Twitter Versus Mastodon: Who will fix our broken social media spaces? From Elon Musk to Mark Zuckerberg, from Apple to Amazon Web Services, from Parlor to Mastodon, who will protect democracy from the rule of the few? Who will protect free speech and or against hate speech and misinformation? In this interview with professor Yom Ophir of the University of Buffalo we discuss all of these issues and more. Yotam Ophir (PhD, University of Pennsylvania, 2018) is an Assistant Professor of Communicatio...
Dec 29, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 19
What is Propaganda? Who is wining the battle for public opinion? Who is winning the war in Ukraine? Are the Russians the good guys or the bad? What is the difference between propaganda and persuasion? In the latest episode of The Public Diplomat we discuss these questions with David Perlmutter Professor and Dean of the College of Media & Communication at Texas Tech University. https://www.depts.ttu.edu/comc/faculty/faculty/dperlmutter.php The Public Diplomat provides information and insights...
Nov 02, 2022•21 min
Who Was Yusuf al-Qaradawi? The story of the Muslim Brotherhood, Qatar, and Soft Power politics. In this episode, we explore the biography of Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the spiritual leader of the global Muslim Brotherhood movement. From an obscure Egyptian cleric, to an Al Jazeera media star. Alberto M. Fernandez is vice-president of the Middle East Media Research Institute and a member of the board of directors of George Washington University's Center for Cyber and Homeland Security. He served as the U...
Oct 22, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Are Democrats Funnier Than Republicans? What is the role of comedy on politics? In this episode I interview Professor Amy Becker of Loyola University Maryland who is an expert on comedy and politics. The Public Diplomat provides information and insights on geopolitics, international politics, international relations, and foreign affairs. We provide in-depth, analytical looks at international politics and current events. From explaining the basics of geopolitics to breaking down complex treaties ...
Oct 22, 2022•15 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Constitutions & Democracy; Does one guarantee the other? In episode 14 of The Public Diplomat we debate the role of constitutions in the United States and around the Globe. We discuss the symbolic and functional roles of these documents and apply their interpretation and significance in public debate over democracy. The Public Diplomat provides information and insights on geopolitics, international politics, international relations, and foreign affairs. We provide in-depth, analytical looks ...
Sep 30, 2022•13 min•Season 1Ep. 14
What Happened to Tunisia? in 2015 the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet The Nobel Peace for their work that led to a national unity government. For a few months, it seemed like democracy was possible for the northern African nation. However, just a few months later, Tunisia faced economic, social and political instability that led to the elections of President Kais Saied. Despite running as a reformer who promised to protect democracy, Saied reversed many of the democratic safeguards protected ...
Sep 30, 2022•4 min•Season 1Ep. 13
The 24 Hour President is a recent phenomenon. Where once limited to mediated events, the modern president (and other world leaders) are more accessible to citizens than ever before. From late night comedy shows to social media platforms, modern day politicians and their communication teams are reimagining their relationship management strategies with stakeholders. In episode #12 of The Public Diplomat we speak to Dr. Josh Scacco (PhD, University of Texas at Austin, 2014). He is an Associate Prof...
Sep 30, 2022•33 min
What is American Exceptionalism? A shining city on a hill or down in the valley? In episode #15 of @thepublicdiplomat we discuss the concept of American exceptionalism. What started out as an early criticism of the United States by socialists in the 1930s was reframed as American patriotism and pride by President Ronald Reagan. The Public Diplomat provides information and insights on geopolitics, international politics, international relations, and foreign affairs. We provide in-depth, analytica...
Sep 30, 2022•18 min•Season 1Ep. 15
hat is Spatial Journalism? and why should you care? As technology continues to reshape the global media landscape, the field of journalism is expanding beyond its original scope. The current episode of The Public Diplomat explores spatial journalism in an interview with San Diego State University Professor Amy Schmitz Weiss. Amy Schmitz Weiss is a professor in the School of Journalism & Media Studies at San Diego State University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin...
Sep 30, 2022•19 min•Season 1Ep. 12
witter vs Democracy: A conversation with Deen Freelon The mass penetration of social media brought promise of improved democracies, but could it be that it delivered the opposite? In the latest episode we discuss this issue with Professor Deen Freelon of the University of North Carolina. If it is Twitter vs Democracy or YouTube as the platform giving rise to social movements, we discuss selective exposure, partisan media, misinformation and disinformation, along with an array of topics related t...
