I obviously can’t name every person that contributed to what public relations is today but here are a few.

  • Pope Gregory XV – under his reign the term propoganda was first used
  • Samuel Adams – Boston Tea Party: “the greatest and best know publicity stunt of all time”
  • Phineas T. Barnum – greatest showman of his time with the use of third-party endorsement
  • Ivy Lee – first public relations council using public information (the public only receiving the facts)
  • George Creel – Creel Committee: amazing group of communicators who “united the nation and influenced world opinion during World War I,” jump started careers of hugely succesful PR professionals
  • Edward L. Bernays –  “father of modern public relations” emphasized the use of social sciences

While women make up 70% of public relations practitioners, men are still earning higher salaries; men are still the majority in management positions.

While minorities are increasing in public relations positions, there is still a long way to go to increase the ability to be representative to the population as a whole.

Social media is a new form of mass media including Youtube, Myspace, Facebook, blogs, ect. that allows PR professionals to better listen, communicate, and interact.