ABSTRACT
The public interest embodied middle-class values of “moderation, harmony, cooperation, and good will” and thus stood paramount to all other interests. With the terms publicity and propaganda out of public favor in the 1920s, publicists sought to rebrand their occupation to include more than just publicity. They promoted a new class of actions that included advising organizations on how to improve their relations with the public. Public relations provided that rebranding. It better described their professional role as mediators between organizations and the public. Public relations scholars and practitioners continue to emphasize ethics and serving the public interest—although it is identified with corporate social responsibility or a by-product of mutually beneficial relationships. Public relations was the “acknowledgement to the public of the social responsibilities of business”. Public relations practitioners have long aligned service to the public interest with participation in the court of public opinion or the marketplace of ideas.
