PR has evolved from a press release business run through newsroom gatekeepers into a strategic practice that shapes how people see a company everywhere they look. The history of public relations runs from Ivy Lee’s first press statement, through the digital PR of the social media era, to a future where AI tools summarize your reputation. Across that whole evolution of public relations, the goal was always trust.
Public relations used to be a fairly simple practice: write a press release, pitch it to a reporter, cross your fingers, and hope the story runs somewhere respectable (at least that’s how my professors taught it). Today, the picture is totally different.
A short history of public relations
The history of public relations as a profession starts in the early 1900s. In October 1906, after a Pennsylvania Railroad train ran off a trestle, Ivy Lee sent the press a formal statement from the company. The New York Times printed it word for word two days later, and the Georgia Historical Society calls it the first press release.
Edward Bernays worked as a public relations counsel in New York from 1919 and published “Crystallizing Public Opinion” in 1923, according to his papers at the Library of Congress. The Public Relations Society of America formed in 1947 and adopted its first code of ethics in 1950.
How digital PR changed the rules
For decades, PR lived inside newsrooms and relied on gatekeepers: editors, journalists, and whoever held the editor’s phone number. Your story didn’t exist if they didn’t cover it. PR professionals wrote press releases, and corporate communications teams measured success in column inches.
For better or worse, the digital era blew that wide open.
Today, a message can move through earned, owned, shared, and paid channels at once. About half of U.S. adults (53%) say they at least sometimes get news from social media, according to a 2025 Pew Research Center fact sheet. So a brand’s reputation now forms on social media platforms, podcasts, newsletters, and video, and any single news outlet is one stop among many.
Digital public relations added new tools, too. You still have to earn media coverage, but one feature on a respected site can drive website traffic, add a backlink, and create brand mentions that AI tools read later. That’s why link building and PR now overlap. PR has evolved from pitching the story to architecting the ecosystem where the story lives.
From telling stories to owning the narrative
PR used to be reactive: companies waited for something to announce, then crafted messaging around it. Today, that’s far too slow and risky.
Modern PR is proactive narrative building. Brands need a clear point of view long before something happens, with a voice and a story arc that their target audience recognizes without a reminder. That evolution transformed PR from publicity to positioning, which defines how people understand a company before the pitch ever lands.
From traditional media to thought leadership
Once upon a time, being “in the news” was the pinnacle. Now, being in the conversation is what matters.
Executives are expected to be visible, and founders should be able to articulate their vision. Modern public relations strategies often include opinion pieces, podcast interviews, a real LinkedIn presence, and expert quotes in media outlets. Here’s how to build executive thought leadership that people actually read.
Thought leadership signals relevance, builds trust, and builds brand awareness in places your ads can’t reach.
From coverage metrics to data-driven trust metrics
Old-school PR measured success by how many placements you landed. A feature in a national outlet means nothing if it drives no credibility, interest, or recognition, so modern PR teams keep a more data-driven scorecard:
- Reputation signals tell you what people find when they search your name.
- Share of voice shows how often you’re mentioned compared with competitors.
- Executive visibility tracks where your leaders are quoted and booked.
- Brand sentiment tells you how people feel about you.
The old question was “Were we featured?” The new one is “Are we trusted, chosen, and taken seriously?” That shift moved PR from a support function to a strategic driver of growth, and it helps answer whether PR can increase brand awareness and sales.
From crisis response to reputation resilience
Crisis communications used to be a fire extinguisher, something you grabbed when everything was already burning. Today, a tweet can escalate into a full-blown reputational issue in hours, so PR evolved into reputation prevention and resilience. Companies now plan scenarios and map stakeholders to protect trust long before a crisis hits the feed. It’s one more reason ethics matters so much in PR.
What is the future of public relations?
PR used to mean getting attention. Today it means shaping perception at scale, and that shift from communication to perception is the most important evolution of all.
Artificial intelligence is the next chapter. People now ask ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews about companies, and those answers draw on the articles and brand mentions that already exist about you. An AI-driven answer can only repeat what its sources say, so credible coverage is worth more than ever. Our guide to how AEO differs from SEO explains the mechanics.
PRSA published guidance on the ethical use of AI in 2023, and we don’t think AI will replace public relations professionals. Here’s our take on whether AI will replace PR.
So, how has PR evolved?
PR today is multi-channel, narrative-driven, proactive, and focused on reputation. It helps companies be seen and understood, recognized and trusted. PR leveled up, and the companies that understand this shape their visibility on purpose.
Frequently asked questions
Who started public relations?
Ivy Lee and Edward Bernays are the two names you’ll hear most. Lee sent the press a railroad accident statement in 1906, and Bernays worked as a public relations counsel from 1919.
What should I know about digital PR vs traditional PR?
Traditional PR focuses on press releases, reporters, and print or broadcast coverage. Digital PR adds online publications, podcasts, social media, and search, so one placement can also bring website traffic and brand mentions. Most strong PR programs use both.
What should I expect from PR teams that use AI?
Expect faster research and first drafts, since AI handles that grunt work well. Expect people to own the relationships and the judgment calls. Ask any team how it checks AI output before it reaches a reporter.
How do I get my company ready for the future of public relations?
Define your point of view, and make sure your website and leadership profiles say the same thing. Build a steady record of credible coverage and interviews, because that record is what search engines and AI assistants draw on.
If your PR playbook still looks like 2005, we can help. Our public relations services for founder-led companies start with your story and build from there.