The role of global media in public diplomacy

III. Media vs. SNS

Nowadays the importance of SNS is well recognized in public diplomacy. Yet this cannot completely replace traditional media such as television, radio and newspaper. However, the traditional media has its inherent weakness in that it uses only an one-way communication. There is a large gap between what the media hopes to convey and what the audience actually perceives.

On the other hand, SNS is based on a two-way communication, and therefore plays a bigger role in addressing public opinion, especially that of the younger generation who tend to be higher consumers of SNS rather than traditional media. Also, SNS can sometimes reach the people in countries where formal diplomatic relations do not exist and all other channels are disconnected. Furthermore, this new communication system creates a fairer opportunity than before for local embassies. Even though some countries receive little attention from their host country, their representative embassies can compensate for this shortage by actively utilizing SNS.

If the messages sent from the traditional media receive responses via SNS, the messages can be disseminated extensively in a very short period of time. This phenomenon is a function of bilateral SNS communication. Therefore, traditional media and SNS can be combined to create synergy that yields maximum effect. In this context, many global media outlets now operate their own SNS systems to monitor public responses that are reflected in future programming.

Taking this situation into account, each government needs to allocate a larger budget and more staff towards SNS projects. More materials should be uploaded and updated onto the internet more frequently, and more opportunities for language education through the internet should be provided for easier access. Also, larger teams need to be established to monitor extensive SNS activities.

IV. Credibility of Media

Each government uses the media to achieve its goals in public diplomacy. However the issue of “journalistic integrity” needs to be addressed in this process. Each medium has its own body to make decisions regarding its operation and management. The Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) is one such example in the case of the U.S. The Board is in charge of creating the strategies, policies and goals for the Voice of America, Worldnet television broadcasts and its surrogate media including Radio Free and Radio Sawa. Once a basic guideline is set by a governing body of certain medium, programming content is required to adhere to it. However, such a situation raises a serious concern regarding media independence. If the governing body’s decisions happen to collide with the independence of the media, which one takes priority?

A lesson can be sought from the case of the BBC. During World War II, the BBC was famous for only broadcasting the “truth.” Even the citizens of the enemy’s countries tuned to the BBC when they wanted to hear about the real situation on the field. Thanks to such tradition and reputation, the BBC now enjoys a high level of independence, sometimes even to the point of putting the British government in awkward situations.

Therefore, the decision-making body should only provide its corresponding media with basic guidelines based on noble ideals such as freedom and democracy. The detailed instructions and regulations should be left to the media specialists. By doing this, the media will enjoy solid credibility, which will lead to a perception of government reliability that will eventually elevate the country’s credibility. From a long-term perspective, this is the goal of public diplomacy.

As far as the credibility of media is concerned, the issue of the integrity of media specialists needs to be addressed. Although there is a danger of “editorial bias,” it is inappropriate for the government to intervene. A high level of specialists’ conscience, however, is just as important as media’s independence from the government. The outlets need to be very balanced in seeing, analyzing and presenting the news. Their audience becomes the only judge in re-evaluating the contents. Close monitoring and evaluation by the audience is crucial. Due to the competitive nature of the media market, viewer choices become the decision maker. Viewer opinion is the most effective tool to check against the misuse of the power of media, in which SNS serves as a useful tool.

The difference between reporting the “truth” and reporting “facts” should also be identified. An incident can be interpreted in many different ways depending on the angle or if some crucial facts are intentionally omitted. In the same context, a case can also turn out to be true if all surrounding details and elements are taken into consideration and viewed from a larger context. Therefore, the media needs to make sure it maintains its primary mission of reporting the truth rather than reporting the facts.

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