2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America
2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America
2008 PROCEEDINGS - Public Relations Society of America
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Strategic Communication:<br />
Aligning the Practice with the Pr<strong>of</strong>ession in Military <strong>Public</strong> Affairs<br />
Bey-Ling Sha and David Dozier<br />
San Diego State University<br />
bsha@mail.sdsu.edu<br />
ddozier@mail.sdsu.edu<br />
Robert Pritchard<br />
Ball State University<br />
rpritchard@bsu.edu<br />
Abstract<br />
Military public affairs <strong>of</strong>ficers (PAOs) <strong>of</strong>ten receive only technical training before being<br />
thrown into the strategic communication sphere, in which they are expected to operate as<br />
managers. In that capacity, one <strong>of</strong> the challenges faced by PAOs is the lack <strong>of</strong> clear military<br />
doctrine regarding public affairs, as well as general confusion surrounding the term “strategic<br />
communication,” which has different connotations for different areas <strong>of</strong> the military, private, and<br />
public sectors. This lack <strong>of</strong> clarity regarding strategic communication is not surprising, since the<br />
term is used in myriad ways in public relations and communication literature. For military PAOs,<br />
who practice in literal life-and-death situations, this lack <strong>of</strong> clarity regarding strategic<br />
communication has particularly dangerous risks.<br />
In 2005, the U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> the Navy inaugurated an innovative program with San<br />
Diego State University, whereby mid-level PAOs complete a regular, 24-month master’s<br />
program in an intense and rigorous 10-month curriculum. Framed by literature on strategic<br />
communication, military public affairs, and graduate education in public relations, this paper<br />
<strong>of</strong>fers a three-year evaluation <strong>of</strong> the SDSU PAO program, spelling out implications for graduate<br />
pedagogy, military public affairs practice, and theory-building in “strategic communication.”<br />
The study draws upon qualitative and quantitative data collected each year from PAOs as they<br />
exit the program.<br />
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