<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The present article argues that despite the considerable development and expansion of strategic communication as both an academic field and professional practice during the 20<sup>th</sup> century, strategic communication continues to have an ambiguous status in academia as well as professionally. The article argues for two related explanations of this ambiguity: 1) a communication-<italic>internal</italic> perspective concerning the interdisciplinary, practice-based and semi-professional nature of strategic communication, and 2) a communication-<italic>external</italic> perspective concerning the integration of and priority given to strategic communication in organizations. Both aspects constantly challenge the effectiveness, position and power of communication employees, making it necessary for them to continuously prove their worth – in relation to other professionals, in times of crisis, etc. Strategic communication in the Danish public sector is included as an empirical example, as communication practitioners, especially in this context, seem to be faced with professional challenges not least related to the organizational (external) setting, but also based on the (internal) nature of strategic communication.</p></abstract>

The present article argues that despite the considerable development and expansion of strategic communication as both an academic field and professional practice during the 20th century, strategic communication continues to have an ambiguous status in academia as well as professionally. The article argues for two related explanations of this ambiguity: 1) a communication-internal perspective concerning the interdisciplinary, practice-based and semi-professional nature of strategic communication, and 2) a communication-external perspective concerning the integration of and priority given to strategic communication in organizations. Both aspects constantly challenge the effectiveness, position and power of communication employees, making it necessary for them to continuously prove their worth – in relation to other professionals, in times of crisis, etc. Strategic communication in the Danish public sector is included as an empirical example, as communication practitioners, especially in this context, seem to be faced with professional challenges not least related to the organizational (external) setting, but also based on the (internal) nature of strategic communication.

Nice to Have – or Need to Have?

Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Media, Cognition and Communication, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen

Nordicom Review

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The Professional Challenges of the Communication Sector

The present article argues that despite the considerable development and expansion of strategic communication as both an academic field and professional...

Nice to Have – or Need to Have?

Publié en ligne: 30 janv. 2017

Pages: 135 - 150

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0134

Mots clés
strategic communication, organizational status of communication, communication as profession, integrated communication, public communication

© 2010 Nete Nørgaard Kristensen, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Nice to Have – or Need to Have?

Publié en ligne: 30 janv. 2017

Pages: 135 - 150

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nor-2017-0134

Mots clésstrategic communication, organizational status of communication, communication as profession, integrated communication, public communication

© 2010 Nete Nørgaard Kristensen, published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Mots clés
strategic communication, organizational status of communication, communication as profession, integrated communication, public communication