Ethical Challenges in the Digitalization of Public Diplomacy
Résumé
Abstract Advances in information technology, especially the mainstreaming of social media platforms, affect the exclusivity of traditional diplomacy as elite interaction and negotiation. Public diplomacy actors use the affordances of digital media to pursue continuous, day-to-day communication and deploy their government’s network influence. This diplomatic communication should not exist in an ethical vacuum. Digital diplomacy transcends the boundaries of traditional diplomacy, extending to civil society and touching the public good. Practitioners are faced with professional contradictions in balancing confidentiality versus transparency, exclusivity versus inclusiveness, and national versus public interests. This chapter discusses the professionalization of digital diplomacy practices and outlines the ethical challenges practitioners face in shaping the image and reputation of their government.