Public Relations, History of

Public relations can trace its roots to ancient oral traditions in which storytelling served to inform, teach, influence, and advocate. Relating to an audience depended on speakers and writers believing in their message and then knowing and understanding how to persuade their audience to listen and act on their words. With the expansion of mass communication in the late 1800s and early 20th century, the need arose for individuals, government, industry, and causes to hire experts who knew how to use the media to reach the public. The demand for public relations expertise increased the number of mass communication channels, which proliferated to include print, broadcast, and digital media. Today, public relations touches every aspect of society, and practitioners boast expertise in media relations, ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles