PIONEERING TWITTER DIPLOMACY A conversation with Arturo Sarukhan, Ambassador of Mexico to the United States (2007–2012) by Keybi Michelle Mac Donald Díaz

Introduction

a01644242 — 2025-09-11 19:56:10 UTC

The chapter “Pioneering Twitter Diplomacy” explores the use of social media, particularly Twitter, in international relations through the experience of Arturo Sarukhán, Mexico’s ambassador to the United States. It highlights the importance of Twitter as a tool for diplomatic communication. The chapter emphasizes the importance of Twitter as a diplomatic communication tool that allows direct interaction.

Main ideas

2025-09-11 20:09:53 UTC

Diplomats shouldn’t just post stuff online, they need to actually talk with people too. Using both languages makes more people feel included.
Social media doesn’t create democracy, it just makes the politics that already exist louder.
Apps like Twitter help people come together and protest or ask for change.
Many people don’t trust political parties anymore, so they use social media to say what they want.
Big tech companies like Google and Facebook have a lot of power and can even change laws.
Future diplomats need to mix the old-school way of doing diplomacy with social media, but always knowing what their goals are.

Main ideas

a01644242 — 2025-09-11 20:34:31 UTC

Arturo Sarukhan is a Mexican diplomat who became the first Mexican ambassador to the United States with a personal Twitter account, which was used strictly for official purposes.
The decision was difficult because of the risks involved, as tweets could be misinterpreted.
Twitter was employed as a diplomatic tool to enable direct communication, reshape narratives, and correct misinformation.
However, Twitter could not replace traditional diplomacy; it only complemented it, and it could not hide or fix bad policies or poor implementation.
Social media in diplomacy should focus on three main goals: listening, responding, and engaging.
These platforms also contribute to country, city, or state branding, reinforcing soft power and international influence.

Conclusion

a01644242 — 2025-09-13 01:44:26 UTC

In the chapter, the author analizes how social media, like Twitters, has became and important tool in international relations. Using the experience of Arturo Sarukhan, the text explains how Twitter was added to his diplomatic work as Ambassor of Mexico to the United States, and help him to strengthen communication and interaction. The chapter emphasizes the importance of Twitter not only as a medium for spreading information, but also as a platform that transformed the way diplomacy is practiced in the modern era.