ABSTRACT
Modern PR is competitive communication seeking advantage for its principals and using many promotional techniques, visible and invisible, outside of paid advertising. Defined thus, it is consistent with advocacy and adversarial types of communication (Barney and Black 1994). Since the last quarter of the nineteenth century, it has been political, commercial and social messaging for dominant interests and elected governments in maturing liberal democracies. In its early modern period (since the 1920s), its practice is associated with professionals such as Bernays, Elliot, Hill, Lee, Page and Tallents who used PR as a communications discipline to gain more control for the powerful business and ideological interests they represented. In its post-1960s period, modern PR has sought more influence for its principals in the climate of accelerating, competitive pluralism that marks out contemporary liberal democracy. These principals have increasingly included less powerful ones such as cause groups, charities and trade unions. But whether it is used by the very powerful or very weak, PR is weak propaganda. This is a conclusion that generates controversial consequences.
