John Lackey Brown, public diplomat par excellence

American public diplomacy is a hard-to-define but often-used phrase which refers to the ways in which Washington seeks to influence domestic and foreign audiences through semi or unofficial channels. Throughout the 20th century, it has taken on various forms. Some argue public diplomacy is a euphemi...

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Main Author: Raphaël Ricaud
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Presses Universitaires du Midi 2015-11-01
Series:Caliban: French Journal of English Studies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/caliban/3100
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author Raphaël Ricaud
author_facet Raphaël Ricaud
author_sort Raphaël Ricaud
collection DOAJ
description American public diplomacy is a hard-to-define but often-used phrase which refers to the ways in which Washington seeks to influence domestic and foreign audiences through semi or unofficial channels. Throughout the 20th century, it has taken on various forms. Some argue public diplomacy is a euphemism for white propaganda. Others claim it is an alternative form of diplomacy. This study tackles the issue by delving into the life of a much-hailed but wildly understudied public diplomat: Dr. John Lackey Brown.During the later years of the First World War, the Creel Committee generated propaganda which, given today’s standards, appears too simplistic to be efficient. During the Cold War, however, the United States Information Agency devised more subtle ways to "tell America’s story to the world." The use of culture as a weapon to win over hearts and minds is well-documented. Less documented, however, is the study of public diplomats who did not see themselves as propagandists. This article is therefore an inquiry of what made John Lackey Brown a public diplomat. I argue that it was not the tasks that he performed on the job per se that generated good public diplomacy.
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spelling doaj.art-ba0ba66aa1cf4628809cb19957c6f56c2024-02-14T09:25:49ZengPresses Universitaires du MidiCaliban: French Journal of English Studies2425-62502431-17662015-11-015427330510.4000/caliban.3100John Lackey Brown, public diplomat par excellenceRaphaël RicaudAmerican public diplomacy is a hard-to-define but often-used phrase which refers to the ways in which Washington seeks to influence domestic and foreign audiences through semi or unofficial channels. Throughout the 20th century, it has taken on various forms. Some argue public diplomacy is a euphemism for white propaganda. Others claim it is an alternative form of diplomacy. This study tackles the issue by delving into the life of a much-hailed but wildly understudied public diplomat: Dr. John Lackey Brown.During the later years of the First World War, the Creel Committee generated propaganda which, given today’s standards, appears too simplistic to be efficient. During the Cold War, however, the United States Information Agency devised more subtle ways to "tell America’s story to the world." The use of culture as a weapon to win over hearts and minds is well-documented. Less documented, however, is the study of public diplomats who did not see themselves as propagandists. This article is therefore an inquiry of what made John Lackey Brown a public diplomat. I argue that it was not the tasks that he performed on the job per se that generated good public diplomacy.https://journals.openedition.org/caliban/3100guerre froidediplomatiediplomatie publiquepropagandeattaché culturel
spellingShingle Raphaël Ricaud
John Lackey Brown, public diplomat par excellence
Caliban: French Journal of English Studies
guerre froide
diplomatie
diplomatie publique
propagande
attaché culturel
title John Lackey Brown, public diplomat par excellence
title_full John Lackey Brown, public diplomat par excellence
title_fullStr John Lackey Brown, public diplomat par excellence
title_full_unstemmed John Lackey Brown, public diplomat par excellence
title_short John Lackey Brown, public diplomat par excellence
title_sort john lackey brown public diplomat par excellence
topic guerre froide
diplomatie
diplomatie publique
propagande
attaché culturel
url https://journals.openedition.org/caliban/3100
work_keys_str_mv AT raphaelricaud johnlackeybrownpublicdiplomatparexcellence