Chapter 1: Public relations origins: Definitions and history
Leaning Outcomes
i) Identify, understand and discuss the main aspects of public relations
development over time.
ii) Review and critique different interpretations of public relations history
iii) Analyze and discuss different national and cultural interpretations of public
relations and its history.
iv) Examine your understanding of historical research and identify sources such as
articles, books and achieves for future research.
Notes from textbook:
• Harwood Childs definition of PR - ‘Public relations is not the presentation of a
point of view not the art of tempering mental attitudes nor the development of
cordial and profitable relations. in the basic problem of public relations is to
reconcile or adjust the public interest those aspects of our personal and
corporate behavior which have a social significance.’
• A wide range of cultural, managerial and political and religious influences upon
the formation of public relations theories and practices. Some characteristics
that shape the wide variety of forms of public relations:
i) it is a planned communication and/or relationship building activity
with strategic or deliberate intent.
ii) It's seeks to create awareness among specific groups, often refer to as
‘publics’ or ‘stakeholders’, and engage their interest.
iii) Enacted through the media. with the rise of social media, public
relations activity has increasingly become a form of direct
communication, bypassing media scrutiny.
iv) Bernays proposed that ‘public relations attempts to engineer public
support.
• Public relations identified as a planned, strategic practice whose purposes where to
communicate and build relationships in a mutually beneficial and ethical manner.
Proto-public relations: the antecedents of modern public relations
• ‘Proto-public relations’
-‘proto’ meaning ‘first in time’, ‘beginning’ or ‘giving rise to’
Asia
• 3 forms: Collections of fork-lore and culture such as folk songs, lobbying between
rival states in order to avoid war and prevent attacks, and diplomacy to open trade
links such as the Silk Road across Asia.
• Chinese, Taiwanese and Vietnamese researchers also point to the tenets of
Confucianism as both ancient and enduring influences on proto-public relations and
modern practices.
, • Being firm on principles and ethics yet flexible on strategy and the importance of
propriety led to the formation of proto public relations that was based on guanxi.
• Confucianism ‘ The importance of public opinion’ ( Wu and Lai 2014)
• Proto-public relations in Thailand evolved through royal institutions from the 13th
century onwards expressed in Buddhist religious beliefs and supported the unity of
the nation.
Middle east and Africa
• The practices of public relations, prior to the arrival of western corporate
communication departments and agencies, was limited to a protocol role of
organizing events and taking care of visitors.
• In colonial Africa during the 19th and early 20th century, proto public relations was
in a governmental information form, often supporting the formation of newspapers
in British colonies in east eastern and southern Africa.
• Kiambi has found evidence of a British colonial office information methodology that
may have been applied in African, Asian and Caribbean colonies in the early to mid
20th century
Australia and New Zealand
• Australia and New Zealand both British colonies until the start of 20th century, also
saw government communication as the preparatory stage for public relations.
Latin America
• In Latin America public relations is mostly seen as a reason phenomenon, dating
from mid 20th century onwards.
Europe
• Proto public relations including among former Soviet bloc nations such as the Czech
Republic, former East Germany, Hungary, Romania, and Slovenia.
• Germany whose public relations sector was best ever lipped with evidence in the
18th century.
• writers being employed as publicist and as state employee
• Karl Varnhagen van Ense Was hired as a ‘full time” press officer” ‘
• Autside of political changes, ‘ economic and technological progress also shaped PR;s
development;
• Alfred Krupp was a leader and along with Werner Rathenau and Werner von
Siemens ‘simultaneously became leading businessmen as well as architects of PR in
the 19th century’.
• Krupp Was known as the best ‘public relations’ for his company’
• Krupp stated ‘ I think the time has come for people, who are true to truth, to write
reports about factories and companies for newspapers which are read throughout
the world and can spread the knowledge of these companies.’
• The history of PR in the Netherlands can therefore be seen as a history of the battle
for information and emancipation on the one hand and education and persuasion on
the other.
