While the profession of public relations is only a century old, man has been practicing the art of influencing public attitudes since the dawn of civilization. This book looks at modern America through the lens of public relations, showing how many of the events that have changed the course of our nation’s modern history were triggered by campaigns to influence attitudes, opinions, and behaviors. And while the channels may have evolved in the modern era—from radio and newspapers, billboard...

Social media has fundamentally changed the contract between institutions and the public. Today, people expect a conversation, not a one-way diatribe. That, combined with the speed of the Internet, changes the game for many companies in anticipating, managing, and ultimately avoiding an “instant crisis”—an instant crisis example is when Verizon added a $2 charge for all their customers; one hour later 100,000 signatures appeared on a Twitter petition, and soon Verizon was in the middle of a...