Dr. Craig Hayden of American University published an article at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy discussing a recent blog post by ASP’s Matthew Wallin which challenged the use of the term “engagement” in public diplomacy circles:

As Wallin argues, “missing from the discourse about engagement and its attractiveness as a term is a substantial discussion of exactly what it means.” Indeed, so why should we care about this term? Two reasons stand out for me: (1) It’s a somewhat confusing term that doesn’t necessarily prescribe a specific kind of action and (2) it highlights some key tensions for how technology is used in public diplomacy.

In the article, Hayden largely agreed with Wallin, adding thorough analysis of his own. To read the full article, click here.