In the book Vad vi vet om svenska myndigheters kommunikationsverksamheter [What We Know About Swedish Government Agencies’ Communication Activities], researchers Magnus Fredriksson and Josef Pallas describe a field that ranges from campaigns, media interventions, and crisis communication to ongoing information activities, branding, and governance issues.
“Today, communication is regarded as an obvious solution to many problems in the public sector, and there are great expectations of what more and better communication can achieve”, says Magnus Fredriksson, professor of media and communication studies at the University of Gothenburg.
“We want to show that the use of communication is not neutral – it is shaped by ideological and tactical considerations, as well as by professional norms both inside and outside the agencies. That is what we try to highlight in the book”, Fredriksson continues.
Seven things we know
In the concluding chapter, seven points are formulated that together highlight recurring features of agencies’ communication activities.
“Each point emphasises a specific aspect, and together they provide a comprehensive picture of how government agencies’ communication works, what characterises it, and how it can be understood as an arena for different ideas”, says Josef Pallas, professor of business studies at Uppsala University.
One point, for example, is that there is no consistent idea guiding government agencies’ communication activities. Instead, the field is characterised by a set of conflicting ideas pulling in different directions.
“Throughout the book, we point out that communication is a prerequisite for organisation, administration, and politics – but the belief that communication often possesses almost magical qualities is a cultural phenomenon that has emerged more recently”, says Fredriksson.