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HD4757 Communications for Homeland Defense and Security Professionals

This course explores the application of communications tactics and techniques in the homeland defense and homeland security contexts. The course is grounded in media and communications theory and seeks to bridge the gap between academic concepts and the practical application of audience assessment and engagement methods. Central course themes include the relationships between the public sector and the free press; the utility of the internet as a tool to address homeland security challenges and threats; explorations of strategic communications, risk communications, and crisis communications techniques in different operating environments, and when dealing with different audiences; and understanding and countering media elements of terrorism and foreign state information operations. Enrollment limited to students in Curriculum 692.

Prerequisite

HD3180

Lecture Hours

4

Lab Hours

0

Course Learning Outcomes

  • Analyze and map audience composition and receptivity to messaging by using a variety of methodologies that have practical applicability to public safety and homeland security communications efforts.
  • Apply media theory concepts to consider how messaging strategies – to include engagement with journalists – can shape agency trust, credibility, and legitimacy among different constituencies.
  • Demonstrate the ability to analyze and map the social media, entertainment, and press ecosystems (the so-called “media landscape”) vis a vis the public sector, and apply this knowledge to create practical and informative agency engagement plans based on this assessment.
  • Demonstrate the ability to assess the impact of social media campaigns designed to undermine the morale, trust, credibility, and legitimacy of public sector agencies, and create response plans to mitigate the near- and long-term effects of these kinds of campaigns.
  • Build upon students’ familiarity with Red/Blue attack-defend assessment methods to craft communications strategies that directly address risk and crisis conditions explored in the CHDS Critical Infrastructure Protection course.
  • Clearly communicate media assessments and communications/engagement plans in written and oral formats.