Shaping Army-People Relations through Social Media

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Shaping Army-People Relations through Social Media

In modern world community transformation conditions, the image of the state and its structures becomes particularly meaningful. However, at this point, one can note the low interaction between the American people and the military, and the information technology can influence the course of the issue by altering its direction. In the requirements of the formation of the information society, communication processes are acquiring fundamentally distinct forms. The international audience becomes a consumer not of natural objects and events but their visions and simulacrums. In this case, it is becoming challenging to convey specific information, for it not to get lost in the global information space or distorted beyond recognition. One of the ways to solve this matter is to create and objectify a positive image of the entity as a natural product of processing large amounts of data. As a convoluted text, it stereotypes the perception of the world public, thereby facilitating the communication interaction with it. The Armys media use can link it and the individuals, thereby influencing citizens knowledge of the specifics and positive perception of their interaction.

In todays world of information technology, social media has become an integral part of the everyday life of society. According to sociological research, every second (52%) Internet user regularly visits social networks (Sarantakes, 2020). The ability to create their news feed, the abundance of diverse content, and numerous other features has helped to recruit an increasing percentage of Internet users. Today the quantity of social networks and the number of their users permits one to speak about the existence of a virtual reality, reflecting along with the media the agenda.

Social networks enable users to comment on political news posted in various thematic groups actively. It allows people to express their civic position on multiple issues. Moreover, sharing these news items on ones page is now possible. Thus, discussing politically important news can involve people previously not interested in it. Social networks can effectively mobilize the public through e-voting, collecting signatures, and organizing mass actions online (Sarantakes, 2020). Politicians primarily use them to ensure their publicity and increase their popularity. Thus, it can be stated that a constant presence in the virtual space is a critical indicator of success in the modern world.

Despite the role of social networks in the modern world, their use by the army has long been limited. It has led to a specific hidden image of the military, which reflects the particular structure, but at the same time, has a negative impact on peoples perception (Sarantakes, 2020). Nowadays, in addition to their primary functions, social networks carry the possibility to manipulate consciousness, which numerous organizations and even states actively use. They have become a new tool for information warfare. Thus, the low use of social networks in the army itself becomes a reason for the possibility of manipulation by other actors. The absence of the armys presence in the media may lead to a false interpretation of events, thereby aggravating the image of the military and negatively affecting their mental health. Thus, the lack of accurate information in the official media, the inability to react quickly to official sources of data, and the low level of media use by the army lead to the formation of a negative image of state structures in the eyes of citizens.

In the information age, the outcome of any military conflict is primarily determined before it even begins. Everything depends on which of the warring parties manages to convince the enemy, the citizens of their state, and the world community that it deserves to win and is capable of achieving it. In such circumstances, the armys image in the mass consciousness is no less important than its actual state.

Since most citizens do not have the opportunity to observe the life of the army directly, the formation of its image is to a large extent determined by the activities of the media. When it comes to contact with the press, any military officer will behave with extreme caution and restraint since he is obliged to answer to his superiors for all words and actions covered in the media. This conservative attitude is characteristic of all military organizations, and the U.S. Army is no exception (Katz, 2017). The only way for journalists to get any information from the military is to submit an official request, mostly answered in writing, or decide who is authorized to make a comment or give the interview. It is almost impossible for journalists to talk to the army under less formal conditions. In fact, because of that, journalists often complain about the closed nature of the military. The latter, in turn, complain about the appearance of ordered publications, the lack of objectivity of journalists, and their concentration only on negative things (Katz, 2017). It causes dissatisfaction among the population and a low level of relations between the state structures and the residents.

The image of the military structure and reputation is an integral part of its intangible asset. This publicity capital is an active tool for transformation, raising status and prestige. There is a certain contradiction between the sufficiently active promotion in the media of a positive image of military structures and the image of them as a reflection of their practical activities in the process of social communication (McGregor, 2019). It necessitates a significant adjustment of the latter based on modern branches of knowledge, humanitarian, and information technologies that reflect the trends and regularities of the development of information and communication relations in society.

Besides, it should be taken into account that each military structure may have not one but several images, depending on the different social groups where these images are formed. The preferences of various socio-demographic groups of the population are highly differentiated (McGregor, 2019). Therefore, when organizing the work on creating or adjusting the notion of military structures, the specifics of the target audiences of influence and the media preferences of these audiences must be taken into account. From this, it can be assumed that the relationship between the population and the army should be formed in the order of a profound adjustment of the current images to complete repositioning.

At the current level, they should be formed by taking into account three significant components: professional competence, professional culture, and socio-demographic and physical parameters. These points should be studied in the following directions: formation (the integrity of the image), evaluation of separate components, degree of identification of the structure, and evaluation of the effectiveness of channels and means of communication (Katz, 2017). Compliance with the technology of forming relationships, considering the opportunities that modern media provide, allows one to achieve the goals as effectively as probable and in the optimal time. The systematic approach to solving the problem of adjustment of interaction allows revealing various communicative relations in society, and identifying the appropriate, including media, technologies, and ways to achieve the set goal (Katz, 2017). This approach will contribute to the development of positive dynamics of the relationship between the army and the population, ensuring high-quality support of state structures by the residents.

Moreover, the increased use of social media by the army opens up the possibility for the leadership to convey critical information to the military target audience and to absolutely every citizen who has the right to know what is happening in the country. Media space is now the primary form of communication, and involving the military is necessary to shape public opinion. It will stabilize and entail increased loyalty and a deeper connection between the military and society (Katz, 2017). Thus, citizens will be able to get rid of imposed stereotypes, stop giving in to tricks of unofficial sources, and begin to understand the critical role of military structures in ensuring public and world order.

It can be concluded that the media is essential in shaping societys perception of the army. They inform the community about the state of affairs in the military, draw attention to the most significant positive and negative phenomena of army life, and influence peoples public consciousness and feelings. Moreover, they indirectly affect the mechanisms of military-political decision-making, thus being one of the most critical information resources. Without the medias support, the public may inadequately perceive military operations. Moreover, the image of the army that is formed in society is not insignificant for the moral and psychological state of the service members. It follows that the media could support the army during such a difficult period, and the military should use the media more.

References

Katz, Y. (2017). Social media is powerful, but can it change the policies of institutionalized organizations such as the army? International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 6(6), 29-34.

McGregor, S. C. (2019). Social media as public opinion: How journalists use social media to represent public opinion. Journalism, 20(8), 1070-1086.

Sarantakes, N. E. (2020). Telling the story and telling the story not: US Army-media relations during the battle of Manila. American Journalism, 37(1), 1-26.

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