Which of the following is an external audience for military communication?

• A. Media, local communities, taxpayers, elected officials, and the general public
• B. Service members
• C. Military families
• D. Civilians

Answer: (A)

External audiences are the people outside the military organization who have a stake in what the military does and rely on official communications to understand its actions, funding, and impact. The group that includes media, local communities, taxpayers, elected officials, and the general public best fits this idea because it covers the broad civilian stakeholders who consume information from public affairs and influence public perception and policy.

Service members are internal; they are part of the military structure rather than the outside audience the public affairs function speaks to. Military families are considered part of the internal military community as well, not the broad external audience. Civilians are indeed external, but the listed set in the other option is not as comprehensive of the typical external audiences public affairs routinely engages with.