The twentieth century has been characterized by three developments of great political importance: the growth of democracy, the growth of corporate power, and the growth of corporate propaganda as a means of protecting corporate power against democracy.” (Alex Carey)”In a democratic society, the interests of power and the interests of the public are often at odds. The rise of public relations is testimony to the ways that institutions of vested power, over the course of the twentieth century, have been compelled to justify and package their interests in terms of the common good.” (Stuart Ewen)”From the very beginning of the PR industry, public relations practitioners have engaged in deception, trickery and other techniques designed to foster vested private interests. There is no company that the industry as a whole will not represent. There is no dictator or war criminal considered beyond the pale. The Zeligs of PR flit from page to page of the history books trying to leave no trace and trying to ensure that the interests of their clients prevail against the interests of humanity and the planet.” (David Miller and William Dinan)For the purposes of this assignment, you will write a thematic essay (1500-1750 words) that addresses the quotes cited above as they pertain to the role of corporate public relations in a “democratic” society and, more specifically, how the former has often worked to undermine the central tenets of the common/public good, transparent communication, an informed citizenry, etc. Your essay must draw upon at least six different (you are free to incorporate more!) relevant course readings/films/lectures (six direct quotes from six different sources). As part of the six-resource requirement, you must cite at least two films derived from the course materials posted on Blackboard. You should not simply summarize material from these sources; rather, you should take a holistic approach—thinking about how corporate PR vs. democracy/public good has been a recurring theme threaded throughout the course. You must also include specific illustrative examples to buttress your arguments. Your submission will be assessed on how well you are able to integrate various course materials/examples into a compelling narrative that is reflective of the course as a whole. N.B. The word count requirement excludes the bibliography and NO outside sources are permitted!
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