Public Relations – A Key Aspect in Countering Terrorism

Today the security environment is characterized by a continuous increase in uncertainty - we are faced with numerous non-traditional threats and challenges. Regardless of time and place, these threats have an impact not only on individual regions and countries. They are generating different risks and negative consequences on a global scale. The radically altered security environment has increased the need to improve ways and mechanisms for interaction between institutions throughout the security sector. Developing coordinated policies and a strategic conceptual framework for countering new threats, including hybrids, has proved to be a key task in security. Obviously, all of this can’t happen without the help of the communication experts in the structure. In almost all security-related institutions, units have been set up to support and inform the public of all actions of the security authorities. It is clear that the PR in the security sector must derive from the specific nature of the sector in which they take place. In crisis situations, activities related to PR include speaking to members of the media, crisis communication, etc. The goal in PR is to have interaction between the organization, the media and the society. It is generally good that the PR activity is proactive, not reactive, to outpace events, not to run after them.