Public diplomacy that is tied to policy goals inherently compromises its journalistic credibility

Evidence

Two criteria were established by Congress for Alhurra: the television station would promote U.S. foreign policy objectives and practice professional journalism. William Youmans argues, however, that these two criteria pose an “existential dilemma”: how can professional journalism be practiced if it is tied to promoting a specific goal? Youmans shows that such a contradiction creates incongruence between American policy and rhetoric and helps explain why Alhurra’s credibility has suffered across the Middle East. Public diplomacy efforts seem by definition to come with constraints that compromise their credibility. — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media, 1262 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Goebbels’ notion of the role of diplomacy in politics is characteristic: “There is no doubt that one does best if one keeps the diplomats uninformed about the background of politics… Genuineness in playing an appeasement role is sometimes the most convincing argument for their political trustworthiness” (op. — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 2692 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: State-funded journalism loses credibility because its goals and ethics inherently conflict — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media: Race…, 1262; Public diplomacy politicized the international spread of American popular culture — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media: Race…, 1260; A convincing lie in diplomacy outperforms truth in building trust. — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 2692 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• State-funded journalism loses credibility because its goals and ethics inherently conflict #corroborates (0.92) — Evelyn Alsultany, Arabs and Muslims in the Media, 1262
• A convincing lie in diplomacy outperforms truth in building trust. #complicates (0.72) — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 2692