Media Studies

Product Description

This book charts the relentless rise of the public relations industry and how it has transformed our society. Revealing the roots of the PR movement in the years leading up to the First World War, it shows how it became a key tool in the struggle to subordinate democracy to corporate rule. It is the first book to offer a history of the emergence of corporate propaganda on both sides of the Atlantic during the 20th century.

The authors show how the origins of PR were always covertly political. Spin has been around for a long time and its anti-democratic potential is well known to all those who have made use of it. Based on extensive use of original archival material, the book presents a clear chronology of PR's development, culminating with a detailed examination of Gordon Brown and David Cameron's use of spin and how it relates to their connections with big business.

About The Author

David Miller is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Geography and Sociology at the University of Strathclyde. He has previously edited Thinker, Faker, Spinner, Spy (2007), Arguments Against G8 (2005) and Tell Me Lies: Propaganda and Media Distortion in the Attack on Iraq (2003) for Pluto Press.

William Dinan is Lecturer in Sociology in the Department of Geography and Sociology at Strathclyde University, specialising in corporate PR and lobbying. He is the co-editor of Thinker, Faker, Spinner, Spy (2007).

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