From Propaganda to Public Diplomacy: The Emergence and Development of an Original Concept

Abstract

The article analyses the transformation of how information is disseminated and influence in foreign policy starting with the use of propaganda methods to the emergence of the concept of public diplomacy. The authors study the evolution of the propaganda in foreign policy from the Ancient world to the end of the 19 century, separately dwell on the specifics of propaganda in foreign policy in the first half of the 20 century and consider in detail the transition from applications of propaganda technologies in foreign policy to public diplomacy in the second half of the 20 century and the further evolution of this concept. The novelty of the research relates, firstly, to the fact that the transformation of propaganda technologies is considered in a general historical context. Secondly, the authors conduct a comparative analysis of propaganda and public diplomacy and establish their fundamental differences. Public diplomacy is a tool used by both governments and private actors to shape a positive image of the subject country through broadcasting, cultural exports, organization of exchanges and other things in the public environment of the recipient countries. Theoretically, the public diplomacy rests on unbiased information that is at the same time trustworthy, while propaganda is used primarily for short-term purposes and is aimed at manipulating public consciousness through distortion or one-sided coverage of facts. Despite the fact that modern scientific discourse offers a number of criteria for separating propaganda and public diplomacy, distinguishing the use of the latter from the application of propaganda methods in practice seems to be a difficult task. The authors conclude that the concept of public diplomacy is both a derivative of the phenomenon of propaganda and a scientific attempt to dissociate from it, however, in modern conditions, it is becoming increasingly difficult to draw a clear line between them.