Karen Hughes to leave State Department

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Karen Hughes, who was appointed from July 29, 2005 to December 14 2007, was the leader of America’s efforts to communicate with foreign publics and confront ideological support for terrorism. She gave a new definition to Public Diplomacy, and said that it is no longer considered the relationship between government and government but between government and foreign publics. This diplomatic woman is thus adapting the German approach of Public Diplomacy. As one of the State Department’s top officials, she led several thousand public diplomacy employees worldwide, oversaw the bureaus of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Public Affairs and International Information Programs, and participated in foreign policy development.

During her term, public diplomacy became a national security priority that is now viewed as central to the work of America’s diplomats worldwide. Hughes aggressively expanded public diplomacy and international communications programs, won increased funding for them and initiated numerous innovations and institutional changes. However, she did not deny that improving the world's view of the United States is a "long-term challenge" since American public diplomacy - at its best, an effort by the US to show respect to the opinions of mankind and engage in a global dialogue - has become perceived worldwide as the basest form of propaganda.