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Definitions of Public Relations
  • What IS public relations?
  • Definition follows history
    • History of public relations
      • History of the rise of public opinion and popular sovereignty
      • Sustained campaign with American Revolution, 1735-1780


    • Until turn of 20th century
      • One-way, press-agentry/publicity
        • P.T. Barnum
        • World War I
          • U.S. Commission on Information
            • George Creel; Edward L. Bernays; Carl Byoir.
            • Propaganda
            • Started belief that PR has magical persuasive effects on society.

    • 1920s
      • Modern public relations
        • Ivy Ledbetter Lee
        • two-way communication
        • honesty, frankness & openness
          • if truth is damaging--change behavior
        • public information model

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    • 1930s
      • Definitions diverse.
      • Agreement on activities.
        • Influence opinion,
        • produce good will,
        • keep stockholders and employees informed, demonstrate social and profit responsibility.
      • Agreement on 2-way communication and merchandising methods.
      • Edward L. Bernays began use of social science, especially psychology.
      • Two-way asymmetrical model
      • Movement to systems theories.
        • Adjusting organization’s behavior to its environment is central to systems theory.
        • Harwood Childs added adjusting organizational behavior to public interest.
          • Childs—When organizational behavior has social & public significance:
            • Organizations should adjust in ways that promote the public welfare and interest as currently defined by mass opinion.
            • Childs' contribution summed up in one word: relationships.
            • Mass opinion defined by legislation.
          • Increased regulation due to government involvement in business.

    • 1940s through 1970s
      • Definitions more action-oriented.
      • Increased emphasis on social responsibility and professionalism.
      • Growing use of social sciences, especially psychology, sociology, political science and economics.
      • More emphasis on
        • research — especially public opinion polls.
        • two-way communication—more symmetrical
        • organizational performance.
        • interactive view.
        • mutual understanding
    • 1980s to now
      • Increasing emphasis on intercultural, global and strategic communication
      • Components of PR
        1. management function
        2. communication— two-way
        3. interpreting public opinion
        4. influencing public opinion
        5. relationships with publics — reciprocal
        6. social responsibility
        7. ethics

    • Strategic communication
      • Communicating to achieve goals and objectives of an organisation.

    • Our definition
        • A management function that
        • identifies,
        • establishes, and
        • maintains
        • mutually beneficial relationships
        • between an organization and its publics.

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Publicity stunt in Singapore


Symbols used in 1776 to
influence public opinion



WWI poster


Ivy Ledbetter Lee


Edward L. Bernays

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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