The Fathers of Public Relations

Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays are considered to be the fathers of modern day public relations because they developed strategies for the industry in the 1900s that are still implemented today. Lee realized the power of the newspaper being able to reach a national audience, therefore they should not abuse that power. He did not believe in fooling the public, and felt that the public should be exposed to the truth sooner rather than later since they would eventually find out. If the public did find out they were lied to, it would cause them not to trust that company or source of information. Following the Ludlow massacre, where two dozen people were killed at a factory the Rockefellers owned, the family was branded with a bad reputation. However, Lee was able to help change the public’s opinion about them. He convinced Rockefeller to join a labor management board to compensate workers and provide safe working conditions. He also humanized the family by showcasing them in relatable situations such as celebrating birthdays or attending church. Last year, Kevin Hart supposedly organized the Texas Hurricane Relief Fund in attempt to redeem himself after he knew images of him cheating on his pregnant wife would be released (O’Neill, 2017). This was probably Hart’s publicist attempt to humanize the comedian because he would have to do a press tour promoting his new film in December, which has been a box-office success, proving that Lee’s strategy still holds strong today. Edward L. Bernays was the nephew of Sigmund Freud and enjoyed public relations because he was able to merge journalism and psychology. Using psychological theories and practices, he was able to influence people. Bernays preferred the use of endorsements from expert-opinions, celebrities, and doctors to reinforce the claims his clients wanted to convey. He also used evidence from surveys and polls to further strengthen the client’s reasoning (NY Times, 1995). Bernays' methodology is something we frequently see as companies use celebrity ambassadors to promote their products and claims from industry experts. With the Winter Olympics occurring, it won’t be long until we see those same athletes winning medals in South Korea, on a cereal box in the store or on a television commercial. Also, Colgate has been known for using industry expert opinions, as they are known for being the dentist recommended toothpaste (Pleis, n.d.). Lee and Bernays are the fathers of public relations because the tactics they coined over a century ago, are now the foundation of an industry for majority of the most popular brands and celebrities today.

NYTimes. 1995. Edward bernays, ‘father of public relations' and leader in opinion making, dies at 103. http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/08/16/specials/bernays-obit.html

O’Neill, N. 2017. Kevin hart’s alleged extortionist: I want to ‘expose’ him as a ‘liar.’ PageSix.

https://pagesix.com/2017/09/17/kevin-harts-alleged-extortionist-i-want-to-expose-him-as-a-liar/

Pleis, D. n.d. Five types of dentist recommended toothpaste. Colgate. https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/basics/selecting-dental-products/five-types-of-dentist-recommended-toothpaste-0714