What in the world is Public Relations?

This chapter analyses the antecedents, springboards and restraints that have shaped the development of public relations (PR) in more than 70 countries. Based on data from chapters in the preceding five books in the series, it proposes there are three common antecedents of PR activity – early corporate communication, governmental information and propaganda methods and cultural/religious influences. The springboards for PR’s growth have been professionalization and education, along with the opening of economies and political plurality. The restraints have been political and economic, such as one-party states and dictatorships and closed economies. PR’s historiography is also explored and identifies periodization as the primary method. Future research should move on from the current discovery stage into more analytical and critical processes