Lee’s development of public relations began
earlier than Bernays’, and he is credited with making US businessmen
more communicative about their businesses. To do this, he used press
releases, where he provided more information rather than less, and
listened to the opinion of the press and the public, which no one had
really done before. However, Lee’s reputation as a professional was
somewhat tarnished shortly after the Nazi regime began in Germany.
Shortly after Hitler came to power in 1933, Lee went to Germany to try
and improve US-German relations. However, it is said that he was a Nazi
sympathiser after he met with top Nazi officials, including Adolf
Hitler.
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| Ivy Lee |
Lee also made his declaration of PR
principles: “This is not a secret press bureau. All our work is done in
the open. We aim to supply news. This is not an advertising agency…Our
matter is accurate. Further details on any subject treated will be
supplied promptly, and any editor will be assisted most cheerfully in
verifying directly any statement of fact. In brief, our plan is, frankly
and openly, on behalf of the business concerns and public institutions,
to supply to the press and public of the United States prompt and
accurate information concerning subjects which it is of value and
interest to the public to know about.”
 |
| Edward Bernays |
Edward Bernays, who was the nephew of the
famous psychologist Sigmund Freud, is often described as the ‘father of
public relations’.
He applied his uncle’s theories of mass psychology
to the practice of corporate and political persuasion, and started the
first public relations course in the 1920s at New York University.
However, it is thought Bernays associated
public relations with propaganda after the First World War, and praised
it in his 1928 book titled ‘Propaganda‘. In his book, he says:
“Propaganda will never die out. Intelligent men must realise that
propaganda is the modern instrument by which they can fight for
productive ends to bring order out of chaos”.
source:http://nathanedgedmu.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/the-founding-fathers-of-pr-ivy-lee-and-edward-bernays/
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