About
Public Diplomacy is not a new concept in terms of its content. Throughout history, people were first organized as small groups, then into tribes, ethnic groups, and eventually into nations and nation-states. In line with their own interests, they applied what we today call Public Diplomacy to gain influence over their interlocutors, whether friends or enemies. The main purpose here is to spread information and develop good mutual relations by establishing dialogue with interlocutors. Public Diplomacy should not be confused with disinformation for misleading purposes.
In an age where the global distribution of information increases and mutual interaction determines policies, it is not possible for nation-states to impose only their national interests in the outside world and gain psychological influence in line with these interests through traditional foreign policy tools. Although state sovereignty is not discussed, it is a fact that new actors and processes have emerged that make cross-border relations effective.