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opson's review against another edition
3.0
Full disclosure: I didn't read the entire book. In fact, based on the review of top contributor Trevor (”I sometimes get notified of comments”) I only read the introduction by Stuart Ewert. Trevor's quote of "...something happens in the introduction to this book that does as much to help explain Bernays and his ideas as anything else in the book.” sold me on this decision. Given that the rating is based on the introduction rather than the original content, I acknowledge that the rating is unfair.
However from the introduction, I gathered that Bernays has a disdain for the "masses". He finds them to be too stupid and/or uneducated to be "allowed" to make their own decisions. According to him, the masses hold firm and uneducated beliefs about all sorts of topics. In contrast, the elites have a better and more broad understanding of what's best for society. Based on this, the elites should control/sway the masses.
To control the public, the PR professional should aim to comprise to message so it appeals both to those too stubborn to change their mind and those so malleable that they'll believe anything. From this, the message reaches the entire spectrum of personalities that comprise the masses. This is, in turn, done by appealing to emotions rather than reasons. In addition, what separates the ineffective PR professional from the effective is her ability to get people talking about whatever his client wants to sell/promote.
Quote I found to be illuminating of Bernays views of PR:
"A good public relations man advises his client to carry out an overt act interrupting the continuity of life in some way to bring about a response."
However from the introduction, I gathered that Bernays has a disdain for the "masses". He finds them to be too stupid and/or uneducated to be "allowed" to make their own decisions. According to him, the masses hold firm and uneducated beliefs about all sorts of topics. In contrast, the elites have a better and more broad understanding of what's best for society. Based on this, the elites should control/sway the masses.
To control the public, the PR professional should aim to comprise to message so it appeals both to those too stubborn to change their mind and those so malleable that they'll believe anything. From this, the message reaches the entire spectrum of personalities that comprise the masses. This is, in turn, done by appealing to emotions rather than reasons. In addition, what separates the ineffective PR professional from the effective is her ability to get people talking about whatever his client wants to sell/promote.
Quote I found to be illuminating of Bernays views of PR:
"A good public relations man advises his client to carry out an overt act interrupting the continuity of life in some way to bring about a response."
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