Transcript Course: Public Relations: The Profession and Practice

Introduction to Public Relations
Part One
Public Relations…The Profession
Chapter 2
A Brief History of Public Relations
Lesson 2A
Slide 1 of 38
© 2004 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Introduction to Public Relations
History
An Assignment Reminder…
Before viewing this lecture, please read the
following material:
Public Relations: The Profession and the
Practice, Chapter 2: The History of Public
Relations
Slide 2 of 38
A Conceptual Schema for Studying Public Relations
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
The Profession
The Process
The Publics
The Practice
Research
Media
Relations
Financial
Introduction
History
Chapter 2
falls here.
Strategic
Planning
Public
Affairs and
Government
Employee
Relations
Not-forProfit
Theory
Corporate
Action and
Communication
Law and Ethics
Community
Relations
Emerging
Trends
Evaluation
Slide 3 of 38
Consumer
Relations
Introduction to Public Relations
History
In Part One—Chapter 2, Our
Focus is the History of PR
We will look at the history of Public Relations
before, during and after the industrial
revolution and the changes that have occurred
in the field.
Slide 4 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Today’s Learning Objectives are…
•
•
•
Understand that even powerful people cannot ignore the
opinions of the public.
Realize how a democracy is dependent on a strong,
opinionated public.
Witness how an intentional and sustained campaign to
broadly influence the public can be very effective.
Is public relations history important?
Slide 5 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Why Study the Historical Roots of
Public Relations?
To excel in a sociological profession (like public
relations), you must master its cultural roots.
•
•
What are the dynamics in a culture (past and
present) that make your field vital to successful
involvement in that culture?
What forces shaped your culture regarding how
people think and behave relative to your
profession?
Slide 6 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Made in America
•
•
•
Public relations as a profession was initially an
American phenomenon.
By the end of the 20th century, the same forces
were mandating a need for PR throughout the
industrialized world.
Leaders through the centuries have always
sought to influence their publics.
Let’s examine some early attempts.
Slide 7 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Great Communicators of
the Pre-modern Era
•
Who would you say influenced the public the most by
delivering a speech?
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pope Urban II
Abraham Lincoln
Winston Churchill
Martin Luther King
Johnny Carson
Many historians believe that Pope Urban did. Never
heard of him, you say?
How a speech united a continent…
Slide 8 of 38
The Speech that Inflamed a Continent
•
Pope Urban declared the misdeeds of the Seljuks in a
speech given in Claremont, France (A.D. 1095).
•
•
In his speech, he challenged Europe to
send an army to protect the holy places
and Christian visitors in Palestine from
the Seljuk Turks.
Europe overwhelmingly responded to
Urban’s challenge, and thus began the
Crusades that lasted for two centuries
From Pope Urban we learn:
•
•
Click image to read Pope Urban’s speech.
Slide 9 of 38
To influence people, we must identify
sincerely with their common passions.
We must clearly and publicly express
our aspirations.
The Timing of Luther’s List
•
Martin Luther began the Protestant
Reformation with a list of grievances.
In 1517 he publicly posted a list of 95
grievances he held against the church
leaders in Rome.Within a few years, half
of Europe supported Luther’s ideas.
•
•
A few decades earlier, Luther probably
would have been burned at the stake for
his protest (as was Jon Hus).
But in 1517, much of Europe was
brewing for radical change and Luther
knew it.
Slide 10 of 38
Click to read a few of Luther's
arguments in his 95 Theses.
Introduction to Public Relations
History
The Role of Public Opinion
•
Throughout history, leaders have courted public
sentiments to sustain their power.
Even monarchies or dictators cannot afford to ignore
public attitudes. They often take pains to assure that
their subjects are supportive of their regime.
•
•
Constitutional monarchies and democracies arose
from a self-consciousness of the people.
One change was indirectly influenced by an
unpopular, political philosopher.
