United States Strategic Communication

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Victory in the long war ultimately depends on strategic communication by the United States and its international partners. Effective communication must build and maintain credibility and trust with friends and foes alike, through an emphasis consistency, veracity and transparency both in words and deeds. Such credibility is essential in building trusted networks that counter ideological support for terrorism

Contents

—Quadrennial Defense Review Report 2006 [1]

Strategic Communication is the "coordinated actions, messages, images, and other forms of signaling or engagement intended to inform, influence, or persuade selected audiences in support of national objectives." [2] There is often debate and discussion concerning what makes strategic communication. Regarding definition, psychological operations, public or civil affairs, information operations and public diplomacy are seemingly the least contested components of U.S. strategic communication. [3] With those components, the most important factor that separates strategic communication from other types of communication is the synchronization and coordination of U.S. efforts. For example, in the National Strategy for Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication, all strategic communication efforts activities should: [4]

  • underscore our commitment to freedom, human rights and the dignity and equality of every human being;
  • reach out to those who share our ideals;
  • support those who struggle for freedom and democracy; and
  • counter those who espouse ideologies of hate and oppression

Strategic communication can be a major tool against adversaries that threaten values supported by the United States. U.S. strategic communication promotes democratization and good governance. [4] It proved vital in winning the Cold War. In the 21st Century, it is critical in countering the radical ideologies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, al- Qaeda and other extremist organizations. [5] [6] [7]

Official Definitions

Academics and professionals alike have yet to find consensus on a universal definition. As explained by Professor Dennis Murphy of the U.S. Army War College, "strategic communication is an emergent concept with several definitions floating about, no doctrinal base and a lexicon that fails completely to convey the desired understanding." [8] The uncertainty among professionals however, has not prevented some official definitions from being released.

2006 Quadrennial Defense Review Executive Roadmap for Strategic Communication

"Focused United States Government processes and efforts to understand and engage key audiences to create, strengthen, or preserve conditions favorable to advance national interests and objectives through the use of coordinated information, themes, plans, programs, and actions synchronized with other elements of national power." [9]

Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associate Terms (12 August 2012)

"Focused United States Government efforts to understand and engage key audiences to create, strengthen, or preserve conditions favorable for the advancement of United States Government interests, policies, and objectives through the use of coordinated programs, plans, themes, messages, and products synchronized with the actions of all instrument of national power." [10]

White House 2010 National Framework for Strategic Communication

"Strategic communication(s) refers to (a) the synchronization of words and deeds and how they will be perceived by selected audiences, as well as (b) programs and activities deliberately aimed at communicating and engaging with intended audiences, including those implemented by public affairs, public diplomacy, and information operations professionals." [11]

Background

Strategic communication has been utilized in the United States for most of the 20th century. History, however, indicates that the U.S. primarily engages in strategic communication during times of need, such as World War I, World War II, and the Cold War The first organization that engaged in strategic communication was the Committee on Public Information (1917-1919). [12] The CPI was tasked with not only encouraging domestic loyalty, but to build understanding and support of U.S. foreign policy abroad. This committee was the first of many U.S. organizations dedicated to strategic communication, i.e. promoting U.S. interests overseas. In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the United States Office of War Information to promote patriotism, and warn against enemy subversion through photos, posters, press releases, radio programs and even movies. [12]

Seal of The United States Information Agency UnitedStatesInformationAgency-Seal.svg
Seal of The United States Information Agency

The United States Information Agency (1953-1999) was the premier strategic communication organization for the latter half of the 20th century. [13] The USIA mission was:

  • To explain and advocate U.S. policies in terms that are credible and meaningful in foreign cultures;
  • To provide information about the official policies of the United States, and about the people, values, and institutions which influence those policies;
  • To bring the benefits of international engagement to American citizens and institutions by helping them build strong long-term relationships with their counterparts overseas;
  • To advise the President and U.S. government policy-makers on the ways in which foreign attitudes will have a direct bearing on the effectiveness of U.S. policies. [14]

