Question

Trace out the history of public relations.

Answer 1

Public relations have been practiced sporadically since the earliest times. However, systematic study and use of public relations is of comparatively recent origin. The history of public relations may be traced through the following stages.

1. Public Relations in Ancient Times: There is enough evidence in the records of early Greek and Roman empires to show that great care and attention was devoted to the influencing of public opinion. Public relations appears to be an integral part of government in those days. The Romans dramatised the importance of public opinion in the slogan vox populi, vox die—the voice of people is the voice of God. In ancient Egypt, priests were experts in public relations and persuasions. 
2. American Revolution: A small group of persons including Samuel Adams, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson started the American Revolution. They used voice and pen to make a profound impact on the public opinion of their day. They circulated pamphlets, wrote in newspapers and spread their ideas of revolt by word of mouth.
3. Eighteenth Century England: Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe and others used public relations methods to propagate their ideas. Huxley promoted the ideas of Darwin and the writings of Charles Dickens tried to expose the social evils of his time. These reveal that public relations practice is as old as the world itself.
   The first actual use of the phrase 'public relations' is thought to have been made in 1807 when President Thomas Jefferson used the phrase 'public relations' while drafting his 'Seventh Address to the Congress'. Ivy L. Lee, personal advisor to John D. Rockfeller used the term 'public relations' in 1919. His success in altering the public image of John D. Rockfeller from a "greedy old capitalist" to a kindly old man became a legend.
   The First World War gave a great boost to public relations. President Wilson set up a committee on Public Information. Edward L. Bernays, a member of this committee published his book 'Crystallising Public Opinion' in 1923. It was the first full length book on public relations. The Second World War gave further impetus to public relations.
4. Public Relations in the Twentieth Century: Public relations as practiced today is largely a 20th century phenomenon. Goals, techniques and ethical standards change with the passage of time. Primitive leaders, for example, were concerned with maintaining control over their followers through the use of force, intimidation or persuasion. When these failed, magic and superstitions were used. Attempts to control opinion were conditioned by the fact that the individual had not then developed a sense of individuality. Evaluation of personality was a late development in the history of the human race.