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On June 8, GMF’s Transatlantic Center in Brussels hosted Karen Hughes, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.  Hughes met with a small group of Brussels-based Marshall Memorial Fellows for an informal discussion, where they exchanged thoughts and ideas on the United States’ image abroad and how it could be improved.   The discussions evolved around the role of media and its tendency to focus on negative images such as Abu Grahib or new strict U.S. visa laws, which continue to dominate European public opinon.   Several participants, who work in and around the European Union institutions and NATO, explained America’s controversial image through polarized domestic policy debates and the behavior of policymakers who pay the most attention to public opinion polls.  They said this behavior makes U.S. handling of international policy challenges appear dishonest.  Much of the discussion also centered around the specific cases of Iraq and the Guantanamo prison.  Media coverage has not shown the complexity of both situations and have developed into particularly strong, negative symbols of U.S. involvement abroad.   According to European participants, American public diplomacy tactics need to entail expedient rebuttals to international challenges, including a new agenda that moves away from security concerns to focus on other stories.  Although the transatlantic relationship continues to improve, Europeans are still waiting for Americans to deliver examples of change in the Bush administration’s attitude.  The dialogue concluded with the expressed need for a new framework for dealing with international challenges, such as terrorism, where Europeans show concern.