Priority areas of focus for the commission include: improving research and evaluation to bolster the impact of PD programs; integrating strategic planning with program design; strengthening public diplomacy professionals' development and training; and preparing public diplomats for the changing technological landscape of the 21st century.

[2] The current commissioners as of December 22, 2024[update]:[3] President Biden has nominated the following to fill seats at the commission.

[4] The commission's executive director oversees general operations and works closely with U.S. government officials, NGOs, think tanks, businesses, academia, and other public diplomacy professionals to produce constructive ideas and recommendations for how the U.S. government engages in public diplomacy.

The commission's main research product is the "Comprehensive Annual Report on Public Diplomacy and International Broadcasting," which breaks down the U.S. government's expenditures for public diplomacy programs, while also including in-depth analysis of priority U.S. foreign policy issues including countering violent extremism, countering Russian malign influence in Europe and Central Asia, and research and evaluation of public diplomacy and international broadcasting.

Technological advances have transformed the spread of ideas, which both encourages active public participation in discourse, while also allowing for extremist ideologies to circulate online.