It's The Foreign Policy, Stupid

"A severe lack of funding, convoluted bureaucracy, and a near-total absence of research and measurability are badly undermining US attempts to bolster its image via public diplomacy in Muslim countries, according to a report released last week by the Advisory Group on Diplomacy for the Arab and Muslim World," PR Week's Douglas Quenqua writes. The report, "Changing Minds, Winning Peace," recommendations include creating a cabinet-level foreign policy PR advisor to the President and an independent Corporation for Public Diplomacy to increase private-sector involvement. While touring Arab countries, advisory panel members were repeatedly told that "we like Americans but not what the American government is doing." Nancy Snow, assistant professor of communications at California State University - Fullerton, writes for O'Dwyer's PR, "This distinction between people and policy was deemed 'unrealistic, since Americans elect their government and broadly support its foreign policy.' Wasn't it President Bush who made just that distinction when he said in his 48-hour ultimatum speech that military action was solely directed at Saddam Hussein's regime, not the Iraqi people?"