Strategic communication is a term used to describe the principles and strategies of communication aimed to satisfy the strategic goals of an organization or coordinate the actions and activities of different departments. It emerged as a practical discipline incorporating techniques used by businesspeople and politicians to effectively achieve their objectives, and then was developed into a separate field of study. Today, strategic communication is both an academic discipline and a field of communication studies that provides a body of knowledge for public relations, marketing, management, sales, and media specialists.
Communication has been a subject of scientific interest since antiquity. The shift from orality to literacy led to the development of new communication principles and techniques (Ong & Hartley, 2012). It became an especially important topic in the 20th century due to the rise of technology, industrialization, and global politics (Postman, 1992). After World War II, the social sciences became fully recognized as legitimate disciplines, and the interest in psychological and social processes intensified (Littlejohn et al., 2016). Politicians and businesspeople started to develop communication strategies to create more effective propaganda and achieve business objectives in an increasingly competitive environment, which led to the development of strategic communication theory and practice. Strategic communication became popular because of its applied nature and became a separate field of communication studies.
Initially, courses related to communication were taught in many departments across universities: psychology, sociology, anthropology, and linguistics. Gradually, separate departments emerged that focused on communication as central to human experience and the organizing element of human life (Littlejohn et al., 2016). Over the last decade, communication studies have split into many academic entities, with strategic communication being one of them. The driving force for encouraging the development of strategic communication as an academic discipline was the realization that there is a core body of knowledge that is common to all goal-oriented communication efforts. In 2007, The International Journal of Strategic Communication was launched that marked the establishment of strategic communication as an academic discipline.
Based on the historical context and current practice, strategic communication can be considered both an academic discipline and a field of study. As an academic discipline, it is taught at the college and university levels, recognized by academic journals and organizations, and provides a structure of knowledge in which specialists are trained. As a field of study, it offers a framework for academic research and practice and contributes to the studies in interconnected disciplines, such as public relations, media studies, and management (Ruddock, 2017). From an educational perspective, it provides communication professionals with the skills and knowledge required for practice, while, as a field of science, it gives a theoretical account of communication processes in organizations.
For students of communication, it is important to recognize strategic communication both as a field of education and research in order to get a comprehensive understanding of the subject. While college and university courses provide a basic overview of its theory and practice, the knowledge of the full scope of academic research in the area is required to become a fully trained communication specialist. It helps to connect the practical aspects of communication with the theoretical base covered in academic studies. It also gives the students the understanding of strategic communication as a multidisciplinary field that encompasses knowledge from a wide array of subjects, including public relations, marketing, advertising, and management.
References
Littlejohn, S., Foss, K., & Oetzel, J. (2016). Theories of human communication (11th ed.). Waveland Press.
Ong, J., & Hartley, J. (2012). Orality and literacy: The technologizing of the word. Routledge.
Postman, N. (1992). Technopoly: The surrender of culture to technology. Vintage Books.
Ruddock, A. (2017). Exploring media research: Theories, practice, and purpose. SAGE.