"The genius of Charlie Wick lies in his ability to recognize how
changing information technology, especially satellite communications,
has transformed the international political landscape. He understands
the need for the United States to convey its message to the people of
the world if we're to succeed internationally."
Ronald Reagan offered these remarks at a dinner honoring Charles Wick,
the director of the United States Information Agency, in the fall of
1988. Reagan knew better than most the extent to which Wick's leadership
of the U.S.I.A. contributed to the cause of freedom during the Cold War.
He knew Wick's efforts led to the creation of WORLDNET, the first global
satellite television network; the birth of Radio Marti, an
anti-communist radio station; and the transformation of the Voice of
America. Reagan also knew of the open access Wick had to the Oval
Office. Indeed, one former Reagan staffer told me recently that Wick's
access was nearly on par with that of the secretary of state.
What Reagan didn't know was that by 1999 the U.S.I.A. would be
disbanded, folded into the State Department, and stripped of much of its
resources and clout. This swift change led one diplomacy expert to say
that the U.S.I.A had been reduced to "a shadow on the periphery of
foreign policy."
Eight years later, public diplomacy remains such a shadow in American
foreign policy. As the threat of radical Islam grows by the day, we
remain woefully unprepared to carry our message of freedom, equality and
tolerance to the world. Into this void step the enemies of freedom, who
seek to falsely define America as imperialistic, intolerant and morally
bankrupt.
We cannot allow this to happen. We must define ourselves to the world.
This process should begin with a fresh commitment to a robust public
diplomacy operation with long-term vision and the autonomy necessary for
success.
In the same way businesses often look first to public relations to cut
costs in lean times, governments often look first to public diplomacy.
In some ways this makes perfect sense: both public relations and public
diplomacy are difficult to quantify and therefore difficult to defend
when deciding how to allocate limited resources. But trust builds
slowly-whether it's between a company and its customers or between
nations.
Public diplomacy combats this reality by establishing and nurturing
long-term relationships with other countries. These relationships turn
on an axis of open, consistent communication both with national leaders
and the general population.