via estacionk2
For many years, public diplomacy has been significant in allowing governments to communicate their policies, values, and culture. However, as technology and media evolved, so did the approach that people take on public diplomacy. As television broadcasts and the internet (especially the use of social networks) became more readily accessible, public participation as a feature of diplomatic negotiations has increased. The question now is whether politicians will use the new technology to further develop communication for diplomacy or will they disregard the tool as part of a “passing trend”.
In an article written by the Diplomatic Courier, the authors write about the rise of Diplomacy 2.0 and the use of Twitter to communicate between the public and governments to influence diplomacy—a term they call Twiplomacy. According to the article, more than 77.7% of world leaders today have Twitter account, which are used to communicate with their audience by keeping them updated, as well as answering their comments and questions.
This article reminded me of our class discussion a couple weeks ago where we spoke about the “New Diplomacy” and the rise of the Diplomacy 2.0 in international relations. Over the past few years, the use of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms has substantially increased as people seek to stay up-to-date and informed socially, as well as politically. Social media has become significant in influencing social change as more people use it to express their political opinions and successfully assemble people to take action for different causes. As technology and media continues to change, it is important for the government to embrace the new technology in order to effectively approach public diplomacy.
wedopd.wordpress.com 