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Nineteenth and twentieth century developments in corporations' legal duties involving "public relations" activities gave rise to professional public relations practice. During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, court cases, trade press, and the popular press used the term "public relations" to refer to the status of an organization and certain expected behaviors. As corporations and utilities grew in the late nineteenth century these "public relations" responsibilities were applied to them creating a legal requirement of transparency, disclosure, and good faith actions. Examining court decisions and the popular press this paper shows how this application of the term "public relations" to corporations had a relationship with public relations practice. Implications for public relations historiography and American public relations development are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Press agentry was a profit motivated media relations practice. • Press agents were not exclusively an unethical PR antecedent. • American press agents worked in a variety of sectors during the 19th century. • Press agentry was a sophisticated practice that utilized multiple strategies. • U.S. press was ambivalent toward 19th century press agents. Analysis of press coverage of nineteenth century American press agents indicates that, although press agents worked in a variety of sectors, their primary motivation was profit, their main strategy was media relations, and their tactics often relied on hype or outright lying. These characteristics would appear to support previous descriptions of press agentry, yet the research also shows that the press was more ambivalent toward press agents than previously assumed and that press agents' strategies and tactics may have been more sophisticated than previously understood. A number of early practitioners of press agentry are identified for further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of publicists in public relations history is largely overlooked. Although today publicists are commonly associated with the entertainment industry, late nineteenth and early twentieth century publicists were a professional group that played an important role in developing modern public relations practice, particularly the craft of research-based, ethical, and strategic communication. These early publicists' reputations and skills at managing public opinion were highly sought after by universities, businesses, and in political circles. Because their work often involved international issues, their impact was present both domestically and outside of the United States. Understanding the role the publicist played in public relations development presents a new narrative of public relations history that shows that early public relations practice contained professional, strategic, and international communication practices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examines the United States popular press’ representation of publicity and information bureaux from 1891 to 1918. Specifically this study discusses these bureaux’ relationship with the press, use by governments, role in political campaigns, and function within non-profit organizations. Publicity and information bureaux are an important part of public relations history and identity because they represent the departmentalization of PR within organizations. Implications for PR historiography are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the litigation ramifications of apologies given during a crisis. Examining federal and state laws on the evidentiary issues affecting apology, this study shows that in 38 jurisdictions apologies are not admitted into evidence at trial if the apology contains certain characteristics. From this analysis practical suggestions are given to PR practitioners on how to craft legally protected apologies during a crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which explores the historical portrayal of Confederate Army of Northern Virginia commander Robert E. Lee by the northern press after the Civil War. Topics discussed include the way Lee opposed political issues such as slavery and the dissolution of the U.S., the publication of reports after his death in 1870 which highlighted his personal accomplishments, and the depiction of Lee as a southern cavalier that remained committed to his purpose to the country.

This article explores recent lawsuits surrounding social media ownership in the United States and United Kingdom. Because social media has become a valuable tool for public relations, many organizations now claim an ownership interest in their employees’ social media accounts. This article explores three recent cases (two in the U.S. and one in the U.K.) that involve social media ownership issues. An overview of these cases is presented, and suggestions are made for PR practitioners, agencies, and organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of U.S. press coverage of propaganda indicates that the term propaganda had a largely negative connotation in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. Propaganda’s association with religious, political, and grassroots organizations is identified and discussed. This analysis concludes that Edward Bernays’s assertion that propaganda was a neutral term for PR practice prior to 1918 is inaccurate. Implications for PR historiography are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The publicity agent in the United States during the early twentieth century served as a transitional profession between the nineteenth-century press agent and the post–World War I public relations practitioner. This article examines the corporate roots of publicity agents, their split from the advertising industry, and their role in grassroots organizations. It shows that publicity agents and publicity men participated in a stand-alone, salaried profession with professional associations and standards. More importantly for public relations history, the rise of the publicity agent shows the initial connection and eventual split between advertising and public relations that was previously ignored in public relations historiography. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]