The course objective is for students to learn and apply the multidisciplinary concepts and skills needed in their role in conveying information to both internal and external audiences. This includes gaining an understanding of the media landscape, media engagement and community relations, crisis communication, content creation, and implementing communication strategies aligned with goals and objectives using their own original writing, still photography, videography, graphic design and multimedia products. After an introduction to communication fundamentals, students learn and use a communication framework to plan, research, and develop original content tailored to target audiences. They learn and apply human-centered design principles to question effectively, identify problems, and provide a solution-based, multidisciplinary approach to communication problems. To create content, students learn and apply the fundamentals of core communication disciplines: writing, still photography, videography, graphic design, and multimedia. They align their content with established communication plans, marketing strategies, and branding concepts to communicate a consistent theme, message, and identity design across a variety of communication channels and platforms.
Instruction includes support for and the purpose of information, public affairs and visual information in strategic communications, including social media best practices, internal and external communications, community and media engagement, and creating and preparing content for public release in accordance with established law, policies, and professional ethics. Students use mirrorless cameras to capture still and motion media content, then use industry-standard software to create original graphic design, still imagery and motion media products and multimedia features, then write news and feature stories, all in support of a theme and message. Students apply contextual thinking and use interrelated skills to increase the scope and accuracy of their understanding of the communication problem, then use communication planning strategies to effectively plan and create all content to support a communication strategy, message, theme and campaign. Students further apply critical thinking and media literacy tools to identify misinformation and disinformation with an understanding of its importance to Department of Defense messaging and official sites, and the potential of generative AI and synthetic media to influence or counteract DoD strategic communication initiatives and strategies, and to ensure the veracity and provenance of the content created by communication specialists.
