Emergence of Public Relations in the United States
One may argue that the end of the American Civil War and the start of the 20th century marked the emergence of public relations in the country. According to Ewen, the time was marked by a great deal of social unrest and disarray (40). That is, the sociocultural and economic patterns of life were shaped at that time by the middle class, which was predominately made up of Anglo-Americans. The concept of public was developed as a result of this circumstance. Creation of the public was informed by the enlighten thought of the middle-class citizens who questioned the integrity of the regime with respect to the economic exploitation at the time (49).
Transformation of the Modern Public
However, the structure of the public changed in the beginning of the 20th century. The new public was different from the old in as far as democracy and awareness is concerned. Ewen records that the change is attributed to individuals’ faith in publicity (50). This came after President Thompson Jefferson’s declaration during his second inaugural speech regarding public relation. He declared that the creed of Americans’ political faith should be based on the diffusion of information and shading light on all crimes against the public. Ewen notes that “unlike the public of the eighteenth century, which actualized itself in face-to-face conversation and inhabited the material locale of the market place, the modern public was an essential spiritual connectivity” (68). The media is credited for having laid material facts and published relevant information in a bid to create an active public. In addition, the perception of who the public was and the validity of the notion of a public further contributed to the development and transformation of the public.
Engaging in Public Affairs
By 1914, it dawned on most individuals in the private sector that there was need to engage in to engage in public affairs and respond to various concerns that affect the public. However, there were fears that a revolution was being plotted against the regime thus the issue of corporate greed was overlooked by many people. As tension increased, prominent politicians such as Theodore Roosevelt observed and pointed out the ills that that were being perpetrated against the public by corporations (68). He pointed out that the manner in which unregulated corporations were pushing Americans to the brink of chaos elicited a lot of fury amongst the public. Earlier in 1909, he mentioned in an interview that the corporations had outwitted the public by designing ways of stealing long before. At this age, there was need for public figures and government officials to master the art of social psychology in order to control the crowd. National and international media apparatus grew significantly.
Impact of the Printing Press and Modern Journalism
There were new kinds of newspapers and magazines which targeted a totally different type of public. In the wake of the growth, stood out the establishment of transoceanic telegram wires which enhanced communication. The author further notes that the invention of printing gave way for the creation of a new public which grew exponentially over time. It is argued that modern journalism in conjunction with the new public led to an evolutionary process which aimed at enhancing cohesion in the society (69). The invention of the printing press in the 15th century enabled the communication of thoughts without individuals having to be physically present. There were a lot of nervousness in discussion on the notion of the public and the crowd during the era that preceded World War 1. Ultimately this affected the progressive thoughts and discussions. President Roosevelt asserted that the journalists were held responsible for not having cast the anomalous cases of misconduct on the spotlight for scrutiny by the public (63).
Applying Social Science to Democracy
According to Lipmann, there was need for science to be applied to democracy in order to realize a stable state. He added that the application of social science was ideal instead of mobilizing a public outrage. Evidently, the application of social science in the management of the public had begun way back in late 19th century. It can be traced to the works of Le Bon- a French social psychologist who influenced many people with his ideas on the public. Lee later emerged with the idea that business owners need to take the responsibility for ensuring that the institutions serve a common good. The government on the other has the responsibility of organizing a publicity bureau that would keep the society abreast of any relevant information that concerns the public. Further, it should strive to ensure that citizens share the same thought and that they are not chaotic (107). Lippman added that the government needs to conduct various intelligence functions that ensure the American morale is not undermined by foreign press.
The Influence of World War 1 and the CPI
The letter from Lippmann to the president supporting the ideas of Bullard resulted in the establishment of CPI under an Executive Order No. 2594 (108). The World War 1 and the CPI certainly brought out the importance of psychological factors entailed in persuasion of the public (132). In the early 1920s, the lessons learnt from the war precipitated the need for services of professional individuals who specialized in the management of public opinion. The professionals were required to master appropriate techniques that they would use to compel the public to think in a particular manner. This is because they were dealing with an illogical and chaotic public.
Work Cited
Ewen, Stuart. Pr!: A Social History of Spin. New York: Basic Books, 1996.
