Public Diplomacy and the Post-Truth World
Former Time Editor Rick Stengel on the state department, the limits of free speech, and how journalism must adapt to “alternative facts”
It’s only been a few months since Rick Stengel stepped down from his post as Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, but oh how things have changed in that short time.
In this episode of PolicyCast, Stengel, the former Managing Editor of Time, makes the case for the state department’s public diplomacy efforts despite signs that the Trump Administration would like to reduce or eliminate them. He also discusses how journalism can adapt to a crowded marketplace of ideas where the truth itself seems optional.
Stengel has been on campus this semester as the Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow at the Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center.
HKS PolicyCast is the official podcast of Harvard Kennedy School, featuring weekly interviews with scholars and leading practitioners in public policy, leadership, and international affairs. It is hosted by filmmaker, writer, and policy wonk Matt Cadwallader.
