PR goes to War: Warfare Tactics Utilized Amidst Russia Ukraine Conflict
, Vol.11
, Special Issue (Forty-seventh) about: Media and Mass Communication
PP:25-58
Authors:
Associate Prof. Dr. Iman Mohamed Mohamed Zahra-Associate Prof. of Public Relations & Advertising,Public Relations & Advertising Department,Faculty of Mass Communication,Cairo University
Abstract:
Public Relations is an essential part of modern warfare as Hiebert (1991) stated, and the war in the Arabian Gulf provided - at the time - an excellent Public Relations case study of its successful use. The war to win people’s minds over, insinuates that PR mutates into propaganda. Propaganda is all about a conscious way to shape, influence or transform the way people think and act and is greatly disseminated nowadays through social media. Sharing videos, tweets and posts have ensured that news spreads faster than wildfire and can quickly mobilize public opinion.
Propaganda has always been used by military as a strategy, therefore as Russia waged war against the country, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has been releasing a series of videos via social media which have been seeking support from the international community. They helped throw the spotlight on Ukrainians, and the international community warmed up to them as Russia was seen as the big aggressor.
The current study aims at amalgamating the power of the two most important strategies of modern warfare, public relations and social media. Uncovering PR strategies and tactics utilized via social media platforms amidst the Russian Ukraine conflict, through submitting presidential videos and verified twitter accounts to thorough investigation, reveals that warfare tactics have taken a drastic turn in this era. To achieve that end, a quick review of the history of the Russian Ukraine Conflict since its escalation in 2014 will be presented followed by the role of Public Relations and social media as strategic PR tools in warfare situations and propaganda mutations. Review of the most important studies tackling the conflict via various social media platforms will follow. Three models of communication and PR strategies and tactics utilized in drastic escalations from crises to conflicts will be applied in this study followed by the most important findings and recommendations pertaining to PR ethics.
Key Words:
Public Relations, Propaganda, Social Media, Warfare Tactics, PR Ethics.
Research Language:
English
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