Lynne Weil

In a speech marking World Press Freedom Day nearly two decades ago, then-Sen. Ted Kennedy observed that the media enjoy “broad protection” in the United States. “Freedom of the press is guaranteed by the First Amendment to our Constitution,” he noted, “and it has been upheld and amplified in countless court rulings as a cornerstone of our democracy.

“But even in this country, there is no cause for complacency,” Kennedy continued, noting – as others have done throughout U.S. history – that “eter

Desperate refugees flooding Europe as they flee for their lives. Ghastly scenes of terrorist mayhem in Paris and San Bernardino. Crumbling economies, fragile democracies, and widespread violence dominating the news from abroad.

Faced with what seems like a constant barrage of horrors beyond their control, Americans are demanding to hear more from our leaders—and those vying to be our leaders—on how we as a nation should handle threats and complex challenges in this tumultuous world.

We need de

In one month, will fingernails across the U.S. government be again bitten down to the quick?

A Dec. 11 deadline seemed reasonable at September’s end, when Congress passed a continuing resolution, or CR, to fund the government temporarily while its members sought agreement on spending for Fiscal Year 2016. But six weeks later — and with four to go — it’s far from certain whether all 12 regular appropriations bills will be hammered out in time, rolled into an omnibus or stymied by issues that may

What do Fulbright fellows in Kenya, the broadcasts of Radio Free Asia, and the Foreign Press Center near the United Nations have in common? All are facets of U.S. public diplomacy, which advances national security by informing, engaging and influencing the views of people around the world.

Public diplomacy (PD to its friends) is one of the less celebrated but more intriguing investments in U.S. foreign policy. For decades, it has earned lasting allies for our country and helped multitudes under