I wonder what Dr. Snow might think of the "Selling America" video on the borders site? Does she agree with its assessment of current public diplomacy?

International opinion of the United States may have dropped from a sympathetic high resulting from the attacks on 9/11/01 to a low since the beginning of military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, those who hold these opinions are likely not individuals who have had the opportunity to work and live in an international environment.

While I am a dyed-in-the-wool Canadian, I am also an America-phile.

I worked as a Canadian military member in NATO's southern European headquarters in Naples, Italy for several years, the population of which contained a large American military population, and the several layers of command above me were American as well, drawn from all services. I did not allow my reservations with some elements of U.S. foreign policy to interfere with the respect I developed for my American colleagues.

The media's reflection of America's foreign policy revolves around preemption, ongoing military operations, and promotion of mercantile opportunities, aka globalization. This is not only news media, but also the entertainment industry. I have frequently expressed the opinion that the U.S. military and the State Department should take a more proprietary position with the portrayal of their personnel, operations, policies, and activities in film and television.

Scratching slightly below the surface of the aggregate perceptions of America will yield a perspective of the complexity of the nation that belies the her monolithic image, a level of generosity that conflicts with what many see as a national trait of avarice, and an accepting predisposition as a cultural mosaic that contradicts her reputation as a juggernaut. Regrettably, the news media's preoccupation with the episodic and the anecdotal does not leave much capacity to focus on the positives.

Is the U.S. perfect? Certainly not, and neither she nor any other nation ever will be, for there will always be room for improvement. For those who refuse to recognize the benefits which have flowed from American largesse in the past 60 years, they should recognize that it is easier to target the leader than a follower.

This reminds me of the not-so-old adage, "Horticulture: you can take a whore to culture, but you can't make her think."

Teresa, thanks for your note from April 26th. I watched the "Selling America" video with my graduate class on media, propaganda, and terrorism. The students tended to agree with the sentiment of the author that America's task to improve its image is better served by a personal charm offensive than a media or information war. As a former State Department/USIA official from 1992-1994, I had my own organizational bias. I do not think that there is any substitute for the "last three feet" approach to international image management. A country's image is only as good as the individuals who live in it, and I believe that international exchanges and people-to-people diplomacy is better than any multimillion dollar media extravaganza. The global stereotype of America is driven by U.S. media projections. I cannot tell you how often I'm asked when overseas if I feel safe in America, what with all the violence and gun-slinging in the streets. When I traveled to Japan in the mid-90s, many Japanese were genuinely concerned with my well-being as a then resident of Washington, D.C. They saw the nation's capital through the prism of the Wild West and assumed that I had to protect myself with a gun. (I did not.) My point is that it took interpersonal engagement to overcome some of the most negative images about America. Mass media, whether Madison Avenue, Hollywood, or the Pentagon, will always take the lead in image manufacturing of America to the world, but these media do not have to speak for all of America's citizens.

To Tim Dunne of APR, I appreciate your NATO service and find your comments very interesting. I support your argument that the media's mostly episodic and negative coverage doesn't lend itself well to projecting America's best attributes, which are manifold. I also believe that one should separate criticism of government and foreign policy from an all-inclusive counter productive America-bashing approach. This is why I find that last comment about the "not-so-old adage" more than a bit off-putting. I have to admit that it is not the first time I've heard or read that unfortunate adage, but I don't think it strengthens your arguments. I've found that potentially alienating over half of the human population isn't particularly persuasive!