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A review by reinhardt
Crystallizing Public Opinion by Edward L. Bernays
3.0
Fascinating look into early 2oth century PR.
Biggest idea: don't pass on news, make news. i.e. create events that get covered - do things! Do things out of the normal routine to get coverage. Do things that will be covered in a way that reflects your goals.
A few nugget from the book that could have been pulled from 2016 election coverage:
"axiomatic that men who know little are often intolerant of a point of view that is contrary to their own."
"the printing press a wonderfully effective means for perpetuating crowd-movements and keeping great masses of people constantly under the sway of certain crowd-ideas."
“Nothing so easily catches general attention and grips a crowd as a contest of any kind,”
"Republican platform contains a declaration of principle, no matter how vague, which awakens profound emotional response in us, or because our neighbor whom we do not like happens to be a Democrat."
"Man is never so much at home as when on the band wagon."
"When real news is scarce, semi-news returns to the front page."
"opposition is generally characterized by a high degree of disunity."
"opposition is generally characterized by a high degree of disunity."
"interlapping group formation of society;...the continuous shifting of groups"
"A debate will draw a larger crowd than a lecture."
"difference between “propaganda” and “education,” really, is in the point of view."
"truth is rather more relative in Washington than anywhere else."
Biggest idea: don't pass on news, make news. i.e. create events that get covered - do things! Do things out of the normal routine to get coverage. Do things that will be covered in a way that reflects your goals.
A few nugget from the book that could have been pulled from 2016 election coverage:
"axiomatic that men who know little are often intolerant of a point of view that is contrary to their own."
"the printing press a wonderfully effective means for perpetuating crowd-movements and keeping great masses of people constantly under the sway of certain crowd-ideas."
“Nothing so easily catches general attention and grips a crowd as a contest of any kind,”
"Republican platform contains a declaration of principle, no matter how vague, which awakens profound emotional response in us, or because our neighbor whom we do not like happens to be a Democrat."
"Man is never so much at home as when on the band wagon."
"When real news is scarce, semi-news returns to the front page."
"opposition is generally characterized by a high degree of disunity."
"opposition is generally characterized by a high degree of disunity."
"interlapping group formation of society;...the continuous shifting of groups"
"A debate will draw a larger crowd than a lecture."
"difference between “propaganda” and “education,” really, is in the point of view."
"truth is rather more relative in Washington than anywhere else."