Current Application

"Tools of persuasion and inspiration were indispensable to the outcome of the defining ideological struggle of the 20th century. I believe that they are just as indispensable in the 21st century—and maybe more so."—Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates [15]

The Department of Defense

The United States Department of Defense actively engages in strategic communication abroad. In the DOD, activities related to strategic communication are information operations, psychological operations, public affairs and civil affairs, defense support to public diplomacy (DSPD), military diplomacy, and Visual Information (VI). [16] Unified Combatant Command (COCOMs) are major regional commands headed by a four-star flag or general officer. Strategic communication within these commands is up to the Commanders. For example, Pacific Command has a Communication Integration Working Group, and European Command has a Strategic Communication Working Group. ." [17] COCOMs also provide support to the Department of State's public diplomacy efforts pending a direct request from an embassy within the appropriate geographic area. These activities include hospital-ship visits, community-service activities or Military Information Support Team (MIST) visits. [17]

Civil Military Support Elements (CMSE) are also used to provide support to the DOS along with Military Information Support Teams. They emphasize U.S. commitments to the region, as well as moderate political messages to combat radical ideologies. Sometimes CMSE and MIST will provide textbooks and other educational materials for schools to create support for the U.S. [18]

Military Information Support Operations (MISO) and Civil Affairs System division are responsible for developing, acquiring, fielding and sustaining the SOF Information Environment. This includes managing three programs, MISO-Broadcast, Next Generation Loudspeaker System, and MISO-Print. [19]

MISO-Broadcast provides tactical, mobile and deployable radio and television systems.

UH-60 PSYOP Leaflet Drop, near Hawijah, Iraq 06 March 2008 UH-60 PSYOP Leaflet Drop, near Hawijah, Iraq 06 March 2008.jpg
UH-60 PSYOP Leaflet Drop, near Hawijah, Iraq 06 March 2008

Next Generation Loudspeaker System develops, integrates, acquires and fields transportable audio broadcast systems to MISO forces so they can reach targeted audiences in any potential environment. Specific systems include:

  • Manpack: a loudspeaker optimized for dismounted operations and flexibility of employment to pinpoint targets
  • Ground Vehicle/Watercraft: a high-decibel loudspeaker system that can be attached to a wide variety of military and commercial ground vehicles and watercraft- optimized for effective employment in support of ground, riverine, littoral, coastal, and open-water operations
  • Unmanned Ground Vehicle: a loudspeaker system optimized for broadcasting in a higher threat environment in support of ground operations
  • Unmanned Aircraft System: a loudspeaker system optimized for broadcasting to dispersed audiences in higher threat environments to broaden the areas of loudspeaker accessibility and increase mobility
  • Scatterable Loudspeaker: hand-emplaced or air-delivered loudspeakers for disseminating delayed or on-cue response messages that may be long- or short- duration and integrated with other media programs such as greeting cards, games, etc
  • Sonic Projection: a long-range beam of sound that does not have an obvious source to the intended target or listener.

MISO-Print acquires, fields and sustains MISO for creating, editing and producing printed material.

  • MIS OP- Heavy, used to produce high-volume, high-quality print requirements of Geographic Combatant Commanders (developed at Fort Bragg)
  • MIS OP-Medium (Fixed), an intermediate print facility outside continental United States that supports Geographic Combatant Commands
  • MIS OP- Medium, a large, deployable print system with a moderate volume print capability. This is the primary print asset in the theatre level of operations.
  • MIS OP- Light, a rapidly deployable capability used for immediate printing support at the theater and tactical levels. This provides the initial print capability until MISOP-Medium can arrive.

