Xinhua organised the roundtable bringing together a select group of editors and publishers of both countries “to enhance communication and cooperation” between the two media ahead of the President Xi’s “milestone” visit. “We hope that media will play a positive role in enhancing relations between the countries,” said Tuo Zhen, Vice-Minister of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee.

So far, American public diplomacy efforts directed at the North Korean people have remained almost entirely focused on radio broadcasting. [...] It is important to remember that the main focus would not be propaganda, but rather entertainment with an underlying goal to provide accurate, trustworthy information – the type of information can create change, particularly in such a closed-off environment.

For the people of the Balkans the social media coincides with the period of democratic transition, with parliamentarian democracy, political pluralism, freedom and human rights, free market economy and the opening up of Euro-Atlantic integration. In this premature phase the social media entered with a great speed in the reality of the Balkans.