Sample Solution

ollowing the impact of New Media on traditional Diplomacy. New Media has brought Public Diplomacy to the forefront of States’ priorities. Public Diplomacy is any kind of state-sponsored effort aimed at communicating directly with the public domain. (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica 2017) Conventional definitions point only to “foreign publics” but the interaction between domestic publics and the State have become increasingly important as well. Although the Realist perspective adopts an Elitist model of foreign relations, where a State’s Foreign Policy shouldn’t be influenced by public and media influence, the reality is that often public influence does have an impact of Foreign Policy. (Smith, Hadfield and Dunne 2008) A good example of this would be mass protests in the US towards the waging of the Vietnam War. Where mounting public pressure was cited as part of the reason the US pulled out of Vietnam in 1973. (Smith, Hadfield and Dunne 2008) This leads us to the discussion of the alternative perspective on public pressure shaping Foreign Policy; Pluralism.

The Pluralist perspective on media and Foreign Policy postulates that public opinion and pressure has an influence on Foreign Policy and Diplomatic decisions. (Smith, Hadfield and Dunne 2008) Conventional Pluralist perspectives see media as a “checking balance” to the desires and decisions of “the elites” and power holders in State Governments. It seems that the advent of New Social Media platforms has only served to strengthen the Pluralist perspective on Public Diplomacy. Since Social Media Platforms often operate on an aggregate individual basis, it is difficult for States and corporations to regulate and control. (Dale 2009) Furthermore, it was found that Social Media users are more likely to ignore information that was perceived as propaganda. (Dale 2009) This sensitivity to information that appears to be obtusely biased, combined with the grassroots and individualistic way in which New Social Media networks operate, makes it more difficult for State Governments to carry out Public Diplomacy.