EU/BRUSSELS SERIES: Adapting to an everchanging media market; How The Hub came to be

Susan Elbow has seen change in how the U.S. handles public diplomacy. As the director of the European Media Center in Brussels, having served with the U.S. State Department for the past 22 years, her foreign service job focuses on outreach, working with the media and general communication efforts. But how her role has been played since the beginning of her career is an evolving story.

“After the Cold War, the government decided we didn’t need a big army anymore, so there were huge military cuts,” Elbow said.

The government then turned its attention and funding to improving the image of the U.S. around the world. Once Hollywood began producing films that made the U.S. look good, the government decided it didn’t need to fund this type of action anymore, so they cut support for image management.

“After 9/11, we realized that was a huge mistake,” she said.

Finally came the liberation of the European broadcast media in the east, in places such as Poland and Hungry, which liberated media markets, Elbow said.

When the media liberation began, there was an explosion of broadcasters who needed content for their newfound viewers. They made sure they had a story to tell, and inevitably, there were discrepancies in the accuracy of these articles.

“Then there was this feeling of don’t talk to the press,” Elbow said. “But if you need to, talk to print. Never live.”

A new addition to the team changed the way the group addressed the challenge of getting information to the European public.

Karen Hughes was named undersecretary of state for public diplomacy with the rank of ambassador in 2005.

“Karen Hughes came on board and said we need to do better; get them on air and train them to be (on air),” Elbow said. “Al Jazeera was off limits at that time. She disagreed with that and wanted to put spots on air (rather) than to have someone else saying negative things about the U.S. (in those time slots).”

Hughes also developed The Hub. The Brussels-based European media center was officially opened May 29. It includes radio and television studios aimed “to encourage and facilitate dialogue between the U.S. and overseas audiences by connecting U.S. policymakers with European television and radio broadcasters and print media, according to a U.S. Department of State press release.

In The Hub, live-studio interviews can be created, as well as pre-taped interviews with U.S. officials. The goal is to keep up with the international news market and provide accurate information to the European public to establish a dialog about foreign policy.

With the change came increased presence of U.S. officials on European airtime. The official in Dubai goes on air nearly three times a day and he does some shows in Arabic, Elbow said.

The Brussels Hub monitors the European media and works with seven embassies daily, she said. In the morning, Hub employees identify stories of key interest to the U.S. or those of high interest to Europeans. They look at two newspapers of record for each country for information. In London, those sources are The Times and The Guardian. Then, Hub employees put together a report with numerous sources and send it to Washington.

“Also, we try to head off negative stories or come out at the same time with the other side,” she said.

RELATED LINKS:

View recent podcasts
The United States Mission to the European Union
Brussels political news at Financial Times Europe

EU/BRUSSELS SERIES: Foreign service with the U.S. Embassy in Brussels

When you tell someone you are interested in foreign service as a career choice, the best reaction possible is a blank stare. Most of the time, the statement is met with a taken-back look or squinted eyes and a frown followed by a “What is that?” remark.

A foreign service position in a U.S. Embassy means you will “represent the United States overseas, advancing relationships around the world,” according to Deputy Chief of Mission Wayne Bush of the Embassy of the Unites States in Brussels, Belgium.

The job offers a wide-open opportunity to those who qualify, but getting in requires seriously high-test scores and a competitive nature. But according to those serving in the U.S. Embassy in Belgium, the sacrifice is worth it.

Working in a U.S. Embassy is a real chance to enhance the perceptions of the United States around the world. Did I mention you get to be stationed around the globe? That’s an opportunity most jobs can’t offer.


The role of the U.S. Embassy in Belgium

The U.S. Embassy in Belgium has five core functions: political reporting and advocacy, economic policy, protecting the rights of U.S. citizens, administrative aspects and public diplomacy.

Its mission “is to advance the interests of the United States, and to serve and protect U.S. citizens in Belgium,” according to the Embassy’s Web site.

All U.S. Department entities are represented at the Embassy and the role of the ambassador at the Embassy is to represent the president of the United States.

