Bernays planted the seeds of mis- and dis-information
Bernays planted the seeds of mis- and dis-information
Abstract: This essay critically analyzes the role of a “special pleader” or a persuasion specialist in Edward Bernays’ seminal work “Crystallizing Public Opinion.” In this essay, I argue that persuasion techniques that Bernays attributed to the special pleader, even despite setting some clear moral boundaries for their usage, could have normalized the manipulation of masses and “molding” of public opinion, providing a fertile ground for widespread misinformation disorder.
Ivanka Pjesivac (2023). “Bernays planted the seeds of mis- and dis-information,” in Dick Martin (Ed.), Crystallizing Public Opinion, Edward L. Bernays, 100th Anniversary Edition. (pp. 245-249). New York: PRMuseum Press.
Abstract: This essay critically analyzes the role of a “special pleader” or a persuasion specialist in Edward Bernays’ seminal work “Crystallizing Public Opinion.” In this essay, I argue that persuasion techniques that Bernays attributed to the special pleader, even despite setting some clear moral boundaries for their usage, could have normalized the manipulation of masses and “molding” of public opinion, providing a fertile ground for widespread misinformation disorder.
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