Description:
This book analyzes the development of public relations at AT&T, starting with a previously forgotten publicist, William A. Hovey, and including James D. Ellsworth and Arthur W. Page, who worked with other Bell executives to create a company where public relations permeated almost every aspect of work.
Review Quotes: "Karen Miller Russell, the foremost historian of the profession, enlightens us about the role of PR in the extraordinary growth of AT&T. We learn that even in its earliest days, the company valued public opinion, and sought--often ingeniously--to win the trust of customers, government, regulatory agencies, even its own employees. Practitioners and educators alike will enjoy reading about the earliest known examples of institutional advertising, sponsored content and corporate publicity, all of which were conducted from the very core of AT&T's operations, with a goal of strengthening all its public relationships, more than a century ago."--Shelley Spector, Founder, Museum of Public Relations, New York City