The Role of Diplomacy and Media in International Relations
International relations are relations between the states of the world. The core of these relations is to promote state’s economic, politic, and cultural interests. The main actors of international relations are states, international and nongovernmental organizations, and individuals.
At the present time, to maintain good political relations is more profitable than to be in war. For example, according to Boston Globe Online, 150 economists and a few Nobel laureates has already calculated the approximate cost of war in Iraq in 2003. Only budget cost of this war was equal $100 billion, but it is also included human cost of both sides. In 2007, as BBC said that price of war in Iraq is $500 billion and 3,500 died and 25,000 wounded only American soldiers. Therefore, it is better to promote the state’s interests using more peaceful means such as diplomacy and mass media.
Diplomacy is a peaceful method to solve conflict, maintain good relations, and advance interests of the state through conducting negotiations between representatives of states. According to Encyclopedia of Placement, work of diplomats is based on watching the events happened in the country, following reactions of world states on the main world events, reporting about them to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, recommending what official position is better to a concrete case and, at the same time. Diplomats have official right to collect information about country where they work. According to the Russian site that is called The Independent Military Review, Secret Intelligence Service of Britain in 1970-1980s cooperated with military attaché in embassy. As a result, very often they are suspected in espionage and expelled from the country. For instance, the site Agentura.ru writes about expelling of 80 USSR diplomats by Ronald Reagan in 1986. According to the site of Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, information collected by USA ambassador always, first of all, goes to The Office of Intelligence and Investigations of State Department. Nevertheless, diplomacy is a very good mean to reach peaceful solution of the problem. For example, thanks to 6-party talks between the United States, North Korea, China, Japan, Russia and, South Korea can decrease conflict concerned North Korean nuclear program and, according to BBC, DPRK said that would stop its program.
Finally, diplomats are not only representatives of the state that try to maintain good relations and solve conflicts but also can be secret service men.
Mass media is very powerful because can cover big amount of people during a short period of time. Furthermore, very often point of view that represented by the mass media of any country is perceived as opinion of the state. Moreover, media can easy influence mind of people through photos, video and comments. The best examples of such impact are “CNN effect” that is used by politics to persuade world community.
The main point of “CNN effect” is 24-hour new coverage of any event such as war, disaster, international conflict, etc. using photos and video from the place of incident. It makes pressure on government and compels it to do immediate decision that can be spontaneous and thoughtless. As a result, it can lead to redoubling of conflict because of misunderstanding. If 24 hours a day to say that Iran, for example, has nuclear weapon, anyone unconsciously will believe in it. An intervention to this country will be perceived as a logical decision. But also “CNN effect” can attract attention of world community to the concrete event. For instance, according to the article of Piers Robinson The CNN Effect: The Myth of News, Foreign Policy and Intervention, US Balkans diplomat Richard Holbrooke said thanks to media for their help to attract attention to the conflict between Bosnia and Kosovo.
Moreover, mass media can be used as cover for international intelligence. For instance, The Independent Military Review argued that Secret Intelligence Service has its members in such London newspapers as The Economist, Observer, and “Sunday Times”.
As a result, mass media is a very powerful “weapon” that can very easy influence on decision-makers as well as people of the world.
In conclusion, the best method of communication between states is using of diplomacy that has real power to solve crisis, control situation and obtain information and mass media that can represent opinion of the states or be a mean to promote and achieve economic, cultural and political interests of states.
