U.S. governmental information operations and strategic communications
Subtitle: a discredited tool or user failure? : implications for future conflict
By: Steve Tatham
Contributors: Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute; Army War College (U.S.). Press
Publisher: Strategic Studies Institute and U.S. Army War College Press; SSI
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Carlisle, PA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 80
ISBN-13: 9781584876007
Subjects: Public relations; Information warfare; Case studies; Influence (Psychology); United States. Department of Defense; United States
Other titles: US governmental information operations and strategic communications; United States governmental information operations and strategic communications
Description: Through the prism of operations in Afghanistan, the author examines how the U.S. Government's Strategic Communication (SC) and, in particular, the Department of Defense's (DoD) Information Operations (IO) and Military Information Support to Operations (MISO) programs, have contributed to U.S. strategic and foreign policy objectives. It assesses whether current practice, which is largely predicated on ideas of positively shaping audiences perceptions and attitudes towards the United States, is actually fit for purpose. Indeed, it finds that the United States has for many years now been encouraged by large contractors to approach communications objectives through techniques heavily influenced by civilian advertising and marketing, which attempt to change hostile attitudes to the United States and its foreign policy in the belief that this will subsequently reduce hostile behavior. While an attitudinal approach may work in convincing U.S. citizens to buy consumer products, it does not easily translate to the conflict- and crisis-riven societies to which it has been routinely applied since September 11, 2001.
Notes: "December 2013."

Includes bibliographical references (pages 72-80).

Also available online in PDF format from Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) web site.
Table of contents: title: Background; title: The tyranny of terminology. Information operations; title: Military information support operations; title: Target audience analysis; title: Influence; title: Strategic communication; title: Case study 1. Afghanistan; title: Case study 2. Pakistan; title: Case study 3. Afghanistan. Background; title: Methodology; title: Timing; title: Deliverables; title: Proposed behavioral program; title: The science of communication. Informational communication; title: Attitudinal communication; title: Behavioral communication; title: The misplaced reassurance of advertisements; title: Measures of effect. Achieving more for less; title: TAA and strategic deterrence; title: TAA and China; title: The distraction of "cyber"; title: Conclusions.