Public Affairs: Maintaining Credibility While Evolving with Strategic Communication

摘要

Public affairs has been identified as a key component of strategic communication, but incorporating public affairs within a strategic communication framework within the military, without compromising credibility, has been a source of friction as commanders have tried dealing with the war on terrorism from different angles, especially in the information environment. In light of the turmoil over strategic communication, public affairs must maintain credibility as the operational commander's principal spokesperson, while also evolving to support strategic communication. This paper examines the issue through a review of what strategic communication is, examples of conflicts with credibility, the existing joint doctrine, and the current outlook of strategic communication as it is being used at the combatant command and joint force command levels and at the Department of Defense level. The paper concludes with some recommendations as strategic communication continues to evolve.