Strategic Communications (pt 2): State Dept Public Policy Chief Nominee: U.S. enemies 'eating our lunch' online

[nerdgirl 0]

Excerpts:
“The man nominated to head public diplomacy at the State Department said Wednesday that al Qaeda is doing a better job than the Bush administration in winning friends over the Internet. ‘Our enemies are eating our lunch in terms of getting the word out in digital technology,’ [emphasis nerdgirl] said James Glassman.

“He was answering questions at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. If approved by the committee and then by the Senate, Glassman would succeed President Bush's longtime friend and adviser Karen Hughes as assistant secretary of state for public diplomacy.

“Glassman is now the chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors -- responsible for the radio, television and Internet networks paid for by U.S. taxpayers -- such as the Voice of America, available in dozens of languages, and Arabic language Alhurra TV and Radio Sawa.

“Glassman's comments Wednesday echoed a November speech by Defense Secretary Robert Gates [A fantastic, visionary speech, im-ever-ho, ... which I completely missed! – nerdgirl] in which he said the United States needs more speed, agility and cultural relevance in its communications.

" ‘Public relations was invented in the United States, yet we are miserable at communicating to the rest of the world what we are about as a society and a culture, about freedom and democracy, about our policies and our goals,’ Gates said. ‘It is just plain embarrassing that al Qaeda is better at communicating its message on the Internet than America.’

“Glassman said he agrees "with the spirit" of Gates' criticism and said he would continue the work begun by Hughes and others to use person-to-person contacts, student and cultural exchanges and new technologies to push the United States' message.

“Glassman said the United States must overturn a misconception in the Muslim world that it is a military threat, that it wants to weaken and divide the Muslim world and spread Christianity.”

More at VOA.

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying