In Search of the Magic Phrase

The "apparatus of public diplomacy" (the official government euphemism for overseas public relations) "has proven inadequate, especially in the Arab and Muslim World," says Harold Pachios, a commissioner on the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. In testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives, Pachios noted that "everything our leaders say and do is of consequence to ordinary people everywhere." Moreover, "international public opinion does have the power to interfere with our foreign policy objectives." Nevertheless, he concluded, "I do not suggest that we modify the direction this government takes based on international public opinion. However, if we are going to succeed in a global media market, we must understand that we can utilize a different phrase or a different word to make a great deal of difference in a foreign land."