Chapter 8 Tweeting Generals: Making the Case for Increased Public-Military Engagement through Social Media
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Abstract
In this chapter, I make an argument for the military to engage with the public through social media. Just as Marta Rzepecka, in this volume, speaks to the government-public relationship through her analysis of presidential war discourse, so I address how traditional civil-military relations theory that focuses on the government-military relationship needs to include the public as well. The public-military relationship is becoming important in the light of the battle for the hearts and minds of global audiences. Conflict is increasingly asymmetrical and traverses state boundaries using advances in information and communication technologies. The military can combat new enemies using the same technologies. In this chapter, I look at why the military should consider embracing social media as a means of engaging the public in discussions of security issues.