The Sound of One Hand Clapping

Sustaining exploration: communications, relevance, and value, Space Review

“Another example of being stuck on tactics can be found in the occasionally vitriolic criticism of the media and messages put forth by NASA’s Office of Strategic Communications and by other space advocacy organizations. While thoughtful, constructive criticism can be helpful, the critique that has appeared in print, at conferences, and on blogs or elsewhere online generally reflects an overemphasis on tactics both when attacking various approaches and prescribing new ones. The net effect has been singularly unhelpful, acting to further mire the debate about communications, relevance, and value.”

Editor’s note: While this article raises some interesting points, Mary Lynne Dittmar seems to be rather uninformed as to what her own research purports to show. She also seems to have an incomplete understanding as to how the world of marketing and message conveyance i.e. the tactics of communicating a message to an audience – actually works in the 21st Century. In the end, it does not matter how well-crafted and focused your messages are if no one hears them.

message + no tactics = no message