According to the Embassy’s Web site, Ambassador Sam Fox, Bush and the Embassy staff work “to protect and promote U.S. interests in Belgium through diplomatic relations with the Belgium government, commercial contacts with the business community, and through public diplomacy directed towards Belgians who share opinion about the United States.”


How the U.S. Embassy protects the U.S. image

One of the Embassy’s missions is to protect the image of the U.S. overseas. The mass media has a tremendous impact on the U.S., but the most important issue that has colored the image of the U.S. is the war in Iraq, the U.S. role in the Middle East, global warming and the death penalty, said Bush.

“Sometimes, we deserve the criticism we get, quite frankly,” he said. Being a team player means a lot these days.

In an Embassy position, it’s important to follow trends, articulate and understand politics. But beyond those skills, interpersonal communication plays a key role in helping others understand the actions of the U.S. and in maintaining a positive image overseas.

“People to people interaction is the best tool,” Bush said. It affords an opportunity to get away from the media messages.

Also, the way American travelers act while traveling in other countries makes a tremendous impact on the way the U.S. is perceived.

“Think of yourself as an ambassador to the U.S. when you travel abroad,” he said.


The effect of the U.S. economy

The world shares an economy, so a downturn in one market affects other global markets.

“The dropping U.S. dollar effects all (people) here,” so we have to try to explain the situation to the local nationals, reassure the local public that the value of the U.S. dollar will bounce back and counter misinformation, said Bush.

“It’s quite easy to believe the sky is falling” but the economy is resilient, he said. “We’ve weathered serious storms before and (the economy) has always come back.”


How the Embassy communicates

Belgium has three official languages and one unofficial language, which is a sensitive issue within the embassy work environment, Bush said.

The fear of Americanism exists overseas and so it is crucial to act with grace when it comes to the perceived threat of a country losing its identity to the American way of life.

“Studying languages is the most important thing to do for international communication,” he said. “It shows your interest in the culture.”

At this time, Arabic and Chinese are the two top languages sought in embassy employees.


Top traveling abroad issue

Security is one of the largest issues the Embassy deals with on a regular basis. The government has the duty to warn citizens of any threat to their security, so the Embassy sends out notices to warn travelers and citizens of dangerous countries to visit.

“This creates problems with the host country if you are warning people not to come there,” Bush said. “This must be done carefully, but it must be done.”

EU/BRUSSELS SERIES: Belgium Blues- What happens to Brussels?

When Belgium’s Prime Minister Yves Leterme resigned in July after just four months on the job, the country didn’t reach a stand still. To a visitor of the region, it didn’t seem like much was off at all. Businesses were open, people were working, trains ran on time, and daily activities continued as usual.

This life-continues mentality isn’t much of a surprise since Belgium has weathered times without government before. In June 2007, the country went 6 months without a government.

What’s concerning is why Leterme reigned: he failed to find a way to give more autonomy to French-speaking Wallonia in the south and Dutch-speaking Flanders in the north, a problem that has given way to talks of splitting the country in two.

Leterme said in a statement that he could not reach a resolution because the divide between the two was just too deep.

The King of Belgium has rejected the resignation of Leterme. What this means for the country is unclear.

What is also unclear is what would happen to Brussels, the administrative city of the European Union.

According to Andrew E. Hillman, policy advisor to a member of the European Parliament, “Belgium united is a national issue… the EU will never prevent the country from splitting, but we are against it. …The EU does fund unity parades, but legally we can’t prevent Belgium from splitting.”

About 40 percent of people living in Brussels are not Belgians because of the population of EU personnel, so if a split was to occur Flanders would not want to include Brussels in their country, Hillman said.

Flanders would have to reapply to join the EU, borders would need to be put up, and they would have no EU rights, he said.

If it did happen, Hillman said, “the idea would be to make Brussels an independent area- like Washington D.C.”

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EU/BRUSSELS SERIES: The inner-workings of the European Union

Comprehending how the European Union is organized gives non-member citizens a general understanding of what the organization does and how it manages to keep 27 nations moving forward as a one.

