Category: Security policy

It's only been a week, but it seems as if a paradigm shift has taken place in security policy communication: In the past, major topics, i.e. those that everyone should be talking about, were always dictated by the Federal Ministry of Defence. This has recently been particularly evident in the employer brand campaigns. Since last Tuesday, a campaign has been running that was initiated by soldiers in their role as private individuals: Activists from the so-called #socialmediadivision have taken a political stance under the slogan #weagainstextremism. Supported by images and videos that show the protagonists plus a steadily growing number of followers in an iconic way, they spread...

Public communication is similar to seafaring in many respects. The sea offers great freedom, although some waters are rough and stormy. Some players therefore prefer to sail along at a leisurely pace, while others seek a challenge and like to sail close to the wind; there are safe harbours, but also minefields. And then there are the great depths... Communication in and about security policy in particular has not always taken place on the surface - and when it does, it is sometimes behind a thick fog. It is often not clear what is being discussed with whom, where, when and how. Journalists act in...