Description

This study analyzes the U.S. military’s crisis communication program. Military documents were examined and current and former military public affairs personnel were interviewed to understand the military’s crisis communication program and how it correlates to the Horsley and Baker’s (2002) synthesis model. Historical wartime cases were examined to uncover patterns in its communication practices. This study confirms that the military’s crisis communication program correlates closely with the synthesis model. But the military’s communication efforts often failed in the aftermath of past crises due to its authoritarian culture and justice system. The authoritarian culture compelled the military to use unethical tactics, such as lying and censoring, yet these tactics became less common through time as communication technologies advanced.