Bob Pritchard - Public Relations in the Military: The Scope, Dynamic, and Future of Military Communications

Public Relations in the Military

Public Relations in the Military

The Scope, Dynamic, and Future of Military Communications

Bob Pritch Pritchard, Mari K. Eder, Kim Marks Malone, Matthew Kroll, Katie Cousins, Skye Martin

Public Relations in the Military:

The Scope, Dynamic, and Future of Military Communications

Copyright Business Expert Press, LLC, 2023.

Cover design by Charlene Kronstedt

Interior design by Exeter Premedia Services Private Ltd., Chennai, India

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for brief quotations, not to exceed 400 words, without the prior permission of the publisher.

First published in 2022 by

Business Expert Press, LLC

222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017

www.businessexpertpress.com

ISBN-13: 978-1-63742-407-0 (paperback)

ISBN-13: 978-1-63742-408-7 (e-book)

Business Expert Press Public Relations Collection

First edition: 2022

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Description

This book takes an in-depth look at the function of public relations as it exists in the U.S. military in the 21st century. There have been several books and journal articles covering the military/media relationship but none that delve into the breadth and depth of the responsibilities of todays military public affairs officer (PAOs). This book discusses the concept and foundations of military public affairs (relations), the changing strategic landscape in communications, operational planning and execution, and the people who practice military public affairs. As public relations is a function of command whose importance continues to increase, all military personnel, especially leaders, profit from a clear understanding of the benefits and limitations of public relations.

Keywords

military; public relations; public affairs; history; professionalism; ethics; strategic communication; information apocalypse; segmentation; internal information; external information; community relations; advising; public relations counsel; communication leadership; organizational leadership; education and training; qualifications; joint service

Contents

Public Relations in the Military is a game changer, providing that rare combination of interesting, insightful and informative guidance for leaders and practitioners alike. This book should be mandatory reading for every serving military officer.Brig. Gen. Robert Hastings, APR, Fellow PRSA, Former Principal Deputy Asst Secretary of Defense, Public Affairs

Right now, more than ever, forthright communication with the public about our military is fundamental to our democracy, and military public relations is critical to that mission. That is not the case in all nations; just ask a Russian citizen. As a Presidential Appointee in the last administration and as a General Officer, I always had the publics attention. Whether I was testifying to Congress or being interviewed by the media about the capabilities of the newest weapon system, my PAO was always at my side and saved my career on several occasions. As one star wing commander I had a public affairs debacle that got the CSAF attention. He sent me a personal note that simply said, use your PAO. I still have that note. Public Relations in the Military is a must-read book for senior military officers and NCOs. I suggest that our service academies and Professional Military Education programs use this book in their curriculum. I wish I had the opportunity to read Public Relations in the Military 20 years ago.The Honorable Robert F Behler, Former Director of Test and Evaluation, Office of Secretary of Defense, Major General (ret), USAF

The authors, all established military public affairs practitioners, have created an excellent resource for commanders, rising communication professionals and anyone who wants to better understand the critical importance of timely and accurate information flow in a democracy. Concise, comprehensive and elegantly written, this handbook is a must have for those who serve.Rear Admiral Stephen Pietropaoli, U. S. Navy (Ret.). Former Navy Chief of Information

Theres no way Im going to do anything more than the most basic aspects of public affairs. I dont want to get fired.

For decades, this was the common mantra of the military commander. Deeply rooted in the mid-grade officers negative experience with the media during the Vietnam War, engaging in public affairs was seen as risky business. Media interviews were to be scrupulously avoided because one could get fired by saying something wrong or not in accord with guidance from above. Engaging with the community was not helpful either as there would always be detractors, complainers, and activists hostile to the commands mission.

Over time, the more enlightened commanders began to embrace public relations as a force multiplier and found greater success in achieving their mission through active rather than passive communication strategies. Public affairs has eventually been more fully embraced at all levels of command and many public affairs officers now have a permanent seat at the decision-making table.

Today, public affairs and the need to communicate strategically have never been more important. Global communication is instantaneous and state and nonstate actors have perfected mis-information and cyberattack capabilities. Fake news, the corruption of channels of communication, and the critical role of domestic and international support are required for military operations to be successful to round out the threats facing commanders today.

Public affairs, properly planned and executed, can blunt and defeat these threats. But just as the complexity of the operational environment has grown, so too has the communication environment gotten more complicated. As a result, it is more important than ever for commanders to have a more robust understanding of the public affairs function.

To aid in that understanding, this book takes an in-depth look at the function of public relations as it exists in the U.S. military in the 21st century. It discusses the concept and foundations of military public affairs, the changing strategic landscape in communications, operational strategic communications planning and execution, and the people who practice military public affairs. Our focus with regard to personnel is on the PAO as they are the leaders and managers of the commands public affairs efforts. Enlisted public affairs specialists are integral to those efforts as well and tend to be confined to executing tactics, except in the Coast Guard, where enlisted members carry more responsibility due to the small size of the specialty in that service.

Each of the authors of this text was handpicked to represent the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. They are award-winning public relations specialists, both active duty and retired, with the full gambit of public affairs responsibilities at every level of command in the joint or combined environment.

Two of the authors are the members of the Public Relations Society of Americas College of Fellows, the gold standard of public relations professionals. A rigorous peer review process has singled out these professionals as among the best of the best. Candidates for the College of Fellows need to demonstrate superior professional performance and evidence of superior contributions to the field of public relations and having advanced the state of the profession. They also need to demonstrate significant service and leadership and that they have exhibited personal and professional qualities as a role model for others. Election to the College is considered the pinnacle of ones professional career.