The Department of State

Public Diplomacy is utilized by the United States Department of State to "support the achievement of U.S. foreign policy goals and objectives, advance national interests, and enhance national security by informing and influencing foreign publics and by expanding and strengthening the relationship between the people and government of the United States and citizens of the rest of the world." [16] These efforts are managed by the Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Tara Sonenshine is the current Undersecretary. Her responsibilities include "leading the U.S. governments overall public diplomacy effort, increasing the impact of educational and cultural exchange, and developing and utilizing new technologies to improve the efficiency of public diplomacy programs." [20] The primary bureaus within the Department of State that engage in public diplomacy abroad are.": [20]

Within the Department of State is the interagency organization, Global Strategic Engagement Center (GSEC). [21] GSEC includes personnel from the Department of State, Department of Defense, the National Counterterrorism Center, the intelligence community and other U.S. government entities involved with strategic communication. This organization serves as the day-to-day interagency coordination, research, analysis and planning on U.S. strategic communication issues. The GSEC operationalizes decisions made by the Interagency Policy Committee (IPC) for Global Engagement. The Chair of the IPC is the Director of Strategic Communication, National Security Council (NSC). [21]

The Department of State is the lead organization in United States Cyber-Diplomacy. This new venture combines the traditional tools of public diplomacy with "innovations in communication and information technology." [22] Some United States Cyber-Diplomacy programs include Dipnote, Opinion Space, Virtual Student Foreign Service and Virtual Presence Post. [23]

Additional Organizations

Broadcasting Board of Governors(BBG) was created with the dissolution of the United States Information Agency. It assumed responsibility for all nonmilitary, international broadcasting sponsored by the U.S. including the Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, Radio and Tv Martí and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. [24] When these programs were under USIA, they proved strategically important in reaching audiences with valuable information behind the Iron Curtain.

The United States Agency for International Development(USAID) provides nonmilitary foreign assistance to countries around the world. USAID supports disaster recovery and promotes long-term and equitable economic growth. This is done by supporting efforts that support agriculture and food security, economic growth and trade, education, global health and other efforts. [25]

See also

Related Research Articles

The officially stated goals of the foreign policy of the United States of America, including all the bureaus and offices in the United States Department of State, as mentioned in the Foreign Policy Agenda of the Department of State, are "to build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world for the benefit of the American people and the international community". The United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs states as some of its jurisdictional goals: "export controls, including nonproliferation of nuclear technology and nuclear hardware; measures to foster commercial interaction with foreign nations and to safeguard American business abroad; international commodity agreements; international education; and protection of American citizens abroad and expulsion". U.S. foreign policy and foreign aid have been the subject of much debate, praise, and criticism, both domestically and abroad.

United States Department of State Executive department of the U.S. federal government

The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the nation's foreign policy and international relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other nations, its primary duties are advising the U.S. president, administering diplomatic missions, negotiating international treaties and agreements, and representing the U.S. at the United Nations. The department is headquartered in the Harry S Truman Building, a few blocks from the White House, in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C.; "Foggy Bottom" is thus sometimes used as a metonym.

The National Security Strategy (NSS) is a document prepared periodically by the executive branch of the United States that lists the national security concerns and how the administration plans to deal with them. The legal foundation for the document is spelled out in the Goldwater–Nichols Act. The document is purposely general in content, and its implementation relies on elaborating guidance provided in supporting documents such as the National Military Strategy.

In international relations, public diplomacy or people's diplomacy, broadly speaking, is any of the various government-sponsored efforts aimed at communicating directly with foreign publics to establish a dialogue designed to inform and influence with the aim that this foreign public supports or tolerates a government's strategic objectives. These also include propaganda. As the international order has changed over the 20th century, so has the practice of public diplomacy. Its practitioners use a variety of instruments and methods ranging from personal contact and media interviews to the Internet and educational exchanges.

Bureau of Intelligence and Research Intelligence agency in the U.S. State Department

The Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR) is an intelligence agency in the United States Department of State. Its central mission is to provide all-source intelligence and analysis in support of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy. INR is the oldest civilian element of the U.S. Intelligence Community and among the smallest, with roughly 300 personnel. Though lacking the resources and technology of other U.S. intelligence agencies, it is "one of the most highly regarded" for the quality of its work.

