The hottest Public Diplomacy Substack posts right now

There is a second front — an information war — against Iran and other rivals, and many experts worry the U.S. is ill-equipped to win it.
Rousing public calls for Iranians to rise may not work if U.S. messages can't reliably reach or influence people inside Iran.
The agencies meant to project American information power are in disarray, weakening that capability — for example, USAGM failed an audit because it couldn’t provide proper financial documentation.

American soft power was once built not just by the US government but by private networks—big brands, universities, philanthropy, entertainment, and global corporations shaped how the world saw America.
That soft power is weakening as major American brands deliberately downplay their U.S. origins and localize their image abroad, so consumers in places like Germany are increasingly choosing brands framed as local.
Soft power is a flexible network shaped by geopolitics, markets, and consumer tastes, so corporate branding and historical context can reconfigure influence and weaken old cultural ties between the U.S. and Europe.

American international broadcasters like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, which for decades spread U.S. values, have been mothballed and America has lost a key voice overseas.
The administration has used military force and bold actions abroad while avoiding U.S. casualties, but those moves haven’t produced the intended long-term results, such as stopping Iran’s programs or securing peace in Gaza.
Without traditional broadcasting and consistent diplomatic follow-through, the U.S. can demonstrate strength but lacks the sustained influence and outreach needed to achieve its foreign-policy goals.

The State Department has used visa revocations against five people accused of censoring, demonetizing, or suppressing American viewpoints, signaling a new tool to push back on foreign censorship.
The conversation covered wide free-speech concerns across the U.S. and Europe — including fact-checking, debanking, censorship trends, and how diplomacy can respond to information control.
The podcast will publish interview clips, invite listener suggestions and guests, and encourages subscriptions as it follows next steps and evolving norms for free speech.

General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasizes the importance of telling China's story well to enhance international communication; there's a need for improvement as some countries show a decline in positive views toward China.
Challenges in telling China's story abroad include misconceptions that it's solely the government's responsibility, restrictions on non-govt interactions, and lack of incentives for leaders in foreign affairs.
Recommendations to address these challenges include raising awareness about public participation, reducing restrictions on exchanges, and encouraging retired officials to engage in foreign activities.

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