That philosopher was Locke…
Slide 11 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
The Influence of John Locke
The concept of the natural right of people to
oversee their rulers was developed by English
philosopher John Locke (d. 1704) and later
adopted by Thomas Jefferson. Locke taught
radical ideas that were very unpopular with
European rulers but became accepted in
America, such as…
•
•
Governments derive their power from the
consent of their subjects.
Democracy is a very advanced and more natural
form of government.
Click to read about John
Locke, prophet of
modern democracy.
www.rjgeib.com/
Democracies thrive on public opinion…
Slide 12 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
America—Dynamic Greenhouse
for Public Power
•
Unique and simultaneous political-cultural forces created
a new power for public opinion in young America:
•
•
•
•
•
•
A democratic and republican government of, by and for the
people
Free markets
Systems of checks and balances
A rise in affluence and education for “commoners”
An independent population voting with ballots and dollars
Such forces caused public relations to be made in
America.
Slide 13 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Public Relations in the Revolutionary
War
•
Before the American Revolutionary War (1774-1783)
began, colonial leaders had no wish to pursue war with
Britain.
•
•
•
The revolution had to be a popular war if democratic ideas
were to work.
Yet, the leaders recognized a problem—only one-third of
Americans favored independence.
Two leaders of the revolution shrewdly appealed to
public sentiment.
•
•
Samuel Adams - a true campaigner
George Washington - a maximizer of success
Adams was before his time regarding influence…
Slide 14 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Samuel Adams—the Campaigner
A member of the Continental Congress,
Samuel Adams initiated a sustained, public
campaign to influence Americans to seek
independence by:
•
•
•
•
Using symbols that were easily identifiable
and aroused emotions.
Publicizing slogans that are still
remembered such as “Taxation without
representation is tyranny.”
Publicizing events such as “The Boston
Massacre” when the British fired into a
group of colonists.
Staging events such as the Boston Tea Party
to influence public opinion.
Slide 15 of 38
The Boston Tea Party—an act of AngloAmericans dressed as Native Americans.
Introduction to Public Relations
History
A Broad Appeal to the
People’s Idealism
After the Revolutionary War, the Federalist
Papers, a series of 85 newspaper essays about the
Constitution and the new form of government,
were published. The Federalist Papers appealed
to Americans for a form of government to guard
and enhance three values:
•
•
•
ideals of common justice
the general welfare of the public
the rights of individuals and private property
The widespread distribution of the Federalist
Papers led to the ratification of the U.S.
Constitution (1787-88).
Slide 16 of 38
Click image to view The
Federalist Papers
www.law.emory.edu
The Industrial Revolution Began a New
Era of Public Relations
The Industrial Revolution (19th-20th
centuries) was a landmark era for public
relations. At the end of the 19th century,
changes in social and economic conditions
mandated new relations between industry and
the public.
The Industrial Revolution brought about a
change in how products were made—from
using hand tools at home to using machine and
power tools in a factory.
There were new and not always pleasant
realities of American life:
•
•
•
The enforced rhythm of the factory
The stress of urban life
The vast distinction between bosses and
workers During this era, public relations
began to develop as an independent
profession.
Three industrial forces…
Slide 17 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Three Major Industrial Forces
The modern public relations profession is an
outgrowth of three American forces in the 19th20th centuries:
•
•
•
Broad recognition of the power of public opinion
Competition among institutions for public support
Development of media to quickly influence public
opinion
Slide 18 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Corporate America’s Response
Business leaders recognized that new stresses on the
populace threatened production.
“Corporations gradually began to realize the importance
of combating hostility and courting public favor.”
—Marie Curtl
The term public relations came into use at this time.
The earliest appearance was probably in Dorman
Eaton's 1882 address to the graduating class of the Yale
Law School.
Slide 19 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
American Industry Learned to
Value Public Image
Business leaders began to hire people adept at
understanding how to influence the public.
•
•
AT&T (1883): Theodore Vail hired Charles J.
Smith to manage company conflict with the public.
Westinghouse (1889): George Westinghouse,
patriarch of his famous electrical company, hired
E. H. Heinrichs to establish the first corporate
public relations department.