Public diplomacy of Israel is the use of public diplomacy in favor of the State of Israel, i.e. efforts aimed at communicating directly with citizens of other countries to inform and influence them so that they support or tolerate the Israeli government's strategic objectives.

Cultural diplomacy is a type of public diplomacy and soft power that includes the "exchange of ideas, information, art, language and other aspects of culture among nations and their peoples in order to foster mutual understanding". The purpose of cultural diplomacy is for the people of a foreign nation to develop an understanding of the nation's ideals and institutions in an effort to build broad support for economic and political goals. In essence "cultural diplomacy reveals the soul of a nation", which in turn creates influence. Though often overlooked, cultural diplomacy can and does play an important role in achieving national security efforts.

Psychological operations (United States) Military unit

Psychological operations (PSYOP) are operations to convey selected information and indicators to audiences to influence their emotions, motives, and objective reasoning, and ultimately the behavior of governments, organizations, groups, and individuals.

Bureau of International Information Programs U.S. State Department division

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) supported the department's public diplomacy efforts by providing and supporting the places, content, and infrastructure needed for sustained conversations with foreign audiences. It was headed by the Coordinator for International Information Programs. IIP was one of three bureaus that report to the Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Bureau of Public Affairs were the sister bureaus. On May 28, 2019, the bureau merged with the Bureau of Public Affairs into the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, and the duties of the Coordinator merged into the duties of the Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs.

Transformational Diplomacy

Transformational Diplomacy is a diplomacy initiative championed by former United States secretary of state Condoleezza Rice for reinvigorating American Foreign Policy and the United States Foreign Service.

Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs

The Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, or ATSD (PA), is the principal staff advisor and assistant to the Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense for public information, internal information, community relations, information training, and audiovisual matters in support of Department of Defense activities, leading a worldwide public affairs community of some 3,800 military and civilian personnel. The Assistant to the Secretary follows the Secretary's Principles of Information in providing Defense Department information to the public, the United States Congress and the media.

In international relations, the term smart power refers to the combination of hard power and soft power strategies. It is defined by the Center for Strategic and International Studies as "an approach that underscores the necessity of a strong military, but also invests heavily in alliances, partnerships, and institutions of all levels to expand one's influence and establish legitimacy of one's action."

Full spectrum diplomacy

Full spectrum diplomacy is a combination of traditional, government-to-government diplomacy with the many components of public diplomacy as well as the integration of these two functions with other instruments of statecraft. The term was coined by Dr. John Lenczowski, the founder and president of the Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. in his book Full Spectrum Diplomacy and Grand Strategy: Reforming the Structure and Culture of U.S. Foreign Policy which was released in May, 2011.

Public diplomacy is that "form of international Political Advocacy in which the civilians of one country use legitimate means to reach out to the civilians of another country in order to gain popular support for negotiations occurring through diplomatic channels."

<i>National Security Decision Directive 77</i>

National Security Decision Directive 77, was a U.S. National Security Directive signed on January 14, 1983, by President Ronald Reagan. The directive established a Special Planning Group (SPG) under the National Security Council (NSC) whose purpose was to strengthen, organize, plan, and coordinate public diplomacy of the United States relative to national security. This NSDD positioned the White House and the National Security Staff at the helm of public diplomacy coordination across government agencies. NSDD-77 lay the groundwork for the Reagan administration's aggressive public diplomacy strategy and included guidance for inter-agency working groups to execute wide-ranging tactics for information dissemination both domestically and internationally.

Public diplomacy in the Islamic Republic of Iran refers to the public relations efforts to disseminate information about the Islamic Republic of Iran. Such efforts seek to communicate with foreign publics in order to establish a dialogue designed to inform and influence. Instruments of public diplomacy in the Islamic Republic of Iran include cultural exchanges, film and print media, and sports diplomacy.

