Embassy newsletters as information sources of current affairs

Abstract

Embassy newsletters, which are regarded as one of the most crucial functions of the public diplomacy efforts conducted by governments, contain policy information regarding political, socioeconomic, and cultural conditions of the issuing countries. Although these publications can primarily be viewed as propaganda materials, this article advocates their effective use as sources of information on current affairs as they provide the most recent and readily available data about the issuing countries. This paper identifies some 30 such foreign newsletters available in the United States, describes the methods of acquisition and organization of such materials, and cites the advantages of maintaining such collections.