Edward Bernays, Molding Public Opinion

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ScienceAcademy of Political and SocialThe ANNALS of the American

DOI: 10.1177/0002716235179001111935; 179; 82The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science

Edward L. BernaysMolding Public Opinion

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Molding Public Opinion

By EDWARD L. BERNAYS

UBLIC opinionhas suddenly

emerged as an entity that must beconsidered and intelligently dealt within any endeavor involving the publicor any part of it. World War prop-aganda showed the possibilities of

molding public opinion towards an

objective. Its success convinced lead-ers how vital it is to

gauge publicreaction to ideas or products; how

necessary it is to get public support for

any project of consequence.As civilization has grown more com-

plex, the transmission of ideas hasbeen quickened. As competitive forceshave multiplied and sharpened, it hasbecome increasingly apparent to all

groups that they must win and obtain

public approvalif

theyare to survive

in the welter of competing forces

struggling for public favor.This recognition has led to the de-

velopment of a new type of technician-the counsel on public relations-on whose advice many individualsand groups rely. The function of the

public relations counsel is to interprethis client to the public, and the publicto his client. In its logical extension,it is to bring about a harmony of un-

derstanding between nation and na-

tion, government and the people,charitable institutions and contribu-

tors, private corporation and its public,or between any group and the publicwhich that group serves and uponwhose good will it is dependent.The propagandist can be a force for

constructive or destructive ends. This

is not unique with his profession. Itis a condition which prevails in otherprofessions and businesses as well.

Certainly forces for the public goodshould use the weapon. Let us con-

sider for a moment some of the highspots in the background of public opin-ion, the field in which the counsel on

public relations works.

THE PUBLIC

Who is the public? The words,

&dquo;molding public opinion,&dquo; assume theexistence of a

united,cohesive

public.Such a public can exist perhaps intimes of a vital need or emergency.But ordinarily, what we call the publicis made up of a great many smaller

publics or groups banded togetherbecause of some common interest.

A political tactician, in planning his

campaign, first roughly classifies his

public into those who are for him anddo not need to be

propagandized,those who are against him, and thosewho may be swayed but do not belongdefinitely to either of the two other

groups. Such an analysis of the publicis simple and elementary. But it is

only rarely that the public can be sodefinitely classified.Sometimes the public may be classi-

fied according to geographical distribu-tion. Or it may be divided accordingto age groups. Mussolini and Hitler,for example, place great emphasis onyouth movements, and utilize the in-fluence of the young to sway the more

temperate adult groups. In some

cases, the public is divided accordingto sex, financial classifications, occupa-tional classifications, economic or po-litical beliefs, or social groups in thenarrower sense. There may be classi-

fication according to reading habits,intellectual capacities, positions asleaders or followers, positions as em-

ployers or employed, religious affilia-tions, racial and national derivations,


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or special interests in sports, philan-thropies, hobbies, or clubs.

GROUP LEADERSHIP

Here, then, is a first element in

molding public opinion. How canthe propagandist reach these groupswho make up the large public? Hecan reach them through their leaders,for the individual looks for leadershipto the leaders of the groups to which he

belongs. He may be dominated bythe leaders of many groups, for these

group cleavages of societyare numer-

ous and diversified. They play a vitalpart in molding public opinion, and

they offer the propagandist a means of

reaching vast numbers of individuals;for with so many confusing and con-

flicting ideas competing for the in-dividuals attention, he is forced tolook to others for authority and

leadership. No man, in todays com-

plicated world,can base his

judgmentsand acts entirely on his own examina-tion and weighing of the evidence. Acredence in leaders is a sound short-cut

(when leaders are sound).Thus the group leader becomes a key

figure in the molding of public opinion,and his acceptance of a given idea car-ries with it the acceptance of many ofhis followers-through many channels.If group leaders

acceptour ideas, the

groups they dominate will respond.The importance of these key leaders asa medium for reaching large groups ofthe population is a factor of primaryimportance, and must never be neg-lected. Nor must we forget that notonly do they convey ideas to the public,but they also interpret and articulateto the propagandist, for his guidance,the particular groups they represent.In their entirety, they represent thewhole public.

Pressure groups today are at thebasis of movements that gain wide ac-

ceptance. We may define a &dquo;pressure

group&dquo; as any group of people inter-ested enough in an idea to support it

actively. Active participation in sucha

group may takeno more

tangibleform than writing a letter or attendinga meeting. Nearly allAmericans fallinto some such group, many into sev-

eral ; and it is through group cohesionand group leadership that one canawaken public interest most speedilyand constructively. The success of

prohibition repeal was achieved, not

by directly converting millions of

people, but by enlistingthe active

support of leaders of groups to whichmillions of people belonged.

HUMAN MOTIVATIONS

Behind all these divisions and af-

filiations of individual members of the

public, a second factor must be bornein mind by the propagandist. Whatare the great basic motivations of

people,wherever

theyare and to

whatever groups they belong? Self-

preservation, ambition, pride, hunger,love of family and children, patriotism,imitativeness, the desire to be a leader,love of play-these and others are the

psychological raw materials of whichevery leader must be aware in his en-

deavor to win the public to his pointof view.

