James K. Glassman, undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy under President George W. Bush, has an Op-Ed in the Financial Times where he expresses concerns about the future of public diplomacy. He admits that President Obama has had some success improving America’s image in the world but warns against confusing public relations for diplomacy:

The future of public diplomacy, in my view, is in doubt. It is not currently being taken seriously  by policymakers as a tool of national security. Furthermore, when officials do focus on strategic communication, they often turn to American brand-burnishing, which ignores the unresolved question of whether a better-liked America can more easily achieve its national security goals. . . .
Read the rest of this entry »