The History of Public Relations

As I Google searched the history of public relations, I stumbled upon a very interesting .pdf file entitled "Mini-Me" History: Public Relations from the Dawn of Civilization. Don Bates, the author of this paper, stated that "professional public relations has always gone hand in hand with civilizations" and that "much of recorded history can be interpreted as the practice of public relations."

With that in mind, I found it interesting that Bates discussed fear along with the power of persuasion in ancient civilizations. He goes on to say that the methods of persuasion have changed and that it became less grounded in force, and focused more on the power of words. Although, with the invention of writing, Public Relations took off.

Ancient Egyptians used their temples, tombs, and art to portray to the public the importance of priest, nobles, and scribes. Meanwhile, other civilizations such as Babylonia, Assyria, and Persia "used poems and other writings to promote their prowess in battle and politics." Don't even forget about the Bible! We have Ancient Israel to thank for that! The Bible has been shaping the public's mind for thousands of years.

With just a simple click of the mouse, it's amazing to see how far back the origins of Public Relations goes.