Terrorism Rhetoric Plays Role in US-Venezuela Conflict - 19 July 2005

UK Extremists Use Images, 'Missionaries' to Recruit - 17 July 2005

Profile of Baghdad Library, Patrons - 16 July 2005

US Army Investigates Abuse Allegations in Baghdad - 16 July 2005

Blair: Al Qaeda Ideology Must Be Rejected - 16 July 2005

Countries w/Troops in Iraq Move Toward Withdrawal (Updated 7/24) - 15 July 2005

Poll Finds Less Sympathy for Extremists in Indonesia, Morocco, Elsewhere - 14 July 2005

Beirut's Daily Star on US "CultureConnect" Program - 13 July 2005

China Bans Coop Agreements with Foreign Broadcasters - 14 July 2005

More on UK Muslim Reaction to London Attacks (LA Times) - 13 July 2005

Muslim (and Arab) Reaction to London Bombings, in UK and Abroad - 13 July 2005

Add This Man to Ranks of Pro-Americans: Danish Pizzeria Owner - 13 July 2005

Iraq + Internet = A Perfect Storm? - 12 July 2005

Iraqi PM Criticizes Checkpoint Procedures - 12 July 2005

Laura Bush Begins Africa Tour - 12 July 2005

Robert Kagan on US vs. European Worldviews - 11 July 2005

Afghan Villagerers Hid Wounded SEAL from Taleban - 11 July 2005

Ceremony Commemorates Sinking of Rainbow Warrior - 11 July 2005

New Sudanese VP's Rise Drew on Public Diplomacy - 10 July 2005

Haiti: Peacekeepers' Gangster is Slum Dwellers' Hero - 10 July 2005

Syrian Dissidents Speak Through Internet, Satellite TV - 10 July 2005

Army Report: No Pattern of Abuse by Guantanamo Medics - 10 July 2005

Meet the Pro-Americans - Applebaum FP Article, Profile of Italian CIA Prosecutor - 9 July 2005

London Bombings: Blair Statements - 8 July 2005

Ahmed Rashid on Afghanistan - 7 July 2005

Saddam Lawyer Cites US Interference - by US Lawyers, That Is - 7 July 2005

Wash. Post Profiles Acting UN Ambassador Anne Patterson - 7 July 2005

Rice Uses Personal History to Promote Democracy in Latin America - 6 July 2005

US Medical Team Attacked in Afghanistan, Near Site of Recent Airstrike - 6 July 2005

Did Pyongyang Use "Nightline" to Send Washington a Message? - 6 July 2005

Bush: Come on Down to Guantanamo - There's "Total Transparency" - 6 July 2005

Afghan Government Decries Civilian Deaths in US Airstrike (Updated: Call to 'Rethink' US Tactics) - 5 July 2005

US Ambassador Labels Haiti's Violence Terrorism - 5 July 2005

Head of US Mission Speaks Up for (Cuban) Dissidents - 5 July 2005

Al-Jazeera Plans English Broadcasts; Egyptian Editors Replaced (Updated 7/6/05) - 5 July 2005

Wash. Post Profiles Pakistan's Imran Khan - 4 July 2005

Iraq Responds to Charges of Police Torture (Updated 7/7/05) - 4 July 2005

Iraqi Journalist Killed in Mosul (also: KR Reporter's Death) - 3 July 2005

CPA's Man in Kut Recounts April 2004 Revolt - 2 July 2005

Canada's US Ambassador Rallies Fellow Citizens Against Fox News - 2 July 2005

Kissinger Regrets Slurring Indians and PM Gandhi - 2 July 2005

Iraqi UN Ambassador Says Cousin Killed by US Marines (Updated 7/3/05) - 2 July 2005

Baath Party Spin on Bush Speech: Final Throes, But Not of Insurgency - 1 July 2005

Botswanans: American Support on AIDS Heard But Not Seen - 1 July 2005

Al Jazeera Warned Away from Reporting on US-Mexican Border (Updated 7/3/05) - 1 July 2005

Canadian Lawyer Wants US Agents Arrested over Arar Rendition - 1 July 2005

State Spokesman on Secret Prison Ships Story - 1 July 2005

CIA Milan Abduction - Who Knew What, When? (Updated 7/1/05) - 30 June 2005

Guantanamo - Congressional Hearings in DC, Ex-Detainee Cleared in Kuwait - 30 June 2005

Iraqi Journalist Reported Killed by US Fire (Updated 30 June) - 29 June 2005

Bush: We'll Free the Oppressed; UN: US Running Secret Prison Ships - 29 June 2005

US Woman Promotes English Teaching in Laos (Updated 7/5: Cambodian School) - 29 June 2005

