Ivy Ledbetter Lee vs. Edward Bernays: A Comparison of the Two Early Pioneers’ Contribution to the Development of Public Relations

Abstract

Both Ivy Ledbetter Lee and Edward Bernays undoubtedly had a serious impact on the historical development of modern public relations. Acting on the turn of the 19^th and 20^th centuries in the United States of America, both of them introduced and implemented a two-way communication model between organizations they worked for or consulted, and their respective publics. Nevertheless, as pioneers of a new profession, they were at the same time often criticized for alleged and potential manipulation of the public. This paper provides an overview of the work of both Lee and Bernays within the public relations sphere. It analyses and compares the key methods they used and at the same time tries to evaluate the contribution they both gave to the development of public relations at its very beginning as modern practice. The paper also reviews the approaches, principles and modes that Lee and Bernays used to practice public relations and strategies, techniques and tools they used to achieve goals set by the organizations and clients they worked for. Besides the contribution to public relations practice itself, this paper also reviews the historical contribution these two practitioners gave to the theory of public relations.