First, the conditions of modern public relations

Modern public relations originated in America in the early 20th century. It was the result of the basic contradiction between the United States and capitalist society at that time and the comprehensive effects of economic, political, scientific, technological and cultural conditions. It is the inevitable result of social development to a certain stage and the inevitable result of social civilization progress.

(A) the economic situation arising from the relationship between the public and the public

The economic conditions arising from the relationship between the public and the people are mainly manifested in the intensification of social production division, the high development of commodity economy, especially the formation of buyer's market.

1. The development of social division of labor is the objective basis of public-private relations.

Human society has experienced several great divisions of labor, which has promoted the development of productive forces, but also increased the interdependence and restriction among industries; The finer the division of labor, the stronger the desire to seek cooperation. Therefore, for the development of production, seeking cooperation is as inevitable and urgent as the division of production.

At the same time, this kind of social division of labor and organizational differentiation is not only manifested in the field of economic production, but also makes people's environment more complex and diverse, and the relationship between people has gradually become more complex and diverse, and the whole society is constantly dividing. On the one hand, people are more separated and difficult to understand each other; On the other hand, man is a social animal, which cannot be separated from society and cooperation. In order to adapt to this social environment, people must coordinate the relationship between people and organizations more consciously and actively, and all-round coordination and cooperation are needed for the normal operation and development of society. The relationship between public and private has adapted to the objective needs of this historical development, and has developed by leaps and bounds once it has emerged.

2. The high development of commodity economy is the accelerator of public relations.

The demand of commodity economy for public relations can be reflected in the following aspects:

(1) A highly developed commodity economy calls for cooperation. Commodity economy has formed a very extensive division of labor and cooperation with the market as the axis. In order to win in the competition, the division of labor of commodity producers is becoming more and more detailed and the degree of specialization is getting higher and higher. Everything owned by commodity producers must be purchased from the market, and all material and spiritual products produced must be sold in the market. Therefore, it is not enough to have a subtle division of labor. They must consider cross-industry and cross-regional cooperation, and need a comprehensive new subject, public relations, to coordinate all aspects of relations.

(2) The high development of commodity economy needs a harmonious social environment. Because under the condition of commodity economy, production is entirely for exchange, and the smoothness and stability of commodity exchange relations are very important to producers, so they are eager to have another force besides commodity exchange to support their cause, protect and improve commodity exchange relations and form a relatively stable and harmonious social development environment. With this demand, the relationship between the public and the public is "separated" from the traditional communication activities, specifically to establish a stable and harmonious social living environment for the organization and the public.

(3) The formation of buyer's market and the maturity of consumer market have increased the urgent demand for public relations. In the period of underdeveloped productivity, the demand for products in the market is greater than the supply, which is the "seller's market" with complete advantages for sellers. At this time, they will not consider the issue of public relations at all. With the development of productivity, there is an oversupply of products in the market, forming a "buyer's market". Consumers can flexibly choose any kind of goods they like according to their personal preferences. In order to attract and retain consumers, sellers will try their best to effectively maintain the contact between buyers and sellers, and strive for the understanding, trust, support and cooperation of the general public to the maximum extent. Therefore, understanding consumers, studying consumers, establishing close ties with consumers and winning public support have become major issues for commodity producers and sellers to survive and develop, and public-private relations have become the key link for enterprises to survive.

(B) the political conditions of public-to-public relations

Democratization of social and political life is the social and political condition for the emergence and development of public relations.

Entering capitalist society from feudal society is an important milestone in the process of democratization of human society. The political characteristics of feudal society are mainly reflected in three aspects: dictatorship, autocracy and heredity, and its political life is characterized by "people are afraid of officials"

Contrary to the feudal system, after the bourgeois revolution, the * * * system and constitutional system were implemented, and dictatorship became democratic, dictatorship became * * * system, which became hereditary and popular, bringing about a series of fundamental changes. These changes make people's status rise, and their influence is mainly realized through tax system and representative system.