Brian E. Carlson is a public diplomacy specialist. He served as American ambassador to Latvia in the George W. Bush administration and he currently advises international media and audience analysis firm InterMedia Research Institute on strategic communication matters.

United States cyber-diplomacy

Cyber-diplomacy is the evolution of public diplomacy to include and use the new platforms of communication in the 21st century. As explained by Jan Melissen in The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations, cyber-diplomacy “links the impact of innovations in communication and information technology to diplomacy.” Cyber-diplomacy is also known as or is part of public diplomacy 2.0, EDiplomacy, and virtual diplomacy. Cyber-diplomacy has as its underpinnings that, “it recognizes that new communication technologies offer new opportunities to interact with a wider public by adopting a network approach and making the most of an increasingly multicentric global, interdependent system.”

The Interagency Active Measures Working Group was a group led by the United States Department of State and later by the United States Information Agency (USIA). The group was formed early during the Reagan administration, in 1981, as an effort to counter aggressive Soviet disinformation.

United States–China security cooperation refers to various projects, combined operations, communications, official dialogues, joint exchanges, and joint exercises, between agencies, groups, and individuals within the government of United States and the People's Republic of China, in a number of areas pertaining to global security, defense policy, and various forms of military and security cooperation.

References

  1. ↑ "Quadrennial Defense Review Reports 2006" (PDF). Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  2. ↑ Paul, Christopher (2011). Strategic Communication. Praeger. p. 17. ISBN   978-0-313-38640-4.
  3. ↑ Paul, Christopher (2011). Strategic Communication. Praeger. ISBN   978-0-313-38640-4.
  4. 1 2 "U.S. National Strategy for Public Diplomacy and Strategic Communication" (PDF). Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  5. ↑ Kamolnick, Paul. "Delegitimizing al-Qaeda" (PDF). Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  6. ↑ "Organizing for a Strategic Ideas Campaign to Counter Ideological Challenges to U.S. National Security" (PDF). Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  7. ↑ Judy, Michael. "The Muslim Brotherhood and the Threat to U.S. National Security" (PDF). Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  8. ↑ Murphy, Dennis. "Talking the Talk: Why Warfighters Don't Understand Information Operations" (PDF). Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  9. ↑ "2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) Strategic Communication (SC) Execution Roadmap" (PDF). Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  10. ↑ "Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associate Terms" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 10, 2010. Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  11. ↑ "White House 2012 National Framework for Strategic Communication" (PDF). Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  12. 1 2 Ward, COL Brad. "Strategic Influence Operations-The Information Connection" (PDF). Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  13. ↑ "United States Information Agency Fact Sheet" . Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  14. ↑ "United States Information Agency Mission" . Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  15. ↑ Paul, Christopher (2011). Strategic Communication. Praeger. p. 71. ISBN   978-0-313-38640-4.
  16. 1 2 "U.S. Department of State" . Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  17. 1 2 Paul, Christopher (2011). Strategic Communication. Praeger. p. 96. ISBN   978-0-313-38640-4.
  18. ↑ "America's New Approach to Africa: AFRICOM and Public Diplomacy" . Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  19. ↑ "USSCOM" . Retrieved 12 November 2012.
  20. 1 2 "U.S. Public Diplomacy: Background and Current Issues" . Retrieved 13 November 2012.
  21. 1 2 3 "Commander's Handbook for Strategic Communication and Communication Strategy" (PDF). Retrieved 14 November 2012.
  22. ↑ Melissen, Jan (2007). The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 30. ISBN   978-1403945167.
  23. ↑ Melissen, Jan (2007). The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN   978-1403945167.
  24. ↑ Paul, Christopher (2011). Strategic Communication. Praeger. p. 97. ISBN   978-0-313-38640-4.
  25. ↑ "USAID What We Do" . Retrieved 14 November 2012.
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