A reappraisal of 19th-century public relations

Abstract

This article describes how voluntarism and a spirit of public enthusiasm characterized public relations in the early 19th century. An extraordinary grassroots effort was the hallmark of this era, later giving way to the forerunners of association public relations with which we are so familiar today. The latter half of the century saw the emergence of the paid advocate as corporations increasingly sought ways to protect their images from the relentless pens of the muckrakers. With the evolution of professional public relations, the traits of voluntarism and restraint that had characterized early 19th-century public relations diminished. The author of this article questions whether that aspect of public relations can ever be restored to the profession. Dr. Olasky is on the faculty of the Department of Journalism, the University of Texas, Austin.