ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a history of political public relations since its origins in the early twentieth century. It also presents key events in the development of political public relations techniques in the US and the UK, up to and including the US presidential election of 2016, and the UK general election of 2015. The chapter addresses forms of media management - those activities designed to tap into the needs and demands of the modern media and thus maximise politicians' access to, and exposure in, free media. It examines the practice of image management in political public relations: on the one hand, the personal image of the individual politician, and how it can be moulded and shaped to suit organisational goals; and on the other, the image of the political organisation. The chapter presents discussion of the techniques of governmental information and media management applied by governments in the UK and other democracies.
