The Future of Diplomacy

Never before has diplomacy evolved at such a rapid pace. It is being transformed into a global participatory process by new media tools and newly empowered publics. ‘Public diplomacy’ has taken center-stage as diplomats strive to reach and influence audiences that are better informed and more assertive than any in the past.

In this crisp and insightful analysis, Philip Seib, one of the world’s top experts on media and foreign policy, explores the future of diplomacy in our hyper-connected world. He shows how the focus of diplomatic practice has shifted away from the closed-door, top-level negotiations of the past. Today’s diplomats are obliged to respond instantly to the latest crisis fueled by a You

Tube video or Facebook post. This has given rise to a more open and reactive approach to global problem-solving with consequences that are difficult to predict. Drawing on examples from the Iran nuclear negotiations to the humanitarian crisis in Syria, Seib argues persuasively for this new versatile and flexible public-facing diplomacy; one that makes strategic use of both new media and traditional diplomatic processes to manage the increasingly complex relations between states and new non-state political actors in the 21st Century

Review

"An extremely well-written book" The Foreign Service Journal "Seib delivers a stimulating and exciting book that invites dialogue about diplomacy, social media, and the public square. His new work reverberates with the same energy as the information revolution described in it. A must-read for those interested in the intersection of media and diplomacy." Tara Sonenshine, former under secretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs"What a stimulating and illuminating theme–that the once insular world of secret diplomacy has been utterly transformed by new media, with consequences huge and uncertain. Thanks to Seib's insights and graceful writing, we discover and learn about the pluses and minuses of the new world of diplomacy." Marvin Kalb, senior adviser to the Pulitzer Center, and Harvard Professor Emeritus"In a world of the fastest evolution ever, Philip Seib contributes to the ongoing debate in diplomatic studies with a short yet very accurate and interesting title that mixes the current points of view on both the communications' and international relations' epistemic communities."The Hague Journal of Diplomacy'A comprehensive analysis of the changes social media is prompting in how governments manage foreign policy.

'The SAIS Review of International Affairs