Basics of Public Relations

Unit 1 – Topic 2: Evolution of

Public Relations
• PR has been there through the years but not in the
form practiced today.
• As a specific discipline, it began in the last quarter of
the 19th century in America due to the advent of
utilities like rail roads and other industries.
• These developments required that messages be
communicated to the people who were affected by it.
• Famous personalities who contributed to the growth
and development of PR are Leone Baxter, Edward L
Bernays, George Creel, Earl Newsom, Arthur W
Page etc.
• The term Public Relations was used first in 1882 by
Dorman Eaton. The term was put into practice
professionally in 1916. The person who used it
professionally was Ivy Lee.
• Edward L Bernays, called the Father of PR, wrote
the first textbook titled Crystallizing Public Opinion.
The second important book he wrote – The
Engineering of Consent in 1955. The book dealt with
persuasive publicity.
• Business enterprises lost their reputation due to ‘The
Great Depression’. The companies needed to retrieve
their lost reputation hence developing an organized
form of PR was felt.
• In beginning of the 50s, few companies established
PR department with the duty to cultivate relation
with government and political people. Many big
advertising agencies operated PR units under
agencies name.

• After the US, Canada, UK, western Europe and

Asia are the next most widely developed regions for
PR.

• Today PR is undergoing a metamorphosis. It is no

more a fire fighting device. Today it is a long term,
planned activity in an organization .