As I was reading the thoughtful article by Carne Ross in Europe’s World on the need to re-think national diplomacy, I was struck by the parallels with discussions of the evolving role of public relations as a profession. For instance, he states, “For some reason, diplomats and governments have believed that somehow the message about the role of governments can be separated in the public’s mind from what they actually do.” You could easily substitute the words “senior executives” and “corporations” in that sentence.
He also evokes the need to “abandon the notion of public diplomacy altogether, and replace it with a more interactive and frankly humble approach”, which again echoes calls by PR professionals to engage stakeholders in an authentic, two-way exchange rather than talking at them.
Ross calls into question whether national diplomatics can legitimately claim to “represent” increasingly diverse and multicultural populations and ends with his recommendation for moving forward: “Success will go to those who use mass networks effectively, build coalitions of states and concerned non-state actors, corporations and NGOs and can credibly lead opinion.”
Hear, hear.