US soft power triumphs in probe of Sepp Blatter’s corrupt casino

This article by CCLP senior fellow Derek Shearer was originally published in The Conversation. Soccer is truly the world's sport. It is played and watched by more people across the globe than any other sport. Every four years, it is the center of global attention when the World Cup is held. It's as if the World Series and Super Bowl were rolled into one mega-sporting event with viewership in the hundreds of millions. A private organization based in Switzerland called FIFA controls the selection of the host country, the commercial sponsors for the event and the rules by which the……

Cablegate: a demonstration of conflict between transparency and safety, according to Cowan

On January 20, CCLP Director Geoffrey Cowan, along with Senior Fellow Derek Shearer took part in a three-part discussion on the Wikileaks scandal and cablegate. Shearer, a former US Ambassador, and Cowan discussed the fall-out and contention that the publication of US State Department cables has caused not only in the realm of public and international diplomacy, but also how this emergence of information effects the media. "WikiLeaks – Part II: Will WikiLeaks Transform American Diplomacy?" took place on the campus of UCLA in coordination with the Burkle Center for International Relations. An article featuring Cowan was published in UCLA's……

Day One of CCLP Forum: Press and policymakers need to probe more deeply on rationale for war in Afghanistan

Policymakers and analysts are calling on the press to dig much deeper into the strife that engulfs Afghanistan, and to provide better analysis on the policy options now before President Obama as he weighs whether to send thousands more American troops. Former Ambassador Morton Abramowitz, who previously headed the State Department's intelligence unit, accused the press of "hit-and-run" coverage that has substituted for serious consideration of policy in Afghanistan. His observations, along with presentations and dialogue among top journalists, scholars and government officials, were presented at the inaugural Global Communication Leadership Forum , held November 6-7 in Los Angeles…….