Due to the implementation of the tax payment system, taxpayers have the right to know the political operation of the government, and the government has the obligation to announce and report the decision-making and operation of government affairs to taxpayers on a regular basis and accept the supervision of taxpayers.

Due to the implementation of the electoral system, on the one hand, the people are required to carefully select people who can truly represent their will to be in power. People not only have the right to vote, but also have the right to know, discuss and supervise, and demand political transparency; On the other hand, in order to climb the throne or keep it, the elected person must pay attention to good relations with the public from all walks of life. Only in this way can we get votes and keep our official positions. This is the motive force to promote the democratization of public political life.

In this social atmosphere of democratic politics, political life is characterized by "officials are afraid of the people", and the status of the people has undergone fundamental changes.

(three) the scientific and technological conditions of public relations with the public

The scientific and technological conditions of public-to-public relations are mainly the development of mass communication and modern means of communication. This provides material means for public relations.

In modern society, technology is changing with each passing day, and information dissemination is developing rapidly. From newspapers, magazines, telegrams, telephones, radio and television to optical communication, satellite broadcasting and the Internet, it has a very high spread, speed, depth, high fidelity and low cost. Brand-new media has developed rapidly, even beyond people's imagination. Changing information becomes "instantly available" at the same time. For example, people all over the world can watch the World Cup and the Olympic Games at the same time, and they can also see corporate advertisements on the field. Modern means make it possible for large-scale information exchange and communication on a global scale, which also provides the necessary technical guarantee and methods for the great development of public relations.

Second, the development of modern public relations

(1) One-way boasting about public relations.

One-way boasting of public relations is a prelude to professional public relations, represented by newspaper publicity activities.

/kloc-In the first half of the 9th century, with the advancement of political democratization and the improvement of public status, mass communication developed rapidly in the United States. It was at this time that "newspaper publicity activities" became popular. It refers to the activities that some companies or enterprises employ special personnel to publicize in newspapers and periodicals for their own interests. 19 in the 1930s, The New York Times, USA, took the lead in launching a "leisure newspaper movement", that is, you can buy a newspaper for a penny. With its low price and concern for the public, newspapers have been recognized and accepted by the whole society, which has made government departments and giants compete for each other and become an influential tool of public opinion. Newspapers are cheap, the content is good, and the circulation naturally increases. Many companies and organizations attach importance to this kind of media. However, the circulation is large, the cost is high, and the advertising fee has soared. In order to save this expensive advertising fee, some big companies and giants have spent money to hire some reporters or propagandists to fabricate news and even "myths" about themselves and their organizations, so as to attract readers' attention and achieve the purpose of promoting the image of the organization, so a massive "newspaper propaganda war" came into being.

The most representative newspaper propagandist in this period was PhineasTaylorBarnum. Barnum, the owner of a circus, is famous for making and fabricating "myths". His era is an important evolution period of public-to-public relations, and its influence still exists today.

The most typical propaganda in barnum is to create a myth that there was a black slave named Hayes in the circus who raised the first American President George Washington 100 years ago. The news caused a sensation after it was published. Barnum took the opportunity to send "letters from readers" to newspapers under different pseudonyms, which caused an argument. So many people go to the circus with curiosity, which makes the box office income of the circus soar. After Hayes' death, the autopsy showed that she was only over 80 years old, not 160 years old as advertised by barnum, and it was impossible to raise President Washington. But barnum claimed that he had been cheated. In fact, barnum has benefited from the debate he planned.

Barnum abides by the creed that "the public should be fooled" and "all propaganda is a good thing". His unscrupulous behavior of boasting, deceiving and creating "myths" for himself or the organization he represents completely ignores public interests and professional ethics, completely violates the purpose of modern public relations, and is a disgraceful page in the history of public relations. This period is called "the period when people are fooled" and "the dark period of public relations".

(B) One-way communication of public relations.

One-way communication of public relations is the period when professional public relations are initiated, and its leading idea is that organizations must be frank and open to the public. Li Aiwei is a representative figure in this period.