The European Union is organized mainly by three branches, not unlike the branches of government in the United States: the executive branch, legislative branch and the judicial branch.

It consists of the the European Commission, representing the common interests within the EU; the European Parliament, representing the European people; the Council of the European Union, representing national government; and the European Court of Justice, representing the law of the EU.

The executive branch of the EU is the European Commission. The legislative branches are the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. And the judicial branch is the European Court of Justice.

The European Commission
The executive branch of the EU is the European Commission, in charge of “promoting the common interest,” according to Europa.

Commission members and the president are appointed for five-year terms, coinciding with the Parliament’s terms.

The Commission is known as the Guardian of European treaties, Hillman said. It’s a collectively neutral force serving a government function, preparing and applying legislation to represent EU citizen’s general interests, he said.

The Commission drafts law proposals and submits them to the Parliament and Council. It also implements EU policy, spends EU funds, ensures EU rules are being followed and has the power to take offenders to the Court of Justice, according to Europa.

The composition of the Commission is 27 men and women- one from each EU member state. But they do not represent their national governments. Instead, they each are responsible for a particular policy area. Commission members have the support of nearly 24,000 civil servants working mostly out of Brussels, according to Europa.

European Parliament
The European people elect the Parliament every five years. The current parliament, chosen in June 2004, consists of 785 members from throughout the member states. “Nearly one third of them are women,” according to Europa.

The number of representatives is expected to drop to 750 in 2009, said Andrew E. Hillman, policy advisor to a member of the European Parliament. The amount of representatives each member state receives is based on demographic weight, he said.

“The main job of Parliament is to pass European laws,” according to Europa. “It shares this responsibility with the Council of the European Union.” The two also work together to approve the EU’s annual budget.

An additional power of Parliament is the right to dismiss decisions made by the European Commission.

The Parliament contains 22 committees and seven political groups, making the Parliament “a democratic forum beyond nationality,” Hillman said. During meetings, members do not sit according to national affiliation, but in one of the Europe-wide political groupings.

Over the years, the Parliament has seen increasing powers and an increasing role in the co-decision procedure, he said.

The Council of the European Union
The Council, formerly known as the Council of Ministers, represents the member states and is composed of high-ranking representatives of the governments of the member states, Hillman said.

It shares responsibility with Parliament for passing laws, making policy and “bears the main responsibility for what the EU does in the field of the common foreign and security policy and for EU action on some justice and freedom issues,” according to Europa.

The Council works in nine different formations, with specialized ministers in each formation, Hillman said. These ministers are directly accountable to their electorates.

Meetings are attended by ministers responsible for the issue at hand. For example, if a transportation matter arises, then the ministers of transportation will meet to discuss the issue.

“Council members keep the upper hand in the most sensitive areas” and the Council is the only branch that can ratify treaties, Hillman said.

Up to four times a year, presidents and prime ministers of EU member states will meet to discuss general EU policy. According to Europa, these times are referred to as summit meetings.


The European Court of Justice
The European Court of Justice keeps the law and balance of the EU. It consists of 27 independent judges, eight advocate generals and holds the final word on EU law interpretation, Hillman said.

“It is used as a tool to settle disputes between member states, but also between the different (EU) institutions,” he said. “Most of all, it’s a recourse for individuals to claim the respect of their rights under EU law.”

This system does not operate just like the U.S. Supreme Court. In the EU court system, a member-state citizen can take his country to court.

For example, if a Jordanian believes he is being charged too much in taxes by his country’s government according to EU law, he can take his case to the Jordanian court system. The Jordanian judge would then send a question regarding this matter to the European Court of Justice. The members of the Court of Justice would render a decision and send it down to the Jordanian judge who would use this decision in his ruling in the case.


Additional players
Other elements of the EU include; the Court of Auditors, ensuring EU funds are spent appropriately; the European Economic and Social Committee, known as the “voice of civil society,” according to Europa; the Committee of the Regions, keeping an eye on EU’s impact in the local level; the European Central Bank, responsible for managing the euro; and the European Investment Bank, lending money to European-interest projects.

