Public Relations

A management tool that involves the use of psychological and sociological knowledge and skills to create and present a positive image of an organization (or individual) and its activities to the public. Public relations has become so widespread that few organizations of any size operate without public relations specialists. The number of public relations specialists is currently greater than the number of journalists employed in the United States.

Edward L. Bernays was one of the most influential and successful practitioners of public relations in the United States for much of the 20th century. A nephew of Sigmund Freud, he pioneered psychological techniques of mass persuasion. An elitist with little respect for ordinary people, Bernays advocated disseminating information indirectly and inconspicuously by way of propaganda and news reports rather than through direct publicity from his clients.

Public relations is not confined to commercial, for-profit businesses. Charities, nongovernmental organizations, and cultural and education institutions, all rely on public relations tools. Government agencies can use public relations to increase public support, increase awareness and use of its products and services, and educate the public and encourage compliance with regulations. For example, a city sanitation department might use public relations techniques to increase popular support for recycling. For more information, see Cutlip (1994), Ewen (1996), Heath (2005), Lee (2008), Stauber and Rampton (1995), and Watson and Noble (2007).