Trace out the history of public relations.

Public relations have been practised sporadically since the earliest times. However, the systematic study and use of public relations is of comparatively recent origin. The history of public relations may be traced through the following stages:

1. Public Relations in Ancient Times — There is enough evidence in the records of early Greek and Roman empires to show that great care and attention was devoted to influencing public opinion. The Romans dramatised the importance of public opinion in the slogan vox populi, vox dei — the voice of people is the voice of God. In ancient Egypt, priests were experts in public relations and persuasion.

2. American Revolution — A small group of persons including Samuel Adams, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson started the American Revolution. They used voice and pen to make a profound impact on public opinion of their day. They circulated pamphlets, wrote in newspapers, and spread their ideas of revolt by word of mouth.

3. Eighteenth Century England — Jonathan Swift, Daniel Defoe and others used public relations methods to propagate their ideas. Huxley promoted the ideas of Darwin, and the writings of Charles Dickens tried to expose the social evils of his time. The phrase 'public relations' is believed to have first been used in 1807 when President Thomas Jefferson used it while drafting his 'Seventh Address to the Congress'. Ivy L. Lee, personal advisor to John D. Rockefeller, used the term 'public relations' in 1919.

4. Public Relationsss in the Twentieth Century — Public relations as practised today is largely a 20th century phenomenon. The First World War gave a great boost to public relations. President Wilson set up a Committee on Public Information. Edward L. Bernays published his book 'Crystallising Public Opinion' in 1923 — the first full-length book on public relations. The Second World War further accelerated the development of public relations. The Industrial Revolution and the advent of mass communication media accelerated the rise of public relations.