The

propagandistmust

analyzehis

problem in its relationship to the un-derlying motives of the people and thegroups to which they belong. Hemust therefore resolve his case intoterms that will appeal to fundamentalmotives in such a way as to get theattention and support of the leaders ofthe vast system of interlocking groupsmaking up his public, as well as oftheir

publics.The milk

industry,for

instance, recognizing that milk hasmarked qualities that appeal to theself-preservation motive of humanbeings, finds that health, nutrition,and other authorities will of their own

distribution. 1935 American Academy of Political & Social Science. All rights reserved. Not for commercial use or unauthorized

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accord emphasize these qualities ofmilk to their public.

SYMBOLS

A public relations campaign musttake into consideration the group rela-

tionships of society and the dominantinstincts of people. It must alsoreckon with the validity of symbols,which is the third point in this dis-cussion of the background of publicrelations. A symbol may be definedas a short-cut to understanding and toaction. It is the

currencyof

propa-ganda. Often it is a word. Theconnection established by the &dquo;wets&dquo;between the words &dquo;racketeer&dquo; and

&dquo;prohibition&dquo; undoubtedly influencedpublic opinion against prohibition.The acceptance of the symbol is emo-tional and an expression of familiarity.That symbols must be carefully chosenis self-evident. In publicizing a vast

corporation,the

symbol maybe a

single person at the head of the organ-ization ; it may be a slogan describingthe product; or it may be a singledepartment which performs a specificpublic service.

It is the function of the public rela-tions program to associate the specialpleading with ideas to which the publicis receptive. The potency of symbolsis

constantlychanging.

Theymust

be utilized intelligently at every op-portunity. Commentators on propa-ganda technique have occasionallystated that this is a method that

attempts to gain adherents for a pointof view by an appeal to the emotionsinstead of to the brain. This is, of

course, a re-defining of the word aspropagandists know it. The propa-gandist uses every sound methodavailable to him to project his ideas.

THE MEDIA

We come to the fourth factor whichthe propagandist must keep in mind

at all times-the media by which hisfacts and his point of view reach his

public.

In the vast system which has grownup today for the production and dis-semination of ideas, there are manymedia through which ideas come tothe public minute by minute and dayby day. Cameras, microphones, print-ing presses, and typewriters are multi-

tudinously busy presenting, throughthese media, the opinions ofA to B,C, and D; presenting facts collected

byE to

F, G,and

H;and

reportingevents created by I for the benefit ofJ, K, and L.

Let us list a few of these media

which I have catalogued under the

printed word-including advertising,of course. The figures given are ob-

viously approximate.

Direct-by-mail, telegrams, cables,and the like also fall under the classifi-

cation of the printed word.Under the spoken word we have,

with their approximate numbers:

a &dquo;which may be interconnected,&dquo; Dec. 31,1934. Cf.American Telephone and TelegraphCo., Report, 1934, pp. 1, 18.




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Under the graphic or pictorialclassification, we have, with their ap-proximate numbers:

We have called attention to these

figures in order to make the point thatthis organization of communication inthe United States enables practicallyany person or any group or any move-

ment to be brought almost immediatelyinto the closest juxtaposition with

people almost anywhere. This is one

important fact which makes the con-trol or the modification of mass be-

havior possible in the United States.The control over mass behavior is

obviously tremendously augmented ifideas are effectively projected throughthese media. The individual cannot

ignore effective appeals through thesechannels, especially when the appealsare based on dominant motives and

have the support of group leaders.

Every one is a propagandist for some

platform, and it is the freedom withwhich all may employ the methods ofpropaganda that makes for safety andstability in a democratic country. Noman or group of men in this countryhas ever had a monopolistic controlof methods or media. There are no

patents by which one can control the

dissemination of opinion. There is nocoercion by which any man can preventany group of free adult people inAmerica from opposing ideas dissemi-nated by others. The great safeguard

to propaganda methods in this countryis that there is always freedom of

counter-propaganda available here.

In that regardwe

differ from Fascistand Communist regimes. The free-dom of counter-propaganda must gohand in hand with the freedom of

speech, of the press, and ~,f the rightto peaceable assembly-fundamentalsof democracy.

FOUR STEPS ESSENTIAL TO

FORMULATEA PROGRAM

Let us turn now to the more

specificsteps that have to be taken in formulat-

ing a public relations program. Forthe sake of making this outline morespecific let us assume that the programis for an industry. Four steps areindicated:

1. Formulation of objectivesThe first point is the formulation of

justwhat the

objectivesare. This is

the basic step. Under our competitivesystem, the private profit motive andthe public interest must coincide. Ifthe objectives are not in the publicinterest, the program should be aban-doned.

2.Analysis of public attitude

The second point is the analysis ofthe attitude of the public towards the

industry and the services it renders.Obviously, such an analysis must be

based on a broad and representativesurvey which should answer such

questions as: What is the general at-titude of the public towards theproducts and service provided? Howdo specific actions and broad policiesof the industry affect the publicsattitude? In what ways does the in-

dustry fail to measure up to what thepublic expects of it?