Iraqis React to Bush Speech - 29 June 2005

Bush Speaks to Nation on Iraq - 28 June 2005

Italian Court Plans CIA Extradition Request - 28 June 2005

Khamenai Suggests Rafsanjani WAS Smeared - By the US - 28 June 2005

Venezuela's Telesur to Show 'True Face' of Latin America - 28 June 2005

Russian Guantanamo Detainee Speaks on Abuses - 28 June 2005

Rice to Meet High School Exchange Students (Updated 7/5/05) - 27 June 2005

Foreign Media on Iranian Elections: Blogger Bias? (Updated 30 June) - 27 June 2005

Brazilians Fear US Designs on Amazon (LA Times) - 27 June 2005

Freed Guantanamo Detainees Allege Mistreatment - 27 June 2005

World Press Reaction to Iran Election Results - 27 June 2005

Blair Backs Contacts w/Iraqi Insurgents (Updated 6/29/05) - 27 June 2005

American Exceptionalism and Public Diplomacy: A View from 1968 - 26 June 2005

China's CNOOC Retains US PR, Lobbying Firms in UNOCAL Bid - 26 June 2005

Jordan Bans Novel by Saddam Hussein - 26 June 2005

American Exceptionalism and World Opinion (Zinn & Ignatieff Essays) - 25 June 2005

Al Azhar Clears Publication of Bush Canard - 25 June 2005

Italian Judge Orders Arrests in Extraordinary Rendition Case (Updated 26 June) - 24 June 2005

Doctors Helped in Gitmo Interrogations (NYT) - 24 June 2005

Arab Media Critical of Iraqi Insurgency, Observers Say - 24 June 2005

US Image Still Marred, Pew Study Finds - 24 June 2005

CIA Report: Iraq an Incubator for Terrorists - 23 June 2005

Bolton Nomination - All Bets Off? - 23 June 2005

Evangelical Christians Follow US Troops Into Iraq - 23 June 2005

UN Says It Has Reliable Accounts of Guantanamo Torture - 23 June 2005

International Media on Guantanamo - 22 June 2005

Rice Speaks on Democracy at American University in Cairo (Updated 22 June) - 21 June 2005

Khalilzad: I Will Work with the Iraqi Public - 21 June 2005

Latin American Public Opinion and Free Trade Agreements - 21 June 2005

Anthony Lewis: Why Guantanamo Abuse Matters - 21 June 2005

Image Repair for Saddam Hussein? - 21 June 2005

More on Alleged Politicization at VOA - 21 June 2005

Al-Jazeera Under Fire - From Al Qaeda in Iraq - 20 June 2005

WSJ Profiles VOA's Pattiz (Peace Through Razzmatazz?) - 20 June 2005

Guantanamo Should Be Closed, Clinton Tells FT [Financial Times (London)] - 20 June 2005

US Agencies Face Foreign Language Gap - 20 June 2005

Bush Remarks a Boon to Iran Hardliners? - 19 June 2005

A View of the World from Sadr City - 19 June 2005

USC Introduces Master's Degree Program in Public Diplomacy - 18 June 2005

BBC Sizes Up US Foreign Assistance - 17 June 2005

Poll on US-French Attitudes: We're Not Sympas, They're Not Trustworthy - 17 June 2005

Al-Jazeera Has a New Look - 16 June 2005

Profile of Internews Founder David Hoffmann - 16 June 2005

BBG's Pattiz in the News ([Dina] Powell Vote, VOA) - 16 June 2005

CFR Report on Promoting Democracy in Middle East - 15 June 2005

AP Report on Other Nations' PD Efforts in US - 14 June 2005

Madrassas Not a Source of Terror, Scholars Say - 14 June 2005

Pentagon Funds Psy Ops (Not Public Diplomacy!) Effort - 14 June 2005

Military Force Not Enough to End Iraqi Conflict, US Officers Say - 14 June 2005

Rumsfeld: We've Got an Image Problem - 14 June 2005

Guantanamo Allegations Continue to Resonate - 14 June 2005

EccStar Back in Mid-June - 29 May 2005

Wash. Post: PD Part of Revised Anti-Terrorism Strategy - 29 May 2005

Rice: Move Along, There's Nothing to See Here - 28 May 2005

Filipino Workers at US Iraq Bases Go On Strike - 28 May 2005

Friday Protests Across Muslim World Over Koran Desecration - 28 May 2005

Australia Apologizes for Improper Detentions, Deportations - 27 May 2005

Rumsfeld: Globalized Media a Challenge - 26 May 2005

Senators Encourage US-China Language Study, Exchanges - 26 May 2005

Pakistan's ISI Behind Newsweek Riots? - 26 May 2005

Canadian Friendly Fire Victims Honored by US Army - 25 May 2005

US to Palestinians: Look What We've Done For You Lately (USAID advertising blitz) - 25 May 2005

