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Diplomacy and media

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Diplomacy and media refers to the study of the interplay between diplomatic practices and media representations, examining how media influences public perception of diplomatic actions, shapes international relations, and affects the communication strategies of states and non-state actors in the global arena.
lightbulbAbout this topic
Diplomacy and media refers to the study of the interplay between diplomatic practices and media representations, examining how media influences public perception of diplomatic actions, shapes international relations, and affects the communication strategies of states and non-state actors in the global arena.

Key research themes

1. How do state and non-state actors employ media and communication technologies as tools of public diplomacy to influence foreign publics and advance foreign policy goals?

This theme investigates the strategic use of media—including international broadcasting, state-sponsored channels, and social media platforms—as instruments of public diplomacy. It explores how countries like the US, Russia, China, Qatar, and Kosovo design and deploy broadcasting and media campaigns to engage international audiences, shape foreign public opinion, and wield soft power, sometimes blurring the lines between propaganda and legitimate diplomacy. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for analyzing how digital and traditional media reshape diplomatic communication and international relations in the 21st century.

Key finding: The study finds that Russia’s RT prioritizes focusing on US events and framing them to serve Moscow’s foreign policy aims, while China’s CCTV-N emphasizes correcting perceived global distortions about China. Both broadcasters... Read more
Key finding: Through an empirical longitudinal study of Al-Jazeera's coverage of Saudi affairs during the Qatari-Saudi conflict, the paper demonstrates Qatar’s pioneering 'hybrid model' of media diplomacy, where a state-sponsored... Read more
Key finding: This paper broadens the conceptualization of mediated public diplomacy by integrating paid, earned, shared, and owned media channels, moving beyond traditional earned media frameworks. It highlights the significance of... Read more
Key finding: This case study of the US’s Virtual Embassy Tehran reveals that while social media tools hold transformative potential for public diplomacy in reaching and engaging foreign publics under diplomatic isolation, the... Read more
Key finding: Through content analysis of global media coverage and communications from Kosovo’s political actors during the 2008 independence declaration and the 2022 Russian-Ukraine conflict, the study concludes that media diplomacy has... Read more

2. What roles do media narratives and journalism practices play in shaping international conflict perceptions and peacebuilding efforts?

This research area delves into how media reporting, framing, and narratives contribute to either the escalation or de-escalation of international conflicts. By analyzing peace journalism, propaganda, and media framing strategies, scholars examine the ethical and practical dimensions of journalism in conflict zones and how selective coverage influences public opinion and diplomatic outcomes. This theme is crucial for understanding the media’s dual capacity as a facilitator of peace or a tool of political manipulation in international relations.

Key finding: Zollmann’s extension of the Propaganda Model demonstrates systematic ideological biases in elite Western press reporting on conflicts such as Syria, Libya, and Kosovo. His rigorous content analysis reveals selective human... Read more
Key finding: This methodological paper develops a four-dimension narrative analysis framework (thematic, structural, actor, and agency levels) applied to broadcast political debates on peacebuilding in the Central African Republic. It... Read more
Key finding: Quantitative content analysis of Pakistani TV news reveals differential reportage approaches wherein media coverage of Taliban and ethno-political conflicts tended to be escalatory and decontextualized, whereas coverage of... Read more
Key finding: By analyzing Western television coverage of NATO’s 1999 Kosovo campaign, the article documents the symbiotic relationship between Western public diplomacy and media during military conflicts. It finds that Western TV news,... Read more
Key finding: Gilboa theorizes 'media broker diplomacy' where journalists transcend traditional reporting to mediate international conflicts by directly engaging with conflicting parties, proposing solutions, or bridging communication... Read more

3. How does the interplay between media, public diplomacy, and international relations influence perceptions and legitimacy of diplomatic communication and conflict signaling?

This theme examines the integration of media theory, international relations, and communication strategies to understand how diplomatic signals are conveyed, perceived, and interpreted via media channels. It explores signaling theory in diplomacy, the credibility challenges of state-sponsored communication, the effects of ‘halo’ perceptions across regional actors, and the transformations of media’s role in democratic and geopolitical contexts. These interdisciplinary insights inform how legitimacy and trust are negotiated in the mediated international arena.

Key finding: Through game-theoretic models of signaling, Trager demonstrates that diplomatic messages—such as the scope of demands or offers of compromise—can convey credible information about a state's resolve and intentions in... Read more
Key finding: Survey data reveals that public evaluations of Middle Eastern countries’ strategic relationship with the US are not strongly predicted by news or social media use but instead show a 'regional halo effect'—positive or negative... Read more
Key finding: This literature review highlights the nuanced and increasingly blurred relationship between media and democracy, noting how digitization and social media reshape information access and citizen participation. While media... Read more
Key finding: Analyzing Russian public diplomacy, Tsygankov articulates how state communication strategies intertwine with foreign policy goals to maximize influence in a competitive geopolitical environment. The chapter elucidates... Read more
Key finding: Frederick comprehensively integrates international relations theory with global communication studies, positing that modern global media act as both influencers and signals within international diplomacy—embodying the concept... Read more

All papers in Diplomacy and media

Im Zuge der internationalen Auseinandersetzungen um die sogenannte Neue Weltinformations- und kommunikationsordnung (NWIKO) in den 1970er und 1980er Jahren wurde der Begriff der kulturellen Souveränität meist als die Ausübung staatlicher... more
No presente artigo, realizamos uma reflexão sobre os pressupostos da diplomacia midiática (GILBOA, 2002), conceito do campo das Relações Internacionais que busca estabelecer formas de utilização da mídia noticiosa para a consecução de... more
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