/kloc-at the end of 0/9, the United States has entered the era of monopoly capitalism. A few oligarchs control almost half of America's economic lifeline. They squeeze surplus value by hook or by crook, and implement a closed and confidential policy in their operation, which is called "ivory tower". People are very disgusted with their behavior and call them "robber kings". Their cruel oppression has aroused strong dissatisfaction of workers, increasingly tense labor-capital relations, increasingly intensified class contradictions, sharp conflicts of interest between various classes and groups, and the whole society is hostile to enterprise oligarchs. In this case, finally broke out to expose the scandal of industrial and commercial enterprises as the theme of the news "expose the ugly movement", known as the "dung movement" in history.

Starting from 1902, Macclure magazine took the lead in launching a frontal attack. From 1902 to 1904, the history of the rise of Mobil Oil Company was published continuously, and a large number of facts were used to reveal how the once famous oil magnate crushed his competitors by unfair means, which made Rockefeller in a position of being criticized for many years. A group of young and upright journalists bravely played the role of "ugly fighters". Their sharp edges pointed to the corrupt behavior of illegal giants and the government and exposed their ugly behavior in broad daylight. /kloc-over the past 0/0 years, more than 2,000 such articles have been published in various newspapers and magazines, and some even set up magazines to expose ugliness, which made many large enterprises and capitalists infamous. At first, the monopoly consortium tried to calm public opinion by high-handed means, first threatening, then threatening not to advertise in ugly magazines, or taking bribes as a "weapon", or running their own newspapers and periodicals to continue to create "myths" and cover up scandals. Therefore, the public's hostility to monopoly oligarchs is increasing day by day. At that time, the "Exposing Ugliness Movement" and the strike movement dealt a great blow to monopoly oligarchs.

With the attack of "Exposing Ugliness Movement" and strike movement, American economic circles began to face up to the important influence of the press and the public on enterprise development and began to change their way of thinking in order to get rid of the crisis. Dupont was the first to realize.

Dupont is a chemical company engaged in the production of explosives. Because the technology is not very advanced, some explosion accidents will inevitably occur. At first, the company adopted a confidentiality policy and did not allow reporters to interview. The public has been speculating about this. Over time, DuPont has left a terrible image of "DuPont-bleeding-killing" in the public mind, which has caused extremely adverse effects on its marketing and enterprise development. Dupont asked friends in the press for advice, and friends in the press suggested that he implement the "open door" policy and turn the "ivory tower" into a "glass house". Dupont adopted this suggestion and asked this friend to be the director of the company's information bureau. The company changed its previous practice, insisted on disclosing company accidents and inside information to the public, and at the same time carefully designed a propaganda slogan: "Chemical industry can make your life better!" In addition, they also actively sponsored social welfare undertakings, organized employees to provide voluntary services on the streets, and changed the image of "DuPont-killing" left to the public in the past.

As a result, many companies have also hired spokespersons, implemented public relations measures such as opening factories, visiting and introducing, used mass media to build their own "glass houses" and implemented enlightened management.

In this upsurge of creating a new image for enterprises, a new profession was born, and it was IvyLee who started this profession. Li Jinmei graduated from Princeton University and worked as a journalist for The New York Times and new york World News. He believes that simply exposing the dark side is a negative approach, and the solution to the problem is only half finished. The other half should try to eliminate misunderstandings and change the status quo with a positive and cooperative attitude. The best way to eliminate misunderstanding is to tell the press the truth and adopt the policy of information disclosure, which can not only eliminate misunderstanding, but also promote and supervise the improvement of enterprise behavior. In order to realize his ideal, he and Parker set up "Parker Lee Company" on 1903, becoming the first professional public relations expert to get a commission by providing services to customers. This marks the birth of public relations career and public relations profession.

Ivy lee's public relations thought is: "The public must be informed quickly"-"Tell the truth" to the public. He often provides free news briefings for newspapers, publicly provides objective news materials, and gives up trade secrets that have always been sacred and inviolable. Therefore, we also call it the public * * * relationship of "one-way information release".

