Sample Solution

The impact of New Media on traditional diplomacy is largely focused on the change from a “one to one approach”, to a “one to many approach”. Traditional Diplomacy relied on communication between Diplomats and Heads of State, with much of the negotiation obscured from public view. (Stasavage 2004) Before the advent of the internet and social media platforms; Radio, Newspapers were the main forms of distributive media available to the general public. As such, Diplomacy was very much a one-way street between the State and the Public. (Chomsky and Herman 1994) New Media outlets, such as Twitter, have changed the way in which Diplomats correspond with one another.

The case of an incident involving a US patrol vessel wandering into Iranian waters subsequently leading to the arrest of the US crew; is an example of how Traditional Diplomacy combined with Twitter, facilitated efficient conflict resolution and the rapid release of the US seamen. (Duncombe 2017) The incident saw exchanges between US Secretary of State John Kerry and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, over Twitter. Firstly, the use of Twitter meant that the exchange took place with a public audience. Furthermore, the instantaneous nature of New Media meant that the time lag between exchanges was significantly reduced. (Duncombe 2017) These 2 factors significantly changed the way in which Diplomats had to carry themselves while communicating with one another, while simultaneously speeding up the process of negotiation. The public audience aspect of this example highlights the importance of image. (Duncombe 2017) Both Iranian and US Diplomats wanted to present themselves as reasonable and independent to the public audience. This combined with the demands for a shorter response time online, meant that respective sides had less time to digest information and thus had to respond in an almost reflexive and organic manner. Therefore, the positive impact of New Media on traditional diplomacy primarily rests on 2 things. Firstly, the transformation of a bilateral communications channel to a multi-lateral one, opening up negotiations previously closed off to the Public Sphere to a wider audience. Secondly, the shorter time frame in which neg