The International Journal of Strategic Communication, published by the Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, issued a specially themed edition entitled “Future Directions Of Strategic Communication” in November 2018.
In the foreword the editors, Howard Nothhaft from the Department of Strategic Communication, Lund University Campus Helsingborg, Sweden; Kelly Page Werder from the University of South Florida, USA; Dejan Verčič from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Ansgar Zarfass from the Norwegian Business School in Oslo, Norway, explain how the idea of the special edition emerged at the pre-conference of the International Communication Association’s 67th Annual Conference, held in May 2017 in San Diego, California. The conference hosted 42 academics from 14 countries who delivered 21 presentations. The special edition features 10 articles which are undeniably excellent. The aim of the editors was to provide answers to some key questions; one of their findings was that a universal understanding of the key pillars underlining strategic communication was still missing. They also explored the idea of the key perspective and its contribution, the use of appropriate strategies and concepts of communication, lessons learned from recent debates on strategic management and strategic connections, how empirical studies have contributed to the discussion, and the development of the field in different parts of the world.
In the first section, entitled The Emergence of a Paradigm, the editors offer an interdisciplinary perspective within academic strategic communication, which will provide a permanent definition of its purpose, so far lacking.
The second section, entitled Conceptual Foundations of Strategic Communication, includes four articles by six different authors. The articles are mainly theoretical and connected to other fields in addition to strategic communication.
The third section, Expanding the Body of Knowledge, consists of three articles by eight authors. They focus on the key concepts, identity and function of the basic discipline.
The final section, Future Directions of Strategic Communication, contains a single article written by all four editors, and will likely attract the most attention, especially from those dealing with strategic communication in security, defence and military contexts. The authors introduce the term strategic communication and its history, which are both understood very differently in different fields. They then describe the origins of the two, also referring to Edward Bernays’ significant role, with his Propaganda and the development of the term public relations. Throughout history, both of them have been and still are closely linked to security, defence and military topics. This connection is explained in great detail through an explanation of the terminology and its nuances; for example, the use of the concept of strategic communication in public administration, while the term corporate communication is mostly used by the private sector. The old, yet recently growing, interest in communication in the context of military and national power is highlighted. These topics are not usually very popular with the public, particularly in the case of new weapons with a strong deterrent effect and the related collateral damage, which demands more versatility and skill in communication. Logically, Bernays is credited as the ‘father of communication’, developing his skills mostly after World War II through various American assistance programmes for the old European continent.
Some light is also shed on the term strategic, i.e. what is and what is not strategic in the field of communication.
The special edition of the International Journal of Strategic Communication, entitled Future Directions of Strategic Communication, is targeted at strategic communication enthusiasts. It is recommended for academics and experts who deal with strategic communication in any form, especially those who work in security, defence or military structures and would like to explore this further in the future. The existing high quality theory and excellent practical experience are the best combination for the development of new theories, concepts and ideas.
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