Such a study should also reveal anyfundamental changes that are takingplace in public opinion, so that the in-




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dustry may either make whatever

changes may be indicated to conformto new public demands, or endeavor

to educate the public to itsown

pointof view wherever public demands seem

impossible of fulfillment.This survey will provide a scientific

foundation on which the industry canbase its public relations program and,if necessary, make indicated changesin the conduct of its business. Such

studies bring to light numerous im-

portant facts that could not be ob-

tained through the usual relationshipsbetween salesmen and customers.Such a survey, too, should give the

industry a better perspective of all theother products and services that are

competing with what it has to sell.

3. Study of analysis

Taking up the third step, a study ofthis analysis should then be madewith a view to

keynotingthe

approachto the public in terms of action of theindustry. This action must be con-tinuous over a period of time. Itmust be overt wherever possible. Itmust be conceived in terms of the

publics interest, in so far as this coin-cides with the industrys own privateinterest.

Such a public relations program or

policymust be

integratedinto the

entire functioning of the industry. Itcannot be something that is simplysuperimposed on the organization. Itcannot be lip worship to an idea. Itcannot consist merely of releases froma mimeograph machine. It must be

part and parcel of the thinking andaction of the leaders in the industry.

And it may mean that such thinkingand action must be decidedly changedin order to conform to public demandand public objectives. Ideas that arenot generally accepted by the publiccan be made acceptable only if theycan be shown to be of value to the

public, and if their appeal can berelated to acceptable facts, opinions,or customs. Symbols must be valid

as well as vital.In commerce and industry, only

recently has the idea of enlightenedself-interest become effective. Cor-

porations are appreciating that theself-interest of the corporation can bestbe served if it promotes the publicinterest. Life insurance companieshave realized that their interest in the

public health has been of financial

benefit to the companies. A radioinstrument manufacturing companyin trying to sell good radios realizesthe value of stimulating a more con-structive and discriminating interestin radio broadcast programs them-

selves.

The policy to be established mustreconcile the actual objective with the

preconceptions, the preoccupations,and the

existingattitudes of the

manysections of the public. The policydetermined on may be simply a policyof the most profound and widespreadfact-finding, and subsequent presenta-tion of the facts to an individual, a

group, or the general public. The

policy may require the formulation ofa program to educate the public onthe broad issues involved, or it may re-

quirean active offensive on behalf of a

particular fact.The determination of a basic policy

is of supreme importance in any propa-gandist move. Merely to express opin-ion, no matter how well, may be oflittle value or definitely harmful to thecause, if it does not specifically meetthe underlying needs of the situation.

4. Use of media

After such a program has been laidout on paper and decided upon interms of broad policy, the fourth step-the actual carrying out of such a policy---can begin. This is the projection




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and interpretation of the industrythrough all possible media, in terms ofwhat the public is thinking and

demanding.The first principle of such a cam-paign is that it must have continuity.Isolated approaches are of little value.The efforts must be carefully plannedso that the effect of the effort maybecome cumulatively powerful. Thestructure of the campaign must be as

progressive and unified as the erectionof a building.We have

alreadyenumerated

manyof the media to be considered. The

old-time press agent sent pieces to the

paper; the propagandist today maywage an entire campaign without

sending a single release to the news-

papers. The media are still impor-tant, and they may be utilized to theutmost, but they must be utilized withdiscrimination. Certain ideas are more

elective when transmitted

throughcertain media. A thousand peoplemarching may be more convincingthan a thousand words, or vice versa,

depending upon the circumstances.Not only must these media be

selected with care, but the objective-in whatever form expressed-must bestated in terms of the particularmedium desired. This means that the

objective will have to be dramatizedso that the basic ideas it representsstand out in the welter of competing

ideasand flow

naturallyto the

publicthrough the accustomed channels.Events will have to be developed

which will symbolize the objectivesand at the same time be interestingenough to be utilized in the variouschannels that reach the public. Sup-port must be obtained from leaders of

the public, and this support reflected tothe public. Symbols must be selected.Once a

searching studyof

publicattitudes has been made, and the

program cobrdinated with these atti-

tudes, many channels that reach the

public will be found.

.....

This paper has attempted to give adispassionate outline of the techniquesand the media involved in the moldingof public opinion

byany group. No

attempt has been made to discuss thesocial significance of this new develop-ment in our complex civilization. Ob-

viously, every group interested insocial advancement must base its ap-

proach to its problems on a recognitionof the principles and practices asbrought out in this outline of the

subject.

Edward L. Bernays, New York City, has had longand diversified experience in acting as counsel on publicrelations to government, industrial and public welfareorganizations, national associations, and individuals.He was a member of the United States Committee onPublic Information during the war and at the Peace

Conference in Paris. After the war, he worked in theWar Department in the remployment of ex-service men.He was assistant commissioner, United States Depart-ment of Commerce, Paris Exposition in 1925, and mem-ber of President Hoovers Emergency Committee forEmployment. He isAuthor of "Propaganda" and"Crystallizing Public Opinion."



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Edward Bernays, Molding Public Opinion