The Handbook of Public Sector Communication

16Public Sector Communication and Strategic Communication Campaigns

Kelly Page Werder

Introduction

The amplified technological environment that exists today—and its continuous innovation in information production and delivery—has led to the characterization of modern societies as information societies. There is support for the notion that, since all social processes are performed by the exchange of information, all societies are constituted by communication (Voltmer & Römmele, 2011, p. 149). Thus, the control of information becomes the central determinant of political power and social structure (Bell, 1973; Salvaggio, 1989). The success or failure of individual and collective actors depends on their ability to accumulate and distribute information in an increasingly complex environment. To be effective, public communication requires systematic planning (Voltmer & Römmele, 2011, p. 149).

Public communication is communication that takes place in the public sphere (Trenholm, 2014). In the context of the public sphere—in contrast to interpersonal, group, and organizational contexts—communication is directed toward a “community of individuals with shared interests” (Trenholm, 2014, p. 233). Public communication affects groups of people rather than single individuals; it is characterized by heterogeneous audiences of many with topics that affect the well‐being of many. Communication in the public sphere “implies a communication process that is not one‐to‐one but involves many people ...