USC U.S.-China Institute's video: Nick Cull Examines How Covid-19 Has Affected World Leadership

This talk looks at the impact of the Covid 19 crisis on the battle of images between the United States and China. It considers the key strategies of communication and public diplomacy used so far in the crisis and consider the optimal approach. Cull has argued that preserving and developing a positive reputation should be considered an aspect of national security in the 21st century. He has described the current crisis as a moment of reputational reckoning when the familiar ranking of soft power is in flux, with significant implications for world leadership. Nicholas J. Cull teaches at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He was the founding director of the master's program in public diplomacy and part of the team recognized by the Department of State with the Benjamin Franklin award. From 2004 to 2019, Cull served as president of the International Association for Media and History. He has provided advice and training in public diplomacy to a number of foreign ministries and cultural agencies around the world.