•
Slide 20 of 38
The goal was to win the fight against
Thomas Edison regarding how the nation
would be wired (AC or DC).
George Westinghouse used
PR to bring us AC current.
www.britannica.com
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Three Stages of PR Development in
the Industrial Age
•
•
Development of these stages was sequential, but all three
still exist.
•
•
•
Manipulation
Cooperation
Mutual influence and understanding
Today public relations is moving…
•
•
away from using any available means to achieve desired public
opinion
toward informing the public and providing information and
counsel to management
Let’s consider manipulation…
Slide 21 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Stage One: Manipulation
through Press Agentry
Businesses would issue press releases characterized
by exaggeration, distortion and deception.
•
•
Based on the public’s willingness to believe anything
in print.
During this era, the publicity stunt idea gained
popularity.
Slide 22 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
A Classic Press Agent Approach
P. T. Barnum (d. 1891)—the master press agent:
•
•
The circus owner Barnum masterfully and,
some say, inaccurately used publicity to make
money.
Click on his image to read a sketch of
Barnum’s marketing skills.
Slide 23 of 38
“Propaganda of the Deed”
•
•
In the quest to gain media and public
attention, press agentry became
increasingly outrageous, exploitive,
manipulative, and even cruel.
Paul Brousse (French sociologist in
1878) argued for:
•
•
•
The Propaganda of the Deed : the idea
justified the need for actions to gain
public attention to political
ideas/grievances.
For European anarchists in the late
nineteenth century, propaganda of the
deed meant bombing, murder, and
assassination.
Propaganda of the deed became known
as terrorism after the 1960s.
Slide 24 of 38
Smoke billowing over Tulsa,Oklahoma
during 1921 race riots, Alvin C. Krupnick
Co., photographer, Library of Congress
The Rise of Non-violent
Press Agentry
The twentieth century witnessed the use of
non-violent, staged events to draw attention to
social/political issues.
Mahatma Gandhi ingeniously used nonviolence to bring independence to India
(1930-1947).
Inspired by Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr.
successfully applied non-violent events to
change American attitudes and laws about civil
rights for black Americans (1960s).
The way Gandhi even dressed
and traveled were meant to
influence public opinion. To
learn more about Gandhi, visit
this site: www.nuvs.com/ashram
Slide 25 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Press Agentry and Hostility
•
•
•
The success of press agents in attracting
attention and a public response often results in
hostility from the press and the public.
Such results are assured if the publicity is coupled
with blatantly deceptive and manipulative tactics.
Press agentry gave public relations a bad name
that persists to this day.
Public relations practitioners should use press
agentry only with high ethics and great care.
From manipulation to cooperation…
Slide 26 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Stage Two: Cooperation through
Distribution of Information
•
•
By the early 1900s, businesses were forced to submit to
three new dynamics:
•
•
•
numerous governmental regulations
increasingly hostile criticism from the press
rise of the American labor union movements
Public relations moved from the stage of press agentry
to an era of public cooperation through distribution of
accurate information.
Slide 27 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
The First Publicity Bureau
In 1900, George Michaelis established the first
publicity bureau in Boston to serve businesses.
•
•
He gathered factual information about his clients
for distribution to newspapers.
By 1906, his major clients were the nation's
railroads that were seeking to head off adverse
regulations being promoted by President Theodore
Roosevelt.
Slide 28 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
President Roosevelt
vs. the Railroads
•
President Roosevelt, who saw the
presidency as “a bully pulpit,'' proved
to be more than a match for the
Publicity Bureau.
•
The first president to make extensive use
of press conferences and interviews,
Roosevelt was said to rule the country
from the newspapers' front pages.
Slide
Slide29
29ofof 38
38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
The Father of Public
Relations—Ivy Lee
•
Lee made the first move toward the modern
practice of information sharing, such as
reporting on employee benefits and safety.
