eralded which ensures his or her spot in history (Bernays, 1961, p. 48). Bernays suggests that Barbara Frietchie's heroism is still recalled today because of the stories which sprung up around her courage. Similarly, Bernays indicates that there were actually 3 men who were stationed in Boston on that cold night awaiting the lantern which was to be hung in the Old North Church as a signal. Historically, American's collective consciousness tends to recall only one of these riders, Paul Revere. As an advocate for the greater recognition of the impact of public relations on American culture, Bernays slyly asks "Did Revere make history or Longfellow" (Bernays, 1923, p. 49)? Who is remembered and why is part and parcel of the functioning of public relations.
Women like Melba Beals understood from an early age the significance of reshaping public opinion. Author of Expose yourself. Using the power of public relations to promote your business and yourself, Beals first understood the power of media in 1957 when she was "thrust center stage as one of nine black children who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas" (Beals, 1990, p. xi). Beals could see almost immediately that if one is given attention, it is best to know how to direct it to one's own greater good. After studying to be a journalist, Beals refined her skills, reinventing herself as a publicist and acquiring the famed attorney Melvin Belli as her first client (Beals, p. xii). Beals' primer on public relations offers encouraging advice: how to discover potential clients in your neighborhood; how to maintain a loyal client base; how to sponsor innovative publicity campaigns for your clients; and how to satisfy them by gaining effective media coverage for them. Beals suggests that "it is the task of the publicist to translate the value and image of a business into a context and language that is appealing to the media" (Beals, 1990, p. 187). Strong listenin...