Marisa Rodriguez Public Relations 9-11-13

PR History and Ethics Analysis When discussing any topic, it is crucial to go back to the roots of the topic to discover where it all began and came from. It is important to appreciate the history of our culture and how things all started out from, Such as the topic of public relations, also well known as PR. For as long as we know PR has been around in our society for quite some time now. The question is how it came about, and why did the demand for PR start booming in the early nineteen hundreds. The history of PR in the US goes all the way back as early as fifteen twenty-four. This was when Sir Walter Raleigh was sending back glowing accounts to England. The Virginia Company then distributed flyers and brochures throughout Europe, offering fifty acres of free land to anyone willing to move (Wilcox and Cameron). This is a prime example of the first PR usage; they were spreading the word across the country advertising too many people that if they come to America they will get something in return. After this took place PR began to establish itself in the American colonies. Publicity and PR techniques were used to promote various institutions such as Harvard and Columbia University (Wilcox and Cameron). They sent out promotional brochures to sell out special events and fundraisers they were having. Public relations also played a huge role in American independence. At this time PR was becoming more of a formalized practice. A major contribution to the PR formalization was Sam Adams (Wilcox and Cameron). One historian also called him The father of press agentry (Wilcox and Cameron). Adams is well known for being the leader for the Sons of Liberty and

most commonly for the Boston Tea. Then in the eighteen hundreds PR become a discipline. This was the golden age of press agentry (Wilcox and Cameron). P.T. Barnum, Edward Bernays, and Ivy Lee are a few men that played a huge role in the PR industry. They helped define it in numerous ways, to what it is today. Barnum was known as the great American showman (Wilcox and Cameron). He was famous for his exhibits, the American Museum in New York. This is where his most famous client came about which was a midget named Tom Thumb. In the nineteen hundreds to the nineteen fifties there was a leading pioneer in a new public relations approach and his name was Ivy Lee (Wilcox and Cameron). He developed the first public relations counsel (Wilcox and Cameron). Lee main goal was to provide accurate information rather than overstatements. He wanted more of a truthful PR practice where the people were aware of their information and could clearly understand it. His greatest works was said to be the Pen Sylvania Railroad freight hike campaign (Wilcox and Cameron). Lees

public information model is still used to this day. Another new approach to public relations was also made in the nineteen hundreds. Edward L. Bernays was known as the father of modern public relations. He emphasized the concept of scientific persuasion (Wilcox and Cameron). Bernays method of public relations was more of well thought out persuasion plan. Over research and behavioral psychology he would generate campaigns and messages that would change the minds of others and societies perceptions. He also became the new spokesperson for the new public relations, by his book called Crystallizing Public Opinion (Wilcox and Cameron). In this book written in nineteen twenty-three, he discussed his methods, techniques and his outline of social responsibilities for public relations counsel. Bernays had a very long and successful career in the PR business; some of works include the following: Ivory soap, Torches of Liberty, and Lights Golden Jubilee (Wilcox and Cameron). Now for the discussion of PR

today, from the nineteen hundreds to the two thousand. This is when PR started to come of age. The Growth of the economy and WWII made the PR industry explode (Wilcox and Cameron). There was also technology advances such as computers and cars, which made PR expand even more making it into the mass media. PR throughout history has had a bad reputation for being unethical in their ways. There is always going to be controversy in the industry of PR due to ethics. Ethics refers to the standards of conduct which indicates how one should behave based upon moral duties and virtues rising from principles of right and wrong (Wilcox and Cameron). A few unethical uses of PR I saw were that of Edward Bernays. He used a method of deceiving persuasion. Bernays would change the minds of people solely by his campaign ad, and encourage certain behaviors (Wilcox and Cameron). This is to me unethical, for reasons because I believe other people should not influence the ideas or behaviors of others to make them believe what they want. With thinking about unethical practices we must also think about values. Values refers to central beliefs which determine how we will behave in certain situations (Wilcox and Cameron). Some ethical implications of PR today are the roles of professional organizations such as the PRDS, PRSSA, and the IABC (Wilcox and Cameron). These organizations help PR maintain their ethical standing and responsibility. It sets a standard of what should and should not be done. In the film Toxic Sludge is good for you it discusses the ethical issues of PR and gives some examples. One example is video news releases, the public believes that this is local new, but in reality it is not. This is all produced and written by PR companies (" Toxic Sludge Is Good for You: Lies, Damn Lies, and the Public Relations Industry"). This is still being used today and it is up for discussion for being unethical. The public believes this is news, when it truly is not. What this means for PR is that they need to be wise about what is being produced under their control.

They use a third party technique (" Toxic Sludge Is Good for You: Lies, Damn Lies, and the Public Relations Industry"). When a person with a distinguished title such as a Professor or a Doctor uses their status to make people believe in what they are saying. PR knows that people will trust someone with a profound profession saying something, rather just any old person (" Toxic Sludge Is Good for You: Lies, Damn Lies, and the Public Relations Industry"). There is although a way to participate in PR without facing ethical issues. It depends on the person itself and what they are willing to put themselves through and what they feel comfortable with. It is your life and only you can live it. Each person has a mind of their own, and it is their decision if they want to let PR change it for them.