Propaganda is somewhat passe in a world that is information driven and
computer savvy. Obvious efforts to propagandize aren’t likely to
influence people who have a shrewd grasp of global realities thanks to
the internet. A straightforward message without the hype is more
likely to get a positive reception.
Seems the State Department is getting hip and employing a team of bloggers. This group has been named - the Digital Outreach Team - a term with an evangelical ring to it.
A
number of the members of the team are Arab speakers. Word is the
department wants to add Farsi and Urdu speakers to the team also.
However no matter what language they’re posting in, State Department
bloggers are faced with an uphill slog given the prejudice toward the
current administration. To be fair though it is an attempt to reach out
in a manner that is interactive and allows for dialogue, which is to be
preferred over more impersonal approaches.
The team stays clear
of radical Islamist sites and focuses instead on mainstream sites where
they are more likely to get a reception that isn’t overtly hostile.
They post in chat rooms such as those offered by the BBC, Al Jazeera
and the Arab news site, Elaph.com.
The focus is mainly on
getting out the word on US government policy. Posts tend to be focused
and to-the-point. While the postings generate discussion, department
bloggers avoid getting into heated arguments. They also stay clear of
sensitive topics such as religion, in particular discussions about the
legitimacy of jihad.
The blog team is candid about their
identity. They identify themselves as being from the State Department.
Needless to say they have run into a good deal of sarcastic commentary.
A number of chatters described them as “US agents" and one even
suggested that a blogger of Arab nationality deserves nothing less than
death for posting on behalf of the US State Department.
Other responses offered humorous relief of the sarcastic variety. A guy
from Germany described the team’s outreach efforts as being akin to
putting lipstick on a pig.
I think it’s a good thing to give
government more of a human face. The problem is that the present
administration is viewed by many around the world with cynicism. Even though the bloggers may be presenting American policy in
an objective a manner as possible, there will still be those who view
the exercise as suspect.
Aidan has a BAHons/BEd and taught for a period in the UK and Canada. He lives in Ontario and is married with a daughter. He's also a cartoonist and has been a contributor to a variety of magazines and newspapers over the years. You can visit his blog at http://aidanmaconachyblog.blogspot.com/
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