Rumsfeld with Gen. Peter Pace in Nov. 2005Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is concerned that the United States "is losing the war of ideas in the Muslim world, and the answer to that, in part, is through the creation of [a] new government agency," writes Sharon Weinberger. In particular, Rumsfeld is advocating for a "21st century agency for global communcations" -- or propaganda, similar to his controversial Office of Strategic Influence. The U.S. government needs to get involved, Rumsfeld said, because "private media does not get up in the morning and say what can we do to promote the values and ideas that the free Western nations believe in?" Unlike the old U.S. Information Agency, Rumsfeld said the new agency should use "multiple channels of information. ... The Internet is there, blogs are there, talk radio is there, e-mails are there. There are all kinds of opportunities. We do not with any systematic organized way attempt to engage the battle of ideas."

As China prepares to host the Olympic Games, President Hu Jintao is urging Communist Party officials to "perform well the task of outward propaganda, further exhibit and raise up the nation's good image." At a recent Communist Party gathering, Jintao stressed the need for "cultural soft power," or public diplomacy, and said Chinese propaganda must "advance the building of the body of socialist core value and further boost unity and harmony." To improve their propaganda, the Beijing 2008 Olympics organizers have been working with the major public relations firm Hill & Knowlton. In related news, Chinese officials "are increasingly engaging in the debate over their country's role in Africa," countering charges that "they are neo-colonialists engaged in a remorseless drive for Africa's commodities," reports Financial Times. China's ambassador to Pretoria, South Africa defended his country's engagement with repressive governments like Zimbabwe's: "If you want to pressure and you cut all dialogue you cannot reason" with them. He also defended "the influx of cheap Chinese goods," saying African villagers' ability to "wear new clothes from China" instead of second-hand clothes gives them "confidence."

Image from the PR videoA sponsored public relations video airing on cable stations in five Connecticut towns is drawing scrutiny. The video is structured like a news interview and is co-hosted by "one of the best known political reporters in the state," Duby McDowell. In the video, McDowell is identified as a "WFSB Political Analyst." While McDowell sometimes provides commentary on the television station WFSB-3, she also runs her own PR firm. The video was produced for a law firm that's one of McDowell's PR clients, and the interviewees are two of the firm's partners. McDowell admits that viewers might be confused about her role in the video, but added: "We have mentioned at the end that this is paid for by Shipman & Goodwin," the law firm. In the video, the lawyers discuss "a whopping $12.4 million jury verdict" in an eminent domain case that they won against the town of Branford. Branford is appealing the decision. During the PR video, one of the lawyers stresses that the appeal will result in additional costs for town residents. "We are certain to see property taxes rise," responds McDowell.