Public Affairs in the Age of Digital Diplomacy with US Embassy to Vienna Press Officer Karin Czerny

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Dr. Karin H. Czerny, Head of the Press Section at the United States Embassy in Vienna, and Eva Muhm, Director of the American Reference Center at the United States Embassy in Vienna, discuss handling public affairs on behalf of the US Dept. of State via mainstream news media and social media in Austria.

Public Affairs Insights

00:34 – An introduction to the featured guests on this podcast and the context of the conversation.

00:49 – Internet penetration and blogging culture in Vienna, Austria, compared to other countries.

01:21 – The use of the social web during political campaigns and political bloggers.

03:53 – The conference on The Future of Journalism, organized at Amerika Haus by the US Embassy in Vienna.

04:39 – Using the US Embassy in Vienna’s website to post press releases and media relations announcements.

05:36 – The solvency and reach of newspapers versus online news in Vienna, and who reads what.

07:57 – Using a recent student protest as an example of how people are organizing and communicating online, the guests discuss using social media to communicate effectively on behalf of the US in Austria.

08:44 – How the US Embassy in Vienna uses social media to practice public affairs communications via Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter, and what they hope to achieve through these channels.

10:46 – The public affairs strategy driving the US Embassy to Vienna’s engagement and how they decide what information should be distributed online.

11:41 – The most significant challenges associated with communicating on behalf of the US Embassy in Vienna.

13:49 – Unique characteristics and requirements of communicating with the Austrian mindset.

17:02 – Whether or not the mainstream news media coverage and online discussion of the US domestic health care reform debate has impacted the credibility of our foreign policy decisions in the international community.

18:49 – A discussion of the types of topics and speakers that the US Embassy is hosting in Vienna.

21:15 – Hopes and expectations for the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference.

22:10 – The social media readiness of Vienna compared to other European Countries.

23:29 – End

Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash