Archive for 'Image'
The Narrative Gap in the New PD Strategy
by Steven R. Corman
A new “strategic framework” for U.S. Public Diplomacy has at long last been released. Oddly, it is a slide show rather than a paper, but perhaps that’s because it is to be the basis for a briefing today. My colleague Phil Seib has already expressed disappointment in the new proposal:
It is so lacking [...]
Posted: March 10th, 2010 under Complexity, Diplomacy, Image, Narrative, Sensemaking, State Dept., Strategic Comm..
Comments: none
How Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp Can Save the World
by Jeff Halverson
In the war of ideas for the “hearts and minds” of the Muslim world, cultural diplomacy can go a long way. The US government may not be very popular abroad, but our cultural products certainly are. Many Muslims hate our policies, but they still love our movies, listen to our pop music, and [...]
Posted: March 2nd, 2010 under Analysis, Counterterrorism, Diplomacy, Education, Image, Islam, Media, Popular Culture, State Dept., Strategic Comm..
Comments: 2
Let’s Amplify Extremist Contradictions
by Steven R. Corman
Yesterday the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report on civilian casualties in Afghanistan over the last year. It concluded that “2009 proved to be the deadliest year yet for civilians since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.” The surprise is what it says about the causes [...]
Posted: January 14th, 2010 under Afghanistan, Image, Pakistan, Sensemaking, Strategic Comm..
Comments: 1
Why “Moderate Islam” is the Wrong Language
by Mark Woodward*
The terminology used in English and other European languages to discuss Islam, and especially Muslim political movements, shifts constantly. There is a general consensus, shared by many in the Muslim world, that “radical” and “extremist” are appropriately characterize individuals and movements that advocate and/or employ violence to accomplish their political ends.
Beyond this the [...]
Posted: December 12th, 2009 under Analysis, Image, Islam, Language, Media.
Comments: 6
Why is Friedman So Mystified?
by Steven R. Corman
Last Friday, Thomas Friedman published and op-ed in the New York Times entitled America vs. The Narrative in which he expressed bewilderment/exasperation that the anti-U.S narrative is getting so much traction in the Muslim world:
Yes, after two decades in which U.S. foreign policy has been largely dedicated to rescuing Muslims or trying [...]
Posted: December 1st, 2009 under Image, Narrative, Sensemaking.
Comments: 5
The More They Know the Less They Like
by Steven R. Corman
I just ran across this interesting release from Gallup. It cross-analyzes data from Gallup’s Communications Index “which measures the extent to which respondents are connected via electronic communications” and approval of U.S. leadership. The results are not too encouraging. Basically, the more wired the respondents are, the less inclined they are to [...]
Posted: April 19th, 2009 under Image, technology.
Comments: 1
Getting Beat in the War of Ideas
by Steven R. Corman
A new study of public opinion in Muslim countries was released this week by WorldPublicOpinion.org. The study was conducted between July and September of 2008, using in-home interviews of around 1100 people in each of Egypt, Indonesia, and Pakistan, plus “supplemental polling” of 500-1000 people in each of Jordan, the Palestinian territories, [...]
Posted: February 26th, 2009 under Analysis, Counterterrorism, Image, Sensemaking.
Comments: 3
Obama’s Impressive First Week in Strategic Communication with Muslims
by Steven R. Corman
In November of last year I published an op-ed piece expressing my hope that President Barack Obama would follow-through with his campaign pledges to use humility to help repair the country’s image with Muslims abroad.
In his first week in office, Obama has made two important moves in this direction. First, he pledged [...]
Posted: January 27th, 2009 under Analysis, Framing, Image, Strategic Comm..
Comments: 1
Give Us a Break, Mr. Bush
by Steven R. Corman
At his final news conference yesterday President Bush responded to a question about whether the nation’s image needs repairing given the “damage that Gitmo, that harsh interrogation tactics that [members of the incoming administration] consider torture, how going to war in Iraq without a UN mandate have damaged America’s moral standing in [...]
Posted: January 13th, 2009 under Bush, Image.
Comments: none
2008 Strategic Communication Achievement Awards
by Steven R. Corman
With the end of the year, it’s time for some shout-outs to five individuals who made significant achievements in strategic communication during 2008. They are (in alphabetical order):
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who had the good sense to put some serious money into social science research through the Minerva project. Despite a [...]
Posted: December 31st, 2008 under Image, Strategic Comm..
Comments: 2




