Propaganda or Public Diplomacy? An Analysis of American European Policy between 1947-1962.

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to refocus on the soft power terminology of propaganda and public diplomacy that have been coined and developed over the past three decades and have been used interchangeably. This will be done by analyzing American European policy between 1947-1962 using Dr. Cull’s six elements with which to distinguish propaganda from public diplomacy: the element of agenda, influence, information, listening, prejudice, and truth. This thesis will analyze at three different originators and a specific but important unit of analysis. This thesis will look at the United States Information Agency and their sports campaigns, the Central Intelligence Agency and Radio Free Europe, and Hollywood and their film productions.