Aug 16, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Understanding Putin's global strategy. Many Western observers were surprised by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. However, a decade's worth of Russian media coverage of the world on government sponsored media channels such as Russia Today and Sputnik indicate that the Russian government's focus shifted away from engagement of the west and towards audiences outside of Europe and the USA. This shift provided a solid cue as to Putin's global strategy moving away from NATO and the West and towar...
Aug 08, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Will Italy's Right Wing Win the Upcoming Elections? What will a Meloni government mean for the nation and its relations to Europe? We wondered and so we interviews Professor Luigi Di Gregorio. We talked abut everything from Italy's relationship with Brussel, to the implications on right winged politics in Europe, and of course the right's relationship with Putin and Russia. Luigi Di Gregorio is a Lecturer of Political Communication at Tuscia University (Viterbo, Italy). He also teaches Campaign ...
Aug 03, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 9
On September 4th, 2022, the people of Chile will vote in a referendum to accept or reject a new constitution. In this episode, I interview professor Robert Funk about the nation's political and constitutional challenges and what the new constitution may mean to Chile. Robert Funk is an assistant professor of public affairs at the University of Chile. You can follow him on Twitter @FunkofChile The Public Diplomat provides information and insights on geopolitics, international politics, internatio...
Jul 25, 2022•17 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this MUST SEE episode, I interview Len Khodorkovsky a badass media strategist with a bio to match. Len Khodorkovsky is the Chief Marketing Officer and Senior Advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. He has previously served at U.S. Department of State as a Senior Advisor for Public Affairs in the Iran Action Group, and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Digital Strategy in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs. He worked on President Trump's...
Jul 19, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 7
What ever happened to the political center? From Tony Blair's New Labour to Bill Clinton's New Democrats, the promise of moderate politicians working with the other side was soon replaced by harsh partisan politics where the OTHER is the ENEMY. In this episode, Guy and Guy discuss the reasons for the decline of the center, its causes, and the potential implications that this phenomenon may have on global politics. The Public Diplomat provides information and insights on geopolitics, internationa...
Jul 10, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 6
In mid July, President Biden will be heading to the Middle East. His visit will include an historic trip to Saudi Arabia. In this episode of The Public Diplomat we discuss the President's motivations for the visit as well as the political backlash that he is facing from Democrats. We also discuss Saudi Arabia's geopolitical interests as related to the Biden visit. The Public Diplomat provides information and insights on geopolitics, international politics, international relations, and foreign af...
Jul 05, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Why do Americans no care about foreign affairs? This is a common question. In this episode, we offer several potential explanations. Americans have always been isolationists dating back to the founding fathers. As residents of a large island that is surrounded by two oceans and good neighbors in the form of Mexico and Canada, Americans have the luxury of living in a bubble. Next, media coverage. A large body of academic literature indicates that the vast majority of nations receive little to no ...
Jun 30, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 4
In June of 2022 the people of Colombia went to the polls for the 2nd round elections between Gustavo Petro, a senator and former Mayor of Bogota, defeated Rodolfo Hernández Suárez, former Mayor of Bucaramanga, in the runoff election. Who won? Why did they win? and what does it mean for the people of Colombia? I discuss with Bogota based Colombian journalist Poly Martinez More about Poly, she explains; I studied Philosophy and Political Science at the Universidad de Los Andes, in Bogotá. For most...
Jun 26, 2022•21 min•Season 1Ep. 3
In episode #2 we offer a discussion on expertise -- what are the limits of the expert's expertise (in history, criminology, medicine, & other fields)? Are people credible witnesses about their own lives? We extend this topic to the field of journalism with a focus on politics and global news coverage. The Public Diplomat provides information and insights on geopolitics, international politics, international relations, and foreign affairs. We provide in-depth, analytical looks at internationa...
Jun 21, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Did we get it right on Ukraine? That is the question we discuss on Episode #1 of The Public Diplomat. Other topics include media coverage of the war, counter media narratives, the causes of the war and the role of NATO in the world. The Public Diplomat provides information and insights on geopolitics, international politics, international relations, and foreign affairs. We provide in-depth, analytical looks at international politics and current events. From explaining the basics of geopolitics t...
Jun 17, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 1
