Influential PR Practitioners

Why This Matters

Public relations didn't emerge fully formed—it was built by practitioners who responded to the communication challenges of their eras, from industrial-age corporate scandals to civil rights movements to the rise of global media. Understanding who shaped PR and why their contributions mattered helps you see the field as an evolving discipline with competing philosophies about ethics, persuasion, and the relationship between organizations and publics.

You're being tested on more than names and dates. Exam questions will ask you to connect practitioners to the theoretical foundations they established—concepts like two-way communication, earned media, crisis management, and ethical standards. Don't just memorize who did what; know which principles each practitioner championed and how their innovations addressed specific communication problems. That's what separates a passing answer from an excellent one.

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Founding the Discipline: The Early Architects

These practitioners transformed publicity work into a recognized profession by establishing its first theories, tools, and ethical debates. Their competing approaches—manipulation vs. transparency—still define tensions in PR today.

Ivy Lee

• Pioneered transparency in corporate communication—his "Declaration of Principles" (1906) committed to providing accurate information to journalists, breaking from the secretive publicity model
• Created the first press release following a 1906 railroad accident, establishing the standard format for organizational announcements that remains in use today
• Championed corporate social responsibility through his work with the Rockefeller family after the Ludlow Massacre, demonstrating how reputation repair requires substantive action

Edward Bernays

• Applied psychology and social science to persuasion—drew on his uncle Sigmund Freud's theories to understand how unconscious desires drive public behavior
• Pioneered third-party endorsement strategies, most notably the "Torches of Freedom" campaign that linked women's smoking to suffrage symbolism through staged events
• Established two-way communication as a PR framework, arguing that organizations must understand publics before attempting to influence them

Doris Fleischman

• Co-founded the first PR counseling firm with Edward Bernays, helping professionalize the field while often working behind the scenes without credit
• Integrated social activism with PR strategy—used campaigns to advance women's rights, demonstrating how PR could serve causes beyond corporate interests
• Developed emotional storytelling techniques that moved PR beyond fact distribution toward narrative engagement with audiences

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Institutionalizing Ethics and Management Integration

These practitioners elevated PR from a tactical function to a strategic management discipline, establishing ethical frameworks that guide professional practice today.

Arthur W. Page

• Integrated PR into executive management—as AT&T's first corporate PR officer, he argued that communication strategy belongs in the C-suite, not just the press office
• Developed the Page Principles, a foundational ethical framework emphasizing that public perception must be earned through corporate behavior, not just messaging
• Championed "actions speak louder than words"—his philosophy that reputation is built on conduct, not spin, remains central to corporate communication theory

Betsy Plank

• First female PRSA president, breaking leadership barriers while championing diversity and inclusion as professional imperatives
• Established PR education standards by promoting academic programs and connecting university curricula to industry practice
• Shaped professional codes of conduct through her advocacy for ethical standards, influencing how practitioners define responsible communication

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Building the Modern Agency Model

These practitioners created the organizational structures and methodologies that define how PR agencies operate globally, introducing research-driven and relationship-centered approaches.

Harold Burson

• Co-founded Burson-Marsteller, building one of the world's largest PR firms through a strategic, research-based approach to communication challenges
• Pioneered measurement and data-driven PR—insisted that campaigns must demonstrate measurable outcomes, not just activity metrics
• Shaped crisis communication as a specialty, developing frameworks for helping organizations navigate reputational threats systematically

Daniel J. Edelman

• Founded Edelman, now the world's largest independent PR firm, by emphasizing relationship-building over transactional media placement
• Pioneered the "earned media" concept—argued that credibility comes from coverage you earn through newsworthiness, not coverage you buy
• Established trust as PR's core currency through research initiatives like the Edelman Trust Barometer, which tracks public confidence in institutions globally

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Diversifying the Profession: Multicultural and Inclusive PR

These practitioners challenged the field's exclusionary history by creating space for underrepresented voices and demonstrating that effective communication requires understanding diverse audiences.

Moss Kendrix

• Founded the first African American-owned PR firm, proving that multicultural expertise was a professional specialty, not an afterthought
• Pioneered culturally resonant campaigns for major brands like Coca-Cola, demonstrating that reaching Black consumers required authentic engagement, not generic messaging
• Elevated African American representation in media by creating campaigns that celebrated Black culture and challenged stereotypes

Inez Kaiser

• First African American woman to own a U.S. PR firm—broke dual barriers of race and gender in a field dominated by white men
• Specialized in promoting Black-owned businesses and community issues, expanding PR's scope beyond corporate clients to underserved markets
• Mentored the next generation of diverse practitioners, creating pathways for professionals who would otherwise face closed doors

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Advancing Strategic Integration

This practitioner pushed PR toward integration with other communication disciplines, reflecting the field's evolution toward holistic brand management.

Patrick Jackson

• Championed integrated communication—argued that PR, marketing, and advertising must work together rather than operate in silos
• Advanced crisis communication theory by developing strategic planning frameworks that help organizations prepare for reputational threats before they occur
• Contributed to PR education through teaching and writing, helping codify best practices for emerging practitioners

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Quick Reference Table

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Self-Check Questions

1. Compare and contrast: How did Ivy Lee's approach to corporate communication differ from Edward Bernays's? Which practitioner's philosophy aligns more closely with modern ethical standards, and why?

2. Which two practitioners are most associated with establishing professional ethical frameworks in PR, and what specific contributions did each make?

3. If an FRQ asked you to explain how PR became integrated into executive management, which practitioner would you cite, and what principles would you reference?

4. Moss Kendrix and Inez Kaiser both advanced multicultural PR. What distinct contributions did each make, and how did their work demonstrate that diversity improves communication effectiveness?

5. Which practitioners pioneered the agency model that dominates PR today, and how did their approaches to measurement and relationship-building differ?