International Broadcasting in the Social Media Era

International broadcasting has long been at the heart of major nations’ public diplomacy strategies as one of the most effective ways to reach international publics. Satellite technology has enabled regional and global broadcasters to transcend traditional borders and wield significant political influence.

But what is the role of broadcasting in the era of social media? Will these media venues compete or coexist? For those who design and implement public diplomacy programs, answers to such questions are crucial.

On March 1, the USC Center on Public Diplomacy hosted a major conference on international broadcasting in the social media era. Leading practitioners, policy-makers, social media and international broadcasting experts came together for an open and engaging event at the USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism.

In addition to this conference, the CPD International Broadcasting Research Initiative will look at this topic through the lens of a traditional public diplomacy actor, the U.S. government (USG). It will analyze USG broadcasting and social media capabilities in the context of best practices developed by other international broadcasting entities, such as the BBC, CCTV, Al Jazeera, and others.

For more information about CPD's International Broadcasting Research Initiative, please click here.

Conference Agenda, Friday, March 1, 2013
USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, Room 204

Welcome & Opening Remarks
• Ernest J. Wilson III, Dean, USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
• Philip Seib, Director, USC Center on Public Diplomacy

Panel #1: Striking a Balance: Broadcasting and Social Media
• Rajesh Mirchandani, Correspondent and Anchor, BBC News,
• Jay Wang, Associate Professor, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, USC (chair)
• Robert Wheelock, Executive Producer, Al Jazeera English
• Nicholas Wrenn, Vice President, CNNI Digital

Panel #2 - Proving Ground: Influencing and Being Influenced by Asia
• Nicholas J. Cull, Director, Master of Public Diplomacy Program, Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, USC (chair)
• Jim Laurie, Senior Consultant, China Central Television (CCTV-America)
• Libby Liu, President, Radio Free Asia/Open Technology Fund

A Conversation: Social Media and the Way Forward
• Robert Boorstin, Director, Public Policy, Google Inc.
• Adam Clayton Powell III, Senior Fellow, USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy (moderator)

Closing Remarks
• Philip Seib, Director, USC Center on Public Diplomacy

This conference was co-sponsored by the USC Center for International Studies.