1. A Closer Look at South Korea’s-UN Celebrity Youth Diplomacy (CPD)
Celebrity diplomacy is an interesting topic that has received academic attention. It refers to celebrities, such as singers or actors who act for political entities such as the United Nations (UN) and governments.
2. How Ukraine’s wide use of cryptocurrency is playing out during the war (The Verge)
The terrible, unprovoked war in Ukraine has destabilized that country’s economy and banking system, leading both Ukrainian politicians and citizens to more seriously consider cryptocurrency. I’m pretty skeptical of crypto, but I want to come by that skepticism honestly, and I want to understand more about what was happening there, so I’ve invited Michael Chobanian to the show.
3. “Anything that Causes Chaos”: The Organizational Behavior of Russia Today – RT (Article by
To understand more about the production of political news and information by RT, we investigate its organizational behavior through in-depth interviews of current and former staff. Our data show that RT is an opportunist channel that is used as an instrument of state defense policy to meddle in the politics of other states. The channel has been established in the shadows of the Soviet media system and its organizational behavior is characterized by Soviet-style controls.
4. Innovating Public Diplomacy: What’s Next (CPD)
CPD hosted a forum titled, “Innovating Public Diplomacy: What’s Next,” at the National Museum of American Diplomacy in Washington, D.C., on May 2, 2022 from 4:00–5:15pm (Eastern Time). The event featured a panel discussion exploring fresh perspectives on long-standing practices of cultural programming and exchanges by current and former U.S. Assistant Secretaries of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs
How do leaders communicate during domestic crises? We provide the first global analysis of world leader communication on social media during social unrest.
6. Why we need a public internet and how to get one (The Verge)
Ben Tarnoff, author of the upcoming book Internet for the People, believes there’s a better way. Tarnoff’s book outlines the history of the internet, starting with its early days as a government-run network, which was parceled out to private companies with little regard for users. It discusses common proposals like lessening the power of internet gatekeepers with antitrust reform, but it also argues that promoting competition isn’t enough: there should also be a political movement advocating for local, noncommercial spaces online. I spoke with Tarnoff about what that means — and why it’s not as simple as breaking up (or cloning) Twitter.
7. Now is the right time to launch a Digital Marshall Plan for Ukraine (Atlantic Council)
What should a Digital Marshall Plan for Ukraine look like? First of all, it should feature large-scale strategic investment in the digital transformation of Ukraine including all public services, healthcare, and education. This will lead to the radical modernization of the Ukrainian public sector while creating huge demand for the services of Ukrainian IT companies, many of which have lost their Western customer bases due to the war.
8. Become a Telegram Master With These 10 Tips and Tricks (Wired)
Whether you’ve picked up the messaging app recently or you’ve been using it for ages, these tools can help you make the most of it.
9. Thinking Outside the Boxset: How Technology Changed the Story (BBC Sounds)
Mark Lawson examines the different ways storytelling – in TV, theatre and literature – has been changed by modern technology.
10. Open Source Intelligence May Be Changing Old-School War (Wired)
An open-source panopticon—from commercial big data aggregation to information infrastructure across mobile, smart devices, and social media—is reshaping the way intelligence is collected and used in a conventional war.
11. Importance of Strategic Communications in Diplomacy (Daily Times)
A clear messaging is of utmost importance and this is exactly what young diplomats are striving to achieve despite the odds.