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Seeking to assess the current state of international broadcasters (IBs) within the framework of public diplomacy, this paper assesses the relevance of state-sponsored IBs within the contemporary public diplomacy. This paper focuses on the IBs of two neighboring countries, Indonesia and Australia, and political authorities' dynamic support for their services. Data were obtained through desk reviews of IB policies, in-depth interviews, and online observation of the websites of Siaran Luar Negeri (SLN, Indonesia's IB) and ABC Radio Australia (RA, Australia's IB). This paper finds that both countries have continued to use IBs for their public diplomacy, yet 'political parallelism' determines the position and sustainability of each. SLN has had limited political support and faced a series of managerial crises, while RA has enjoyed the fruitful support of the Australian authorities and has been heavily involved in public diplomacy in the Asia–Pacific region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media coverage of terrorism in Indonesia shows substantial differences in the way Indonesian and Australian news media portray terrorists, Islamic groups and Indonesian attitudes towards terrorism. While the Australian media’s framing of issues relating to terrorism and Islamic groups in Indonesia generates a hegemonic Orientalist image of Indonesian Muslims, Indonesian media treatment of the same issues is more moderate, presenting a very different picture. This comparative analysis of Australian and Indonesian mainstream news coverage, taken from the week following the 2002 Bali bombings, the 2004 Australian Embassy bombing in Jakarta and the 2005 Bali bombings, illustrates the ease with which stereotypical images can be created and reinforced in the media. At the same time, it shows how easily issues can be presented in a way that counters such generalizations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]