Exploring Public Diplomacy 2.0 A Comparison of German and U.S. Digital Public Diplomacy in Theory and Practice Dissertation To obtain the academic degree „Doktorin der Philosophie” (Dr. phil.) Faculty for Cultural Studies, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) Submitted in 2013 by Maïté Kersaint, defended in June 2014 Dissertation Advisors Prof. Dr. Jürgen Neyer, European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) Prof. Dr. Carola Richter, Free University Berlin II The art of diplomacy is to get other people to want what you want. Madeleine Albright1 1 Steven Lee Myers, “Hillary Clinton’s Last Tour as a Rock-Star Diplomat,” The New York Times, June 27, 2012, sec. Magazine, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/magazine/hillary-clintons-last-tour-as-a-rock-star-diplomat.html. III CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT..............................................................................................VII ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................VIII TABLE OF FIGURES .....................................................................................................X 1 INTRODUCING PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ...................................................................... 1 1.1 Context: Real-Time Reaction and Blurred Power Relations................................................................1 1.2 Significance of the Study and Research Focus ..........................................................................................8 1.3 Research Questions, Methodology and Structure................................................................................ 12 2 PUBLIC DIPLOMACY - CURRENT STATE OF RESEARCH......................................... 15 2.1 Defining Public Diplomacy.......................................................................................................................... 15 2.2 Key Approaches to Public Diplomacy....................................................................................................... 19 2.2.1 Three Models of Public Diplomacy (E. Gilboa).......................................................................... 19 2.2.2 Strategic Public Diplomacy (J. B. Manheim)............................................................................... 20 2.2.3 The New Public Diplomacy (J. Melissen et al.) .......................................................................... 21 2.2.4 The Three Dimensions of Public Diplomacy (M. Leonard et al., J. Nye).......................... 23 2.2.5 The Three Layers of Public Diplomacy (G. Cowan, A. Arsenault)....................................... 25 2.2.6 The Sub-Traits of Public Diplomacy (J. R. Kelley) .................................................................... 26 2.2.7 A Framework for Analysis (E. Gilboa)............................................................................................ 27 2.2.8 The Five Practices of Public Diplomacy (N. J. Cull).................................................................. 27 2.3 Capturing the Essence.................................................................................................................................... 30 2.3.1 Explaining Related Concepts............................................................................................................. 30 2.3.2 Addressees................................................................................................................................................ 45 2.3.3 Public Diplomacy Components ....................................................................................................... 46 2.3.4 Working Definition.............................................................................................................................. 48 2.4 Public Diplomacy in International Relations Theory.......................................................................... 48 2.4.1 Liberal International Relations Theory (A. Moravcsik) ........................................................... 48 2.4.2 Soft Power (J. Nye)................................................................................................................................ 50 2.5 Conclusion: ‘Statesmen are not Social Workers!!!’................................................................................ 54 IV 3 DIGITAL COMMUNICATION – STATE OF THE ART ............................................... 57 3.1 Introducing Social Media or ‘Writing Oneself into Being’ ................................................................ 57 3.1.1 Meet the Prosumer............................................................................................................................... 57 3.1.2 Focussing on Facebook and Twitter................................................................................................ 63 3.2 ‘The Political Power of Social Media’........................................................................................................ 73 3.2.1 A Fifth Estate?......................................................................................................................................... 73 3.2.2 A Condition to Remaining Relevant?............................................................................................. 76 3.3 Assessing Social Media’s Practicability for Public Diplomacy.......................................................... 78 3.3.1 Content Focus......................................................................................................................................... 78 3.3.2 Restricted Reach .................................................................................................................................... 81 3.3.3 Of Citizen Empowerment and Slacktivism.................................................................................. 89 3.3.4 Third Party Interests ............................................................................................................................ 93 3.3.5 A Neutral Tool....................................................................................................................................... 97 3.3.6 Limited Reliability...............................................................................................................................102 3.3.7 Evaluating Social Media....................................................................................................................105 3.4 Conclusion: ‘Diplomacy Turned Upside-Down’.................................................................................109 4 A RESEARCH FRAMEWORK TO ANALYSE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY 2.0........................113 4.1 Historical Institutionalism..........................................................................................................................113 4.2 Building a Case ...............................................................................................................................................121 4.2.1 Case Study Design ..............................................................................................................................121 4.2.2 Case Selection.......................................................................................................................................123 4.2.3 Combining Exploratory Study and Policy Analysis .................................................................133 4.3 Content Analysis............................................................................................................................................135 4.4 Guided Exploratory Interviews..................................................................................................................140 4.5 Conclusion: A Multimethod Approach .................................................................................................143 V 5 PUBLIC DIPLOMACY MEETS WEB 2.0 – A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY................145 5.1 Comparing Foreign Policy and Public Diplomacy Doctrines.........................................................145 5.1.1 Civilian Power Germany...................................................................................................................145 5.1.2 Superpower USA.................................................................................................................................164 5.2 Context: National Legislation and Internal Rules ..............................................................................180 5.2.1 General Legislation .............................................................................................................................180 5.2.2 German Social Media Guidelines ..................................................................................................184 5.2.3 American Social Media Regulations.............................................................................................187 5.2.4 Synopsis: Differences and Similarities..........................................................................................189 5.3 Public Diplomacy 2.0 Applied to the UK: Rethinking Foreign Policy? .......................................191 5.3.1 Time Line: The European Debt Crisis (October – December 2011)..................................191 5.3.2 Content: Restrained Repertory.......................................................................................................196 5.3.3 Interaction and Inter-User Communication: At the Echo Chamber.................................207