Ivy Lee also dealt with the crises of Rockefeller Financial Group and Pennsylvania Railroad Company, and reshaped his image. Since then, he has become a public relations expert in a well-known society and is known as the "father of public relations".

(3) Two-way communication of public relations.

The two-way communication of public relations came into being in the period when public relations moved from art to science. The dominant idea in this period was "catering to the public", and its representative figure was Edward bernays, a master in the history of public relations.

After Ivy Lee started public relations, public relations in the United States rose rapidly, mainly in the following aspects:

1. The business community began to gradually promote the public relations system.

American Bell Company, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, Baltimore Railway Company, Edison Electric Power Company, John and Lawson Steel Company all set up public relations departments or hired people to take charge of public relations during the period from 1908 to 19 13. By 1937, 20% of the largest hundreds of enterprises in the United States have set up public relations departments.

2. The public relations consulting industry has developed rapidly.

When Parker Lee Company was founded, there were only three similar companies in America. By 1937, there are about 250 public relations companies and more than 5,000 public relations employees in the United States. From 65438 to 0939, the American Public Relations Committee (ACPR) was established under the auspices of Dr. Harrow, a famous public relations scholar. In addition, the relationship between the government and the public has further developed.

3. The study of public-to-public relations and the education of public-to-public relations were formally born.

Edward Berners of the United States has made outstanding contributions in this regard. 19 12 engaged in journalism after graduating from Cornell university. 19 13 was hired as the public relations manager of Ford Motor Company and was praised as "the first enterprise to undertake social responsibility". During World War I, Berners participated in the public information committee organized by President Wilson and led by George Greer. This Committee has raised its ability to report and mobilize public opinion to an unprecedented height. After the war, Mr. and Mrs. Berners founded a public relations company and began to provide comprehensive public relations consulting services for the society. 1923 published the first monograph on public relations, Mirror of Public Opinion, which clearly expounded the meaning of "public relations consultation" and put forward the principles, procedures and professional ethics of public relations work, which was called a milestone in the development history of public relations theory. He developed public relations activities into a more conscious, conscious and organized activity. He particularly emphasized that in public relations activities, we should first understand the public's requirements, and then carry out planned and organized publicity on the basis of determining the public's values and attitudes. Publicity should "attract the public". This is a great progress compared with the one-way publicity and notification from the perspective of enterprises in the Li Jinmei period.

1923, Berners began to teach "public relations" in new york University, becoming the first person to teach public relations in universities.

1947 Boston university established the first school of public relations to train public relations talents. Public relations education is developing gradually in America.

(D) the two-way symmetry of the public * * * relationship

Two-way symmetric public-private relationship is an advanced stage of contemporary public-private relationship development, which emphasizes "two-way communication, two-way balance and public participation". The representatives of this period are scott carter Lip and Allen Saint.

1952, Carter Lip and Saint published an authoritative monograph on public relations, Effective public relations, which discussed the "two-way symmetry" mode, which placed the interests of the organization and the public in the same important position in the public relations goal and was "symmetrical" in purpose; Adhere to the two-way communication between the organization and the public in terms of methods, which is "symmetry" in communication means. This book has been republished many times since its publication, and is known as the "public relations Bible".

The two-way symmetry model has two theoretical premises: one is to regard the public-private relationship as a closed system or an open system; The second is to regard public-private relations as a kind of "work" or a kind of "function".

To regard public relations as a closed system and a way of "working" is to put public relations personnel in the position of the implementer of communication technology and publish news regularly to maintain and promote the public's good impression of the organization, while neglecting to convey information about the environment to the organization.

Taking public relations as an open system and a "function" is to maintain and change the relationship between organizations and the public on the basis of the interaction of output, feedback and adjustment, and the public will can be absorbed into decision-making. Public relations can not only play the role of staff and consultant in decision-making, but also play the role of early warning, which can prevent potential crises.

The two-way symmetry model embodies the ideal of "universal love" and "mutual benefit" of China Mohist school, and also embodies the modern public-private relationship consciousness of "win-win system" and "common development" advocated by modern competition.