Advocacy Grows Up

By Cayce Myers, Ph.D., J.D., APR

The Public Relations Society of America is celebrating its 75th anniversary. For the Society, it’s a time to celebrate our history as an organization and profession. As with any anniversary, this time allows us to take stock, re-evaluate, and look back on where we are and where we started.

Seventy-five years ago, PRSA was formed in post-World War II America at a time when public relations was establishing new norms of practice, embracing new technology and making a mark on the communications field as a stand- alone profession. In fact, the establishment of

The Federalist Papers examined the proposed U.S. Constitution and advocated for its ratification in the 1770s. Many thought that this series of 85 essays was the turning point for shaping public opinion in favor of ratifying the Constitution. (North Wind Picture Archives / Alamy Stock Photo)

PRSA and similar organizations is one of the hallmarks of a respected and recognized profession.

However, looking back to 1947, when PRSA was formed, the PR profession already had a rich and diverse history. That history included a cross section of good public relations work done in corporations, agencies, social movements, political campaigns, entertainment and religion.

What we seek to do here is provide a condensed history of public relations prior to PRSA’s founding. This history demonstrates how public relations as a field has a rich tradition of ethics, innovation, relationships and quality communication with publics.

In the digital era of public relations in the 2020s, reading a history of public relations begs the question, “Does this matter?” After all, public relations work done 75 years or more ago looks very different than the field today because of the changes in society, technology and business. However, the history of public relations is frequently prescient of the professional issues facing practitioners today. Since the late 19th century, PR practitioners have had to ask questions such as: How do I best serve my organization’s publics? What is ethical communication? How does PR make the best use of new technology? What is public relations’ role within this organization?

In short — history matters. It matters because it provides perspective. It matters because it provides context. It matters because it provides lessons learned. It matters because it serves as a benchmark for where public relations is today as a profession and practice.

The Importance of Public Relations History

Writing the history of public relations presents unique challenges. Writing the early history of public relations is in some ways made even more difficult because of the lack of a standardized definition of the field. PRSA’s own definition of public relations has evolved over the years from the 1982 definition (Public relations helps an organization and its publics adapt mutually to each other) to the current one (Public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics).

Prior to 1947, the definition of the public relations field was not clear either. If we were trying to provide a definition of the field between the late

19th century to 1947, the field could be best described as advocacy for clients and press relations. Depending on the industry, this advocacy took various forms including all-out publicity in political campaigns and entertainment, to careful media management of corporations. The definition of “public relations” as a term was different than what the field uses today.

In writing a brief overview of the history of public relations in America, it is impossible to capture all the events and figures that lived, worked and communicated prior to 1947. Nor is the goal of this commemorative book to describe the history of public relations in its entirety. Instead, this work is a snapshot of where the field has been and where it is headed. It focuses on the major events and people that shaped the profession and demonstrates how public relations became the highly innovative, diverse and complex field it is today.

A Brief History of Public Relations

When did public relations begin? That is always a difficult question historically because public relations as a form of communication encompasses so many things. It encompasses advocacy for organizations and clients, relationship management, media relations, organizational communication and internal communication, just to name a few.

In history, public relations is frequently thought of as both an action and profession. As an action, public relations can be traced back to the origins of communication itself. The act of advocacy was refined as far back as ancient Greece, so