Public Diplomacy and the Two Step Flow Theory
The theories for my cultural component are Public Diplomacy and the Two Step Flow Theory.
The theory of Public Diplomacy is defined on Wikipedia as followed:
“Public diplomacy, by contrast focuses on the ways in which a country (or multi-lateral organization such as the United Nations) communicates with citizens in other societies.[1] A country may be acting deliberately or inadvertently, and through both official and private individuals and institutions. Effective public diplomacy starts from the premise that dialogue, rather than a sales pitch, is often central to achieving the goals of foreign policy: public diplomacy must be seen as a two-way street.”
The example of public diplomacy in the media I’ve identified is in regards to the american involvement in the Afghan election. In this video, President Obama will be outlining the expansion for the war in Afghanistan.
The public diplomacy in this video is with the US sending troops to Afghanistan to protect the Afghan people. President Obama has acted in response to the cry for help from the Afghanis when it comes to political stability within their country. The dialogue Obama is sending is not a sales pitch, merely a possible solution to the disarray within Afghanistan. The policy that Obama is trying to secure is a direct call to action from Afghan citizens who need protection from violent Afghani political troops. This aspect makes this policy a product of two-way communication, the Afghan people called, and Obama answered.
The two step flow theory is when messages from the media are observed, analyzed, interpreted, and passed on by opinion leaders. An example of the two step flow theory internationally is with the H1N1 Flu Vaccine. The H1N1 flu vaccine can be good or bad, depending on the circumstances. The video tells the story of a Washinton Red Skins cheerleader who suffered nerve damage due to the H1N1 vaccine.
The government uses the two step flow theory when it comes to the H1N1 Vaccine. I consider this international news because the h1n1 is rumored to have started in Mexico. The FDA has allowed the drug companies to distribute the drugs, when they have obvious side effects, like the case above. Without prior knowledge, American citizens would assume that it is a safe vaccine when it can actually do more hurt than harm.
In Conclusion,
Both of these theories are used by the government to position themselves and the parties involved in a positive light. I feel that doing research for ourselves, we can learn alot more than what they want us to know. With the information highway (internet), all the information is at our finger tips, we just have to pick through the garbage to find the facts!
-cb♥
Yet it is so much easier to believe what we see or hear as oppose to looking for ourselves.