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"The European Commission: An Essential Guide to the Institution, the Procedures and the Policies" by Gerhard Sabathil, Klemons Joos, and Bernd Kessler.
"The European Parliament's Role in Closer EU Integration" by Richard Corbett and Klaus Hansch.
"European Union Law in a Nutshell" by Ralph H. Folsom.

EU/BRUSSELS SERIES: An introduction to the European Union

During an international communication course I attended this summer in Paris, France, I spent a week in Belgium becoming acquainted with the European Union, its arms and its mission. As many Americans are unfamiliar with the EU, I will dedicate my first series on this Web site to exploring the group that has kept peace among its member nations for the past 60 years.

The European Union is a unique organization comprised of 27 democratic European nations joined together to create a partnership based on economic and political ties. Its goal, according to Europa, is to bring “peace, prosperity and freedom for its 495 million citizens- in a fairer, safer world.” Of course, in Europe, the EU is a name thrown around in daily conversation and seen in newspaper headlines often. Its presence is known quite well. But in the United States, we hear little about this impressive grouping gaining strength and recognition throughout the world.

So far, the EU has created freedom to travel within member countries, a unified and strong currency, safer food, higher living standards, environmental protections, combined forces on crime, and study abroad opportunities not easily obtainable before the birth of the EU in 1993, according to Europa.

The composition of the European Union is an old idea dating back to the 20^th century, designed to bring together the nations in Europe to fend off wars tearing the continent apart. The plan was set into motion after World War II when the destruction of Europe motivated the European people to join forces to create a stronger, safer environment than the one they had.

According to Andrew E. Hillman, policy adviser to a member of the European Parliament, the first goal of what came to be the EU was to create a political union to make war impossible in Europe. This concept was accepted by the public, but the first option to make this happen, the idea of a collective army, did not win the hearts of the public. The second option was an economic union.

In 1957, the European Economic Community, also known as the European Community, was introduced, Hillman said. It was based on four freedoms: the freedom of movement for goods, persons (workers), services and capital. This, Hillman said, “worked beautifully.”

The next goal was to create an even stronger union, one that moved the EEC toward becoming the EU. Between the years of 1957-2007 there were seven major treaties, each “enlarging the competencies of the union,” he said. The number of members continued to grow and new political goals were created.

The first six members were: France, Italy, Luxemburg, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Then in 1973, three more joined: the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark. Greece was added in 1981 and in 1986 Spain and Portugal joined the EC. From 1995-2007 the following countries were added: Austria, Sweden, Finland, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungry, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Romania.

Turkey has been a candidate for membership for 30 years, and according to Hillman, is still awaiting a place in the union. Croatia is “well on its way” to becoming a member, he said, as well as Macedonia.

In 1993, the EU was officially born from the Treaty of Maastricht signed in 1992. “Symbolically, Maastricht is also the treaty introducing the idea of a European citizenship granting rights,” Hillman said.

With the treaty, the idea of foreign policy returned as all internal borders were removed. This meant open borders, free movement between member countries and no passport checks. The treaty also introduced a common form of money- the euro.

“The euro was a big, big step presented as something that would really bring the Europeans together and make them realize that they needed more political government,” Hillman said.

The move to the euro worked, but it took a lot of faith, he said. Making this move meant more than just changing the look of a country’s currency. Money represented the heritage, history and culture of a nation. But it worked.

The treaty also introduced a new concept; one of an overlying power on top of a country’s governing bodies. Member countries must meet certain criteria to become a member of the EU and according to Hillman, joining the EU is a long process.

The main aim of the EU is democracy.

“Taking a step away from democracy comes with severe consequences,” he said. “No one who has joined the EU has gone against being democratic.”

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"Understanding the European Union: A Concise Introduction" by John McCormick
"The European Union: Politics and Policies" by John McCormick
"The European Union: Readings of the Theory and Practice of European Integration" by Brent F. and Alexander Stubb Nelsen