An Assessment of the Role of Public Relations in Communicating National Security Issues

Abstract

When keeping the public informed, it is essential to keep security in mind, to be accurate and to follow propriety and policy. PR has the tough task of keeping the public aware of these kinds of information. The aim of the study was to assess the role of PR in communicating national security issues. In pursing this course, the study employed the use of secondary data because the study was a desktop one. From the literature reviewed, the findings of the study suggest that the concepts of public affairs, issue management and lobbying are aspects of PR that seek to promote good governance and should be first considered when approaching the issue of national security. This, therefore, affirms the need to establish the role that PR plays in ensuring safety and security in a country. The study recommended that there must be a two-way communication that can establish, maintain and sustain a favourable image in the minds of the citizenry and that other researchers should consider conducting studies to develop a model which further explains the role PR plays in the affairs of national security.