Saturday, July 24, 2010

PD Does Not Stand For Pixie Dust

A quote I heard twice on Friday, attributed to Dan Sreebny, is that PD does not mean "pixie dust." You can't spinkle a little PD on a steaming mess and make it all better.

It seems a lot of non-Public Diplomacy folks tend to leave PD out of the picture until something bad happens, and then they hope PD can fix it. Part of this stems, no doubt, from the time before "integregration," when USIA was folded into the State Department. It seems it has been, and to a degree continues to be, an uncomfortable marriage.

I think this is a shame. I believe in Public Diplomacy as part of our overall diplomatic strategy. It is not just about "poster shows" and making people love us. Because people don't love or hate us because of a lack of exposure to America and Americans. They love or hate us (or both) because of our policies.

Which is why I believe, as does Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy Judith McHale, that Public Diplomacy HAS to have a seat at the policy table. We need to know before the catastrophy how an action we take is going to be received. We need to be able to aim all of our programming and messaging at meeting the strategic needs of the mission and of the Department. We can't do that if we concern ourselves only with culture and cleanup. We have to be pro-active.

Which is why I am glad she is creating DAS (Deputy Assistant Secretary) positions in each of the regional bureaus. So we have a PD voice at the policy table from the get go.

Because I am a diplomat. My job is representing the US and its policy overseas.

And I'd make a lousy pixie.

5 comments:

David L. said...

Well said. I enjoyed this posting, and I am used to working for the other side - the reporter end. Talk about an uncomfortable marriage, the reporter-PD relationship is a marriage of necessity, sort of the kind in which parents who no longer love each other (and possibly despise each other) stick it out because they think it is what is best for the kids.

John Brown said...

An important point that has to be made over and over again.

Consul-At-Arms said...

I've linked back to you here: http://consul-at-arms2.blogspot.com/2010/07/transitions.html

Mandolin Dan said...

Nice post -- but I have to acknowledge that the "PD=Pixie Dust" concept was originated by PD officer Charles Silver, and all credit should go to him.

Dan Sreebny
sreebnyd@state.gov

Digger said...

Dan, I stand corrected. In fact, Charles spoke to our class today and used the expression.