WHAT IS “STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS”?

Abstract

Strategic Communications, (contracted to “StratCom”) as a separate field/profession, is still in the process of formation and, consequently, is not fully studied yet, especially in Georgia. Moreover, even the individuals working in this field find it difficult to properly understand the importance and functions of “StratCom” and, in general, to distinguish it from communication and information disciplines such as “public relations”. Despite the importance and urgency of the issue (especially in today’s information-laden environment), this topic has not been studied in depth. The present paper directly and clearly confirms that the current definitions of “Strategic Communications” and the authors’ reasoning do not form the basis for creating an independent theoretical framework for the profession, which in turn, would end any professional misunderstandings and also no longer mislead individuals or educational institutions. Some experts in this field have been trying for years to create a theoretical framework for “Strategic Communications”, which, as a rule, should be a sharp separation of “StratCom” from other related disciplines and set a different scope, goals or objectives for this new discipline. Nevertheless, the above-mentioned attempts fail to lead us to the desired result. The use of “Strategic Communications” as an information discipline in professional, educational institutions or government agencies is done by “individual” interpretation of certain persons and/or groups. A good and clear example of this issue is the statement made by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the Czech Republic, Jan Havranek, noting that strategic communication is often confused with “public relations” or even political technologies. Compared to the complicated situation in the “West”, the case is even worse on its periphery, for example in Georgia, where the import of knowledge and experience on the “StratCom” started from the “West”. The purpose of this paper is to provide the public with a critical understanding of the existing definitions of “strategic communications” and, secondly, to share with them a discussion of the relevance regarding our vision of strategic communications. The paper uses all the basic literature that would more or less enable us to discuss the existing terms, show us the essence of the problem and help us to achieve the purpose of the publication: to explain the “Strategic Communications”, to establish/understand the relevance of the vision.