ABSTRACT
Our world is diverse, complex, and intertwined. Challenges are no longer confined within the borders of a single nation, but they are truly global in scope. The combined forces of the telecommunications revolution, the worldwide spread of democracy and market economies are placing foreign publics at center stage (USAC, 1999, p. 1)—for multinational corporations as well as for nation-states. Both have to pursue “communication across international boundaries for the procurement of certain objectives” (Sonnesyn & Williams, 1999, p. 1), and the respective communication functions of (international) public relations and public diplomacy should thus show a certain degree of conceptual convergence. Nonetheless, to date these two fields have little in common; they act mostly separately from one another; they do not have a common culture; and they do not form a community-either academically or professionally. While the business side treats the planned establishment of relations with publics of other nations under international public relations (and hence in the domain of public relations), the management of communicative relationships of nation-states, countries, or societies remains largely in the academic home of international relations (as a part of political science).
