Secret diplomacy in the television age

The article offers three conceptual models to explore various interactions between media and diplomacy within various secret settings. In the secret diplomacy model, the media and the public are totally excluded from negotiations, while in closed-door diplomacy they are partially excluded. In secret media-broker diplomacy, a journalist assumes the role of a diplomat and is secretly engaged in mediation. The models help to investigate fundamental professional and ethical implications of secret diplomacy for government officials, journalists and public opinion. The article demonstrates the analytical usefulness of the conceptual models by applications to several case studies of contemporary secret diplomacy, including the breakthroughs in American-Chinese and Arab-Israeli relations.