Bey-Ling Sha, Ph.D., APR, is a higher education leader whose work has influenced public relations scholarship, education and practice. She joined the College of Communications as dean in July 2019, after 15 years as a faculty member and administrator at San Diego State University.
She holds a Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Maryland, College Park, and is Accredited in Public Relations by the Universal Accreditation Board.
1. What is identity? Could it be unique for each diplomat?
Identity is how we see ourselves (avowed identity) and how others see us (ascribed identity). For diplomats, there should definitely be unique personal identities to each individual, but all diplomats should keep in mind that how they see themselves may not align with how others see them. For example, a newly appointed diplomat might see themselves as a businessperson or whatever previous position they held, but – once appointed – they are viewed by others as representatives of their country.
Each person is always in a state of growing and evolving, so our identities are constantly adapting to those changes.
2. What would be the relevance of the connection between identity and diplomacy?
One point of relevance is that people often do not distinguish between diplomats as individuals and the country that they represent. There is a blurring of the distinction between the individual (i.e., the diplomat) and the nation, which means that diplomats must be very careful in all their words and their actions.
3. You joined the College of Communications as dean in July 2019. Congratulations. What will be your mission from that position?
My mission as the dean of the College of Communications at California State University, Fullerton, is to build relationships between the College and the people whose lives we influence. These include the faculty and staff, as well as students and alumni, and of course the community at large.
4. Should PR exists between diplomatic mission in hosting country and the publics? Why?
It depends what you mean by this question. If “public relations” here means the professional sense of building and maintaining relationships between organizations and the publics on whom organizational success depends, then DEFINITELY, diplomatic missions in a hosting country should build relationships with publics.
5. Could you briefly explain the U.S. diplomacy communication via social media?
As I am neither a diplomat nor a U.S. diplomatic official, I don’t think that I can answer this question.
6. What is advantage of creating and sending message in digital age?
One characteristic of the digital age is the democratization of communication; basically, anyone can send any message any time. The advantages of this include more frequency of contact, more immediacy of connection, and more breadth of reach. The disadvantage, of course, is that not everyone uses the advantages in ways that are ethical or professional, and thus misinformation and even false information can spread quickly and widely.
7. How to define the main factors influencing a country's image from the standpoint of public relation? How to develop a scale to assess country image?
There is a lot of research on this topic, so I don’t think I can provide a short answer here, because the question is very complex!
8. Is identity steady or mutable?
Definitely, mutable. The anthropologist Edward T. Hall said that identity is not about being; it’s about becoming. Each person is always in a state of growing and evolving, so our identities are constantly adapting to those changes.
9. What changes diplomats should implement in their daily communication to the public?
This really depends on what each diplomat is doing right now, so I can’t offer a one-size-fits-all answer to this question.
10. Do you think diplomacy need strategic PR support in reaching to the publics?
Of course!
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