The Bureau of Public Affairs

Helping the State Department Engage with the World

The PA Bureau vigorously pursues the State Department's mission to inform domestic and international audiences and to feed their concerns and comments back to the policymakers.

• Strategic & tactical messaging to advance & amplify the Administration's foreign policy goals

• Press briefings for domestic & foreign press corps• Media outreach & interviews• Managing the Department’s website & developing web pages• Use social media to proactively engage & inform the public

about foreign policy• Maintain relationships for the Department with key

organizations and individuals who drive the foreign policy debate

• Facilitate outreach of Department officials to key groups throughout the United States

• Producing & coordinating audio-visual products & services in the U.S. & abroad for the public, the press, the Secretary

• Preparing historical studies on U.S. diplomacy & foreign affairs matters

• Field queries and correspondence from the general public

What We Do

WHO IS TELLING YOUR STORY

SHAPING YOUR MESSAGE

INFORMING THE UNINFORMED

PA

Traditional press

briefings and press releases

Interviews with U.S. Officials

Push out messaging via

digital and traditional platforms

Media Hubs amplify

messages overseas

Feedback to calibrate

messagingInformation to key validators

The Bureau of Public Affairs Amplifies and Informs Policy

by using a Variety of Media Platforms

Leading the way……..

Deputy Assistant Secretary for

International MediaMichael Ratney

Acting Assistant Secretary for Public AffairsMike Hammer

Press OfficeHeide Bronke Fulton

Principal Deputy Assistant SecretaryDana Shell Smith

Public Affairs Executive OfficeHattie O. Jones

Office of the HistorianAmb. Edward Brynn

USAID/PressLars Anderson

Public LiaisonMoira Whelan

DiplomacyCenter

Steve Estrada

Rapid Response UnitLeonard Scensny

Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Strategic CommunicationPhilippe Reines

Deputy AssistantSecretary for Outreach

Cheryl Benton

StrategicCommunicationsCaroline Adler

Office of International Media

Shai Korman, Acting

StrategicPlanning and Crisis

Response TeamMelinda Masonis

SpokespersonAmb. Victoria Nuland

Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Digital StrategyVictoria Esser

Office of Electronic InformationJanice Clark

Office of Broadcast Services

Ragini Gupta

Digital Communications Center

and Social MediaDan Schaub

Foreign Press CentersNeil Klopfenstein

Deputy SpokespersonMark Toner

Public Affairs Offices

Press OfficeInternational

Media Engagement

Strategic CommunicationForeign Press

CenterRapid Response

Unit

Digital Communications

CenterOffice of

Broadcast Services Office of

Electronic Information

Public Liaison

US Diplomacy Center

Historians Office

OUTREACHDIGITALPRESS/MEDIA

PLANNING & CRISIS RESPONSE UNIT• Engages Department offices and

bureaus to focus on key public events and activities on which they can partner with PA to ensure full amplification across multiple platforms and to a range of audiences.

• Ensures planning is tied to the key strategic priorities of the Secretary and long-range goals of Department principals.

• Connects bureaus to the various offices within PA as planning evolves into execution and helps track implementation and outcomes.

Committed to serving as the point-of-entry for offices across the

Department to leverage the resources and platforms PA has to offer to amplify the Secretary’s and the Department’s policy priorities, initiatives,

and activities.

(your one stop shop)

PLANNING & CRISIS RESPONSE UNIT

in times of specific, acute crisis -- a messaging and staffing process to put the

Bureau in the position to lead messaging efforts, both within the Department and overseas, through a new Crisis Response

function.

Activates

PRESSGetting not only a message but the right message out to the public

•Press Briefings•Conference Calls•Interviews•Media monitoring•Press Releases•Release of documents pertaining to major initiatives and announcements

OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSONVictoria Nuland

Supports the President and Secretary of State by explaining the foreign policy of the United States and the positions of the Department of State to

domestic and foreign journalists. The office also provides logistical support and expertise to the Secretary of State and other

Department officials for events involving media coverage/participation.

PRESS OFFICE

• Supports the Secretary of State’s public events in addition to those of the Deputy Secretary and other senior Department officials.

• Respond to press queries• Conducts media interviews

• Monitors media for breaking international events• Coordinates special press briefings and conference calls

PRESS OFFICE

• Coordinate interview requests from the national media for senior State Department officials other than the Secretary of State.

• Proactively pitches interviews on a wide variety of issues to national media outlets and places editorials in major U.S. newspapers.

Amb. Ford discusses the situation in Syria with ABC news’ Christiane Amanpour

(8.4.11)

Assistant Secretary Kerri-Ann Jones on PBS Newshour re. the

Keystone Pipeline (10.10.11)

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

• Creates and manages State Department mechanisms to ensure accurate coverage of U.S. foreign policy priorities by major international media.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

• LiveAtState is the U.S. Department’s new interactive on-line video platform for engaging with international media on top foreign policy issues through “virtual press briefings.”

• The office oversees the State Department's six Regional Media Hubs which serve as overseas platforms for engagement of foreign audiences via the media -- broadcast, print, and internet.

