America's Image a Target During Wartime? Send PR to the Frontlines

Beyond the military difficulties the U.S. is experiencing in Iraq and Afghanistan, the country is also inexcusably struggling in the war of ideas. A Pew Global Studies Project Study of 16 nations points out that the United States remains broadly disliked in most countries surveyed. Even the opinion held of the American people is not as positive as it once was.

The magnitude of America’s image problem is so challenging that even popular U.S. policies have done little to repair it. The U.S. tsunami relief effort led to more favorable views of the U.S. for most nations surveyed – but that goodwill relief has been largely offset by the negative reactions to the continuing war in Iraq.

Even so, the broader war against terrorism is a contest between values—essentially, a PR war. America should be winning this battle hands down. After all, a brand that stands for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should be an easier sell than a brand that stands for summary beheadings and a revival of the social codes of the Middle Ages.

One of the primary reasons the United States won the Cold War was because the world was solidly on our side. Even in the most bitter disagreements, whether it was Vietnam or the MX missile, the citizens of the world and their leaders generally believed that the U.S. stood as the guardian of freedom and democracy. By and large, in the global struggle between Eastern Bloc nations led by the former Soviet Union and the West as led by the U.S., America, whether its leaders were Democrat of Republican, was considered the right side of the battle.

Over the past few years, the Administration has attempted to buff up the nation’s image, first, through an ill-conceived high-profile advertising campaign and, currently, through an inconsistent public diplomacy campaign under the State Department.

A true public diplomacy campaign designed to significantly alter perceptions about what key values the United States stands for requires more than the token effort currently employed.

The U.S. needs to look at the steps put in place during World War I, when President Woodrow Wilson created the Committee on Public Information. The committee’s mission was to convey the message, both foreign and domestically, that this was a war for self-determination and ultimate peace. Similarly, the Roosevelt Administration’s Office of War Information during WWII was charged with ensuring that U.S. actions and values were clearly communicated overseas and at home.

It’s often said that in war, truth is the first casualty. That’s why PR is not only an essential weapon during wartime, it also serves as a key medic unit.