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Comment by rm_-rf_slash | Hacker News Reader

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rm_-rf_slash·

Beat me to it.

Also recommended to read Bernays' works themselves, particularly "Crystallizing Public Opinion" and "Propaganda."

Its like reading an engineer's manual for social control.

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Yeah, Bernays is great. He called it 'propeganda' to begin with - but realized that it needed a better name. So he called it 'public relations'. The best thing about PR is that people who practice PR have PR practiced on them - they don't even know the history of PR. Curtis' documentary is the best source I have come across for the history of PR. But this article is quite something. It helps explain the Trump effect - just get on the news/social-media and you will get more votes. Those who can manipulate the media, there's is the kingdom of power...

As someone with a degree in public relations, this simply not true. Edward Bernays is the first person covered in Introduction to Public Relations classes.

Do journalists, corporate communication professionals or others who end up in PR know him? That is up for debate.

EDIT: Clarity

Speaking of that trend, it is worth noting the British use of propaganda during WWI, particularly the Bryce Report and the Rape of Belgium. Much of modern propaganda owes to that watershed period. Bernays mentions it in Public Relations. Goebbels himself acknowledged it. [1]

[1] http://research.calvin.edu/german-propaganda-archive/goeb27....

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