ABSTRACT
Most public diplomats dislike the use of the word ‘diplomat’ to describe themselves. They are of course aware that they are cogs in a diplomatic wheel. The vast majority have a passion for their jobs. Indeed, with their qualifications and skillsets there are much easier jobs in much nicer parts of the world that pay much better money than working public diplomacy. Few are interested in the dark arts of deception but almost all are frustrated because diplomats and public diplomats appear to be working at cross-purposes. Perhaps then we ought to stop thinking about public diplomacy's potential to do good in the world, and acknowledge that any such goodness is extremely limited simply because it is public diplomacy. Public diplomacy is a contested concept within the study of political communications with hundreds of definitions within its growing body of published works. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
