Papers
But it is the lessons we learn from history that make its study important for us. In public relations we have the benefit of important principles developed and employed by many 20th-century practitioners. Ivy Lee teaches us that we must take positive action in order to have something worth communicating. Harold Burson, who built the largest public relations agency in the world, stresses a business culture of “caring and sharing,” or “prize the individual and celebrate the team.” Edward Bernays teaches us the importance of applying social science techniques to influence behavior. This chapter presents the many individuals and social movements that have shaped our practice of public relations today. Learn the principles they developed, and be creative in applying them to the public relations discipline of the future.
RHETORICIAN AND PRESS AGENT TRADITION
The forerunner to modern-day public relations practice can be found in the work of rhetoricians, press agents, and other promoters. Since early times speechmakers, called rhetoricians, provided such communication services as speech-writing, speaking on clients’ behalf, training for difficult questions, and persuasion skills. For example, by Plato’s day, ca. 427 to 347 BC, rhetoric as a distinct discipline was well established in Greece. The foremost rhetorician was Gorgias of Leontinium in Sicily (ca. 483–375 BC) who believed that the rhetorician’s job was to foster persuasive skills more than it was to determine if arguments and claims were true or false, according to Helio Fred Garcia.1 Garcia also noted that even in classical Athens, public opinion determined matters both large and small, from important public works projects such as building city walls to the appointment of generals and other high officeholders to settling matters of criminal justice.2 Persuasive skills have been used to influence the public and public opinion for hundreds of years. Artifacts of what can be construed as public relations materials
RHETORICIAN AND PRESS AGENT TRADITION
The forerunner to modern-day public relations practice can be found in the work of rhetoricians, press agents, and other promoters. Since early times speechmakers, called rhetoricians, provided such communication services as speech-writing, speaking on clients’ behalf, training for difficult questions, and persuasion skills. For example, by Plato’s day, ca. 427 to 347 BC, rhetoric as a distinct discipline was well established in Greece. The foremost rhetorician was Gorgias of Leontinium in Sicily (ca. 483–375 BC) who believed that the rhetorician’s job was to foster persuasive skills more than it was to determine if arguments and claims were true or false, according to Helio Fred Garcia.1 Garcia also noted that even in classical Athens, public opinion determined matters both large and small, from important public works projects such as building city walls to the appointment of generals and other high officeholders to settling matters of criminal justice.2 Persuasive skills have been used to influence the public and public opinion for hundreds of years. Artifacts of what can be construed as public relations materials