A century of spin : how public relations became the cutting edge of corporate power

--Uncovers the secret history of the PR industry-- 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 sh

"Of all the transcendent powers that shape our modern lives, propaganda is the most powerful and insidious. This brilliant, original book reveals the secret truth about so-called public relations and should be required reading on every curriculum."
---John Pilger

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, including a detailed account of how US capitalists mobilized to tame FDR's New Deal and joint US-UK efforts to push for the deregulation of global markets.

The public relations industry is not just about celebrity gossip. This book shows how, whenever big business is threatened, spin doctors, lobbyists, think tanks and front groups are on hand to push the corporate interest, often at the public's expense. Written by leading activists and writers, this book reveals the secrets of the PR trade including deception, the use of fake'institutes', spying and dirty tricks. The impact can be devastating -- when the public is denied access to the truth, the results are rising inequality and environmental catastrophe. Exposing the misdeeds of famous companies including Coca Cola, British Aerospace, Exxon and Monsanto, and revealing information about the covert funding of various apparently independent thinks tanks and institutes, the authors offer a guide to campaigns that can help us roll back corporate power and resist deceptive PR. "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 PR 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 twentieth century."--Back cover Bringing together leading activists and writers from the United States and beyond, this book unmasks the covert and undemocratic world of corporate spin Leading writers expose the scandalous world of corporate spin and its impact on media freedom, democracy and the health of our planet