US Rewriting Arms Control History? - 25 May 2005

Do Lebanese Support Our Troops? - 25 May 2005

Amnesty Int'l: Guantanamo "The Gulag of Our Time" - 25 May 2005

Reuters: Al Qaeda Asks for Prayers for Wounded Zarqawi - 24 May 2005 (Updated 25 May 2005)

India's Deccan Herald on US Credibility - 24 May 2005

Laura Bush In Egypt - 24 May 2005

The Bright Idea Behind Tabloids' Saddam Photos - 23 May 2005

UK's Telegraph Paints Hobbesian Picture of New Iraq (Organ sales) - 23 May 2005

Venezuelan President Chavez Wooing the Hemisphere - 23 May 2005

France to Google: Touche pas! / China's Net Censorship (Updated 6/14/05) - 23 May 2005

Ugandan Gov't Retains Hill & Knowlton - 23 May 2005

AP Gets Guantanamo Documents - 22 May 2005

CFR Report Sees Hope for US PD - 22 May 2005

Laura Bush in Jerusalem: Grace Under Fire - 22 May 2005

Citizen Diplomacy on Sudan - 21 May 2005

Karzai Washington Visit: The Best Defense is a Good Offense? - 21 May 2005

Justice Takes Time, Iranian Judge Tells Canadians (Investigation into photographer's death) - 21 May 2005

Um, Could This Be Why Some People Hate Us? - 21 May 2005

My $5 Bets (Issue Scan) - 21 May 2005

Iraq's Shiite Protesters - Public, Yes; But A PD Audience Too? - 20 May 2005

Koran Demonstrations: Not Just Afghanistan, Not Just 'The Street' - 20 May 2005

May 20: Saddam Photo, RC Warning, What Bush Should Have Said - and a Blast from the Past - 20 May 2005

Truth is Stranger than Metaphor: Pepsi CEO's Address to Columbia MBAs - 19 May 2005

US PD in Iraq: Roots for Changes (Ghougassian article on PD in Iraq) - 19 May 2005

The Hand of History Dials Up Algerian-French Tensions - 19 May 2005

O Strange New World: PD Finds a Domestic Constituency - 18 May 2005

And They Thought Unidentified Small Aircraft Were Scary (Galloway Senate Testimony) - 18 May 2005

Mexican President Vicente Fox & Jesse Jackson: From Conflict to Cooperation - 18 May 2005

The Tangled Web Behind Chinese Anti-Japan Protests - 18 May 2005

Heard of Larry Sabato? Here's Why - 18 May 2005

Venezuela's Chavez Looks to the Skies - 18 May 2005

Why DO Muslims Protest Abuse of Koran But Not of People? - 18 May 2005

5/18 Items on Newsweek Koran Allegation - 18 May 2005

A Pro's View of the Newsweek Koran Story - 17 May 2005

The Right Response to Newsweek Fallout (US military mends relations w/Afghans) - 17 May 2005

Promoting Democracy (in Egypt): More Thorns in the Rose - 17 May 2005

Right Task, Wrong Taskee on Newsweek Fallout - 17 May 2005

As Others See Us: Calcutta Telegraph on Departing US ConGen - 17 May 2005

Americans Offended, for a Change (Fox Apology) - 17 May 2005

USG, Pakistan, Newsweek - Shared Values? (Views on Newsweek story) - 17 May 2005

Promoting Democracy: The Thorn in the Rose (Jordanian Professional Associations) - 16 May 2005

Newsweek Koran Story: The Court of Public Opinion Speaks - 16 May 2005

Newsweek: The Other Shoe Drops - 16 May 2005

Newsweek on Koran Story: 'Never Mind'? - 15 May 2005

Afghans' Perspectives on Koran Protests - 15 May 2005

The Art of Image Restoration (US-Colombian tensions over drug, gun smuggling charges) - 14 May 2005

Why People Tune In to Al-Jazeera - 14 May 2005

Al-Jazeera and USG - Strange Bedfellows? (Third party credibility) - 14 May 2005

As James Carville Would Say: It's the Policy, Stupid - 14 May 2005

VOA Gives Way to Meow TV? - 14 May 2005

As Pogo Put It - "Food for Thought Is No Substitute for the Real Thing" (Recipient awareness of Tsunami aid) - 14 May 2005

More Protests Over Reports of Koran Desecration by US Guards - 14 May 2005

Between the Idea and the Reality / Between the Motion and the Act... (Unfilled UN & State posts) - 13 May 2005

Well, Technically He's Not Being Exported... (Bolton nomination) - 13 May 2005

Reported Koran Desecration Sparks Anti-US Protests - 12 May 2005

About the Public Diplomacy Weblog - 12 May 2005

September 13, 2005 in May - July 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0)