ABSTRACT

In the past, public relations professionals devoted most of their time to the quest for publicity. Their mission was to obtain “ink” for their boss or client. This was logical because, until recently, the newspaper was tremendously influential in the lives of most Americans. Families generally subscribed to at least one daily local newspaper, and most cities had more than one paper. Most people also watched the evening news and listened to hourly reports on the radio, which also provided venues for public relations messages.