Strategic Communications and the Battle of Ideas

• Author: Mari K. Eder
• Position: Brigadier General, US Army
• Pages: 235-249

XIV

Strategic Communications and

the Battle of Ideas

Mari K. Eder*

[I] have been commenting on the challenges our country

—

notjust our gov-

ernment—but our country faces in fighting awar in this new media age. And

while the enemy is increasingly skillful at manipulating the media and using the

tools of communications to their advantage, it should be noted that we have an

advantage as well: and that is, quite simply, that truth is on our side and ulti-

mately . . . truth wins out.

/believe with every bone in my body thatfree people, exposed to sufficient informa-

tion, will, over time, find their way to right decisions.

Donald Rumsfeld1

This quote and other like comments in recent months have served to reignite

the public debate about strategic communications, propaganda and how

our government communicates, at home and to the world.

Agreat deal of that frustration centers on the existing capability of current pub-

lic affairs communications structures to deliver the nebulous benefits of "strategic

communications." This situation is not unique to the Department of State, the De-

partment of Defense (DoD), the Army and the other military Services or elsewhere

in the executive branch of government. Yet as our government works on trans-

forming to meet the requirements of anew age, the question of how to transform

and strategically develop communications is one of great concern.

Brigadier General, US Army.