STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION – A CHALLENGE FOR EXECUTIVE POWER?
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Akademia Obrony Narodowej
Publication date: 2020-01-25
Studia Politologiczne 2011;20
ABSTRACT
Executive power fulfills crucial role in realization of demands put forward by
public organizations. One of such demands includes implementation of Strategic
Communication (StratCom) concept in support of the Polish Armed Forces
operating both at home and abroad. Relatively new concept of StratCom consists
of the following components: military information operations (INFO OPS),
public diplomacy, international broadcasting services, and public relations/affairs
(PA/PR). The main idea standing behind Strategic Communication consists in
the involvement of executive power in the areas remaining traditionally beyond
direct interest of armed forces of a democratic state. PR seems to be an ultimate
element of StratCom as a long term, wide range commitment of shaping a positive
image of an institution, organization, or state in each sphere of its activity. This paper also describes such unique situations when the above mentioned tools are
applied as a crisis or an emergency situation. Then the demand of executive power
involvement gains a special meaning. Moreover, it is very important to recognize
the difference between a long term StratCom nature and a temporary government
public information policy characterized by political preferences of a given party or
coalition. It results from the legal basis of the PAF operational concept: the military
is subordinate to civilian power, apolitical in nature, and thus makes a foundation
for existence of a democratic state such as the Republic of Poland.