Some of his clients were:
•
•
Pennsylvania Railroad (1906-1909)
John D. Rockefeller and the Colorado Fuel
Strike (1914)
Slide 30 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Moving Toward Openness and
Honesty
•
Lee convinced the corporate clients of his
publicity agency (est. 1904) to become
more open and honest with the public.
•
Ivy Lee (d. 1934)
www.fredonia.edu/
Slide 31 of 38
The public was no longer to be
ignored…nor fooled, in the continuing
manner of the press agent. —Eric Goldman
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Edward Bernays—Pioneer
of PR Education
Edward Bernays made significant
contributions to equipping practitioners
for effective service. He taught the first
collegiate public relations course at New
York University (1923) and wrote the first
public relations textbook, Crystallizing
Public Opinion .
Bernays developed three tools to influence
public consent:
•
•
•
market research
social surveys
public opinion polls
Slide 32 of 38
Click image to read a biography of Bernays
(center). Photo from the Museum of Public
Relations (prmuseum.com).
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Committee on Public Information
President Woodrow Wilson turned
public relations from a defensive tool
to an offensive one when he set up
the Committee on Public
Information in 1917 to gain support
for World War I.
Led by newspaper man George
Creel, the Committee on Public
Information was a phenomenal
success.
On May 1, 1917, there were 350,000
holders of U.S. Bonds. Six months
later, 10 million held bonds.
Slide 33 of 38
The Censor Board of the Committee on Public
Information; George Creel is seated on the far
right. Photo from http://www.thehistorynet.com.
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Stage Three: Mutual
Influence and Understanding
Now public relations opens a two-way door for
influence.
It became increasingly obvious to practitioners that
organizations communicate with the public not only by words
but also by their response to public opinion.
This new awareness allowed practitioners to advise
management as well as inform the public.
Consequently, public relations professionals gained a place in
the heart of business organizations—the decision-making and
operational aspects.
Ivy Lee was again in the vanguard…
Slide 34 of 38
John D. Rockefeller and the
Colorado Fuel Strike
•
•
Out of the 22 deaths
in the Ludlow
Massacre, 13 were
women and
children.
Click this box to view
photographs of the massacre
circulated at the time.
Slide 35 of 38
The Ludlow Massacre at the miners strike
(1914) against Colorado Fuel and Iron
Company shocked the nation.
•
•
In desperation, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the
key stockholder, gave Ivy Lee the opportunity
to become a consultant on the internal
workings of his coal business.
Lee strongly recommended to Rockefeller
that he improve communications with miners
and establish mechanisms to redress workers'
grievances.
Lee’s emphasis on counseling management to
take positive action marked a major shift in
public relations theory and practice.
Introduction to Public Relations
History
Inward Focus on Employees Expands
•
In addition to its outward focus, public relations
expanded its inward focus. This had several results.
•
•
•
Employees became recognized as a significant public.
Ivy Lee persuaded his client American Tobacco Company to
introduce profit-sharing for its employees.
By 1925, more than half of all major manufacturing
companies were publishing employee magazines.
The practice moves upward…
Slide 36 of 38
Introduction to Public Relations
History
AT&T and Arthur Page
Arthur Page accepted AT&T’s offer of PR vice
president on the condition that he would have a
voice in company policy. Page set out to win
public confidence. This required a continuous
and planned program of positive
public relations.
•
•
Click on the image to read a short
biography of Arthur Page, a giant of
a PR practitioner. Photo from
prmuseum.com.
Slide 37 of 38
•
AT&T went directly to the public
with a film program for schools and
civic groups.
AT&T paid fees for employees to
join outside organizations as
representatives.
Finally, the company sought to have
as many people as possible own its
stock.
Introduction to Public Relations
History
A Summary of the Three Stages
of PR Development
•
•
•
Manipulation through press agentry:
•
Generally viewed negatively, but misuse can be avoided if
cemented with honesty and positive motives.
Cooperation through open information:
•
Organization accepts power of external and internal public
opinion by providing positive information and action.
Mutual influence through understanding:
•
The most effective stage is for organizations and the public to
mutually understand and influence each other for the good of
all.
Slide 38 of 38