U.S.-European Media Hub, Brussels - Dubai Regional Media Hub – London Regional Media Hub - Media Hub of the Americas, Miami –

African Regional Media Hub, Johannesburg – East Asia and Pacific Media Hub, Tokyo

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

• Leverages social media platforms in multiple foreign languages, advancing our mission to communicate to foreign audiences via the media they use, and in the languages they speak.

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

@USAbilAraby - Arabic@USAdarFarsi - Farsi

@USAenEspanol - Spanish@USAenFrancais - French

@USAemPortugues - Portuguese@USApoRusski - Russian@USAHindiMein - Hindi

@USAUrdu - Urdu@USA_Zhongwen - Chinese

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION

• Supports the Secretary’s events by organizing and planning domestic and international interviews, press conferences, town halls and other public events that highlight the Secretary’s priorities.

Live broadcast and webcast

Fact sheets and press releases

Hubs engage media overseas

Live tweets in English and foreign languages

DipNote blog entries

Arrange interviews for U.S. officials to echo messages

Amplifying the Secretary’s Messages

RAPID RESPONSE UNIT

• Provides a daily analysis of up-to-the minute foreign media responses to the issues most important to U.S. government officials. 

• Empower those officials to answer questions about our foreign positions and to advance U.S. goals by providing appropriate messaging from State and other US officials.

• Creates Special Reports for targeted audiences such as the Secretary and other Cabinet officials to cover breaking events and reactions to U.S. initiatives. 

FOREIGN PRESS CENTERS (DC & NY)

Support U.S. foreign policy by helping foreign journalists report on the U.S., thereby deepening their understanding of the political, economic, and social foundations that shape our foreign policy. Accomplished via four main areas: • Briefings: Host roundtables and televised briefings with State Department

Principals, officials from other USG agencies, and outside organizations.• Reporting Tours: Organize both local 1-day and longer multi-city tours covering

issues of national and international importance. FPC collaborates with public affairs sections at posts and regional PD offices to cover costs of longer tours, where journalists are sent from overseas.

• Press Credentials: FPC issues a State Department-endorsed credential that is recognized by many organizations in Washington and allows access to the FPC facilities.

• Facilitative Assistance: FPC program officers and information specialist provide foreign journalists information on USG policy and the U.S. in general needed for them to complete their stories, and help arrange interviews with State Department principals and other USG officials.

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

• Expands the reach of U.S. foreign policy through new media and web-based communication technology.

• Maintains the Department’s official blog, DipNote, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Tumblr pages.

• Manages new media elements on state.gov, including the Secretary’s interactive travel map, and www.video.state.gov

• Provides support for digital platforms such as LiveAtState, Live webcasts on state.gov and IOS application development.

DIGITAL

OFFICE OF BROADCAST SERVICES(yes, we have our own studio)

• Operates the American Embassy Television Network, the Department’s direct satellite connection to international TV broadcasters and posts worldwide. Content is currently being reprogrammed to be post and region driven, please send suggestions to OBSAETN@state.gov.

• Produces live TV pool coverage of events involving the President, Secretary of State, and principal spokespeople for distribution to U.S. and international broadcasters via fiber and satellite networks.

• Provides daily coverage of State Department and Foreign Press Center briefings, as well as foreign affairs hearings from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

ELECTRONIC INFORMATION

• The Office of Electronic Information and Publications manages, designs, develops, and prepares content for the State Department's main website at state.gov. The EI Office coordinates with Department bureaus/offices on the content and means of releasing electronic information for public dissemination.

PUBLIC LIAISON-domestic outreach

• Create and coordinate opportunities for dialogue between the Department of State and the American people.

• Engage civil society through briefings, conferences and other events in Washington, D.C. and around the country.

• Central hub for receiving, tracking, and reporting citizens’ opinions to the Department’s experts and leaders.

PUBLIC LIAISON:Promoting Opportunities for Dialogue

Key Idea Leaders

• National Security Stakeholders

• Think Tanks• Conversations with America

Young People

• Foreign Policy Classroom

• Multicultural Student Organizations

• Foreign Affairs Campus Coordinators

Community Leaders

• Diaspora• Hometown Diplomats Program

• Intergovernmental Affairs

General Public

• Fact Sheets• FAQs• General Inquiries

US DIPLOMACY CENTER-explaining why diplomacy matters

• Mission To welcome the American people and visitors from around the world to the Department of State, to explain why diplomacy matters, and to inspire future leaders to become involved.

• VisionTo be a Center for innovation, featuring state-of-the-art exhibits that tell the story of American diplomacy and interactive educational programs that prepare youth for the global challenges of tomorrow.

Sketch of the planned entrance to the U.S. Diplomacy Center's museum.

HISTORIAN’S OFFICE-documenting the history of U.S. foreign policy

• Staffed by professional historians who are experts in the history of U.S. foreign policy and the Department of State and possess unparalleled research experience in classified and unclassified government records.

• The Office of the Historian is responsible, under law, for the preparation and publication of the official documentary history of U.S. foreign policy in the Foreign Relations of the United States series.

NOW YOU KNOW WHAT PA CAN DO FOR YOU

•Questions?

•Email PA Planningpaplanning2@stat

e.gov