Leaning Outcomes
i) Identify, understand and discuss the main aspects of public relations
development over time.
ii) Review and critique different interpretations of public relations history
iii) Analyze and discuss different national and cultural interpretations of public
relations and its history.
iv) Examine your understanding of historical research and identify sources such as
articles, books and achieves for future research.
Notes from textbook:
• Harwood Childs definition of PR - ‘Public relations is not the presentation of a
point of view not the art of tempering mental attitudes nor the development of
cordial and profitable relations. in the basic problem of public relations is to
reconcile or adjust the public interest those aspects of our personal and
corporate behavior which have a social significance.’
• A wide range of cultural, managerial and political and religious influences upon
the formation of public relations theories and practices. Some characteristics
that shape the wide variety of forms of public relations:
i) it is a planned communication and/or relationship building activity
with strategic or deliberate intent.
ii) It's seeks to create awareness among specific groups, often refer to as
‘publics’ or ‘stakeholders’, and engage their interest.
iii) Enacted through the media. with the rise of social media, public
relations activity has increasingly become a form of direct
communication, bypassing media scrutiny.
iv) Bernays proposed that ‘public relations attempts to engineer public
support.
• Public relations identified as a planned, strategic practice whose purposes where to
communicate and build relationships in a mutually beneficial and ethical manner.
Proto-public relations: the antecedents of modern public relations
• ‘Proto-public relations’
-‘proto’ meaning ‘first in time’, ‘beginning’ or ‘giving rise to’
Asia
• 3 forms: Collections of fork-lore and culture such as folk songs, lobbying between
rival states in order to avoid war and prevent attacks, and diplomacy to open trade
links such as the Silk Road across Asia.
• Chinese, Taiwanese and Vietnamese researchers also point to the tenets of
Confucianism as both ancient and enduring influences on proto-public relations and
modern practices.
, • Being firm on principles and ethics yet flexible on strategy and the importance of
propriety led to the formation of proto public relations that was based on guanxi.
• Confucianism ‘ The importance of public opinion’ ( Wu and Lai 2014)
• Proto-public relations in Thailand evolved through royal institutions from the 13th
century onwards expressed in Buddhist religious beliefs and supported the unity of
the nation.
Middle east and Africa
• The practices of public relations, prior to the arrival of western corporate
communication departments and agencies, was limited to a protocol role of
organizing events and taking care of visitors.
• In colonial Africa during the 19th and early 20th century, proto public relations was
in a governmental information form, often supporting the formation of newspapers
in British colonies in east eastern and southern Africa.
• Kiambi has found evidence of a British colonial office information methodology that
may have been applied in African, Asian and Caribbean colonies in the early to mid
20th century
Australia and New Zealand
• Australia and New Zealand both British colonies until the start of 20th century, also
saw government communication as the preparatory stage for public relations.
Latin America
• In Latin America public relations is mostly seen as a reason phenomenon, dating
from mid 20th century onwards.
Europe
• Proto public relations including among former Soviet bloc nations such as the Czech
Republic, former East Germany, Hungary, Romania, and Slovenia.
• Germany whose public relations sector was best ever lipped with evidence in the
18th century.
• writers being employed as publicist and as state employee
• Karl Varnhagen van Ense Was hired as a ‘full time” press officer” ‘
• Autside of political changes, ‘ economic and technological progress also shaped PR;s
development;
• Alfred Krupp was a leader and along with Werner Rathenau and Werner von
Siemens ‘simultaneously became leading businessmen as well as architects of PR in
the 19th century’.
• Krupp Was known as the best ‘public relations’ for his company’
• Krupp stated ‘ I think the time has come for people, who are true to truth, to write
reports about factories and companies for newspapers which are read throughout
the world and can spread the knowledge of these companies.’
• The history of PR in the Netherlands can therefore be seen as a history of the battle
for information and emancipation on the one hand and education and persuasion on
the other.
