A quick overview to PR's history in South America

The development of public relations in South America has been quite multistage. There has been all kind of problems and difficulties from the ways to practise PR effectively to the military’s control over the communication systems.

PR landed in South America mainly during 1930 to 1950. Although it can be said that Brazil was a pioneer. It was the first country in South America where public relations occurred already in 1914 by the Sao Paulo Tramway Light and Power Co. Limited.

PR in South America had challenges already in the beginning. The development of public relations has been dependent on the models and techniques used on Europe and in the USA. Multinational organizations reached South America during the first half of the 20^th century and they brought the ways to practice public relations. Because of this local PR practices did not absolutely meet the needs of publics. There was no consensus between what should have been practiced and what actually was practiced.

As I already mentioned, Brazil was the first country operating with PR. Next, in 1930, public relations reached Argentina likewise by transnational companies like Shell, Siemens and Kodak. To Venezuela, Uruguay, Chile and Bolivia public relations was adopted during 1940s and 1950s by big companies, army, different state companies or in need to improve someone’s public image.
But there were also good outcomes that these multinational companies brought their manners to use PR. As a result many local companies adopted the use of PR.
In the beginning of PR’s development the practice was quite informal and exercised by people who had no education to communicate.
In the 60s first public relations departments were founded in some companies. Also some newspapers established own PR department.

In the end of 1960 the military in Brazil started to control communication systems. They published many laws between 1967 and 1978 which limited journalism, public relations, advertising and other media and also the professional practice of public relations. These regulations had a huge negative influence on other South American countries. Public relations became a tool for the totalitarian state to promote its interests not to increase free communication and expression as a democratic activity.
Laws and decrees in Brazil were rescinded in 1998. Thereafter Brazilian public relations has had an identity crisis – how to get the PR back in shape?

Writer: Suvi Joensivu

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Writer: Katja Ruokamo

First Glance at the Field of Public Relations in South America

Public relations in South America - that’s something new and perhaps even exotic! Since I’m not familiar with the theme, the intention of this first post is to give you, dear readers, (and myself!) some sort of idea of public relations in South America. I’m going to do this with the help of the article Overview of Public Relations in South America written by Maria Aparedica Ferrari from the book The Global Public Relations Handbook: Theory, Research and Practice - Revised edition. My focus is on the conditions in which public relations is being practiced.

What is distinctive in South American societies according to the research undertaken by the United Nations Development Program is “a generalized dissatisfaction with the performance of democracy”. Bad governance, lack of democracy and socio-economic inequalities undoubtedly have an effect on the practice of public relations. According to Ferrari, for example, many public and private organizations don’t realize the value public relations could give to them and therefore they don’t invest their scarce economic resources in public relations. Ferrari considers “the generalized lack of knowledge regarding the true role of public relations” to be a threat to the profession. Another problem she has acknowledged is that many university-level public relations programs have failed to produce competent professionals for the job market.

Bearing these societal features in mind I was happy to learn from the already mentioned article that some PR professionals have used their skills and energy to promote more ethical and participative democracies. They have also developed strategies for negotiating social conflict. This kind of practice of public relations contrasts clearly with the idea that PR does nothing but defends capitalism (approach taken by Cecilia Peruzzo). However, Ferrari reminds us of the fact that each nation in South America has its own unique characteristics. I dare say we will discover at least some of those characteristics during this blogging process.

So, during the next few weeks our group will find out in more detail what is going on in the field of PR in South America. Stay tuned!

Writer: Anni Hassinen