Showing results for "Propaganda" in Public Relations

First published in 1928, Edward Bernays’ Propaganda may be the single most important work on public relations ever to appear. Bernays (1891-1995), a nephew of Sigmund Freud, shaped the management of public opinion at a time when the modern media were beginning to take their present shape. Propaganda today has a negative connotation, but Bernays uses the term in a neutral sense. Writing in the 1920s, he redefined what he called the “new propaganda” as public relations—a name that has stuck ever since.

Propaganda, an influential book written by Edward L. Bernays in 1928, incorporated the literature from social science and psychological manipulation into an examination of the techniques of public communication. Propaganda explored the psychology behind manipulating masses and the ability to use symbolic action and propaganda to influence politics, effect social change, and lobby for gender and racial equality.

There is no doubt that public relations (PR) can move mountains for innovation-driven companies. Though the outputs of PR can confer significant advantages on companies seeking to change the status quo, build their brand equity, and drive sales, too often common mistakes result in wasted money, finger pointing, and tattered reputations.