The Invisible Hand
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 July 2025
The introduction outlines the complex relationship between American foreign relations and the PR industry, revealing a hidden hand of influence on US foreign relations. It explains the significance of the relationship, looking at the implications of the relationship for democracy, and outlining why the relationship has been historically controversial. The introduction also considers the definition of PR, notably contrasting it with advertising and lobbying. Finally, it delineates the main ways PR firms engaged with foreign relations: through support for private groups of American citizens, through support for corporate interests (domestic and foreign), and through support for governmental interests (domestic and foreign).
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