Strategic Communications as a Phenomenon: a Scientific Definition

In the developed countries of the world, for the purpose of informative influence on the target audience, such tools of system of public management of the strategic purposes, as strategic communications are used. In the Ukrainian state, steps in this direction have been taken for many years (as an example, we can talk about the development of Ukraine - NATO relations in terms of signing an agreement on strategic communications). However, we can observe inconsistencies in this phenomenon definition. A clear interpretation of the characteristics of strategic communications would contribute to their more active entry into Ukrainian practice. The term "strategic communications" appeared in general public in 2001, in a report by the chairman of the scientific council for independent consultations of the US Secretary of Defense W. Witto. However, no direct definition of the term was provided. Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms compiled by the US Department of Defense, reders to the essence of strategic communications, but there is no definition of the term. The 2009 draft document, entitled NATO Strategic Communications Policy, states that "strategic communications is the coordinated and appropriate use of NATO’s communication capabilities and activities". Strategic communications as a phenomenon is mentioned in the 2009 the Department of Defense Report on Strategic Communications. In Ukraine, at the state level, strategic communications were mentioned for the first time in the Ukraine 2020 Sustainable Development Strategy. Strategic communications are also addressed in the Strategic Communications Partnership Roadmap prepared by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine and the NATO International Staff. The term was officially defined in the new version of the Military Doctrine of Ukraine (September 2015). In 2016, T. Popova (then Deputy Minister of Information Policy), V. Lipkan (now the head of the Institute for Strategic Communications of the Global Organization of Allied Leadership) compiled a dictionary Strategic Communications. The dictionary provides a fairly broad definition of strategic communications. It should be noted that in practice the introduction of stratcom took place a little earlier - in 2012-2014