Latin American and Caribbean Perspectives on the Development of Public Relations: Other Voices

Latin American and Caribbean Perspectives on the Development of Public Relations: Other Voices is the fourth volume in this series of six books on national histories of public relations (PR). The nations that comprise the seven chapters range from Mexico at the northernmost, to Argentina at the southernmost and eastward to The Caribbean nations. In all, the histories of PR in 15 countries are examined.

Argentina is a democratic, republican country with a rich and varied social, political and economic history. It has developed from agricultural exports that began in the late 19th century, through import substitution to focus on industrial development today. Public relations (PR) thus was born and developed in an ever-changing economic, political and social context. The history of PR in Argentina can be traced from the beginnings of the struggle for emancipation from Spain at the start of the 19th century, expressed in lobbying and public affairs activities, and grew through the years with increasingly sophisticated methods applied by government, social groups and commerce.

Public relations (PR) activities in Brazil emerged in 1914 with the creation of the first corporate PR department in São Paulo, Brazil. However, development of the discipline occurred only in the 1950s following an industrial development policy by the government which opened the domestic market to multinationals corporations. While opening offices and manufacturing plants in Brazil, multinational companies opened PR departments to enhance and strengthen their activities in the country. A unique aspect of PR practice in Brazil is that it has been a licensed profession, regulated since 1967 by Law No. 5377/67 that was approved during a military dictatorship government. In the same year, the first undergraduate course was created at Universidade de São Paulo (University of São Paulo).

The development of public relations (PR) has taken similar paths in Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago, with origins in the colonial period, before adopting more professional practices with the entry of international companies and growth of the public and private sectors. In the early years, the focus was on information and community relations. As the business environment has become more competitive, the emphasis has shifted to media and publicity, with limited emphasis on strategic public relations practice.

Central American public relations (PR) is 100 years old, with the formation of the Panama Canal spurring the earliest efforts. During the initial stages of development, the press agentry model prevailed in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, due to world trends and journalism influences. Extreme regimes, both right and left, were unfavourable to PR through most of the 20th century. Economic expansion in the past 30 years, while uneven, originated from political stability, democratization and commercial treaties which boosted specialization in media relations, crisis management, brand public relations, internal communications, and corporate social responsibility.

Historically, the development of public relations (PR) in Colombia can be recognized from three main points of analysis: The first is the vision of professional men and women who learned the discipline and its workings from other countries with more experience in the matter, and who returned home to bring awareness of PR to Colombia. They built effective relations as well as letting the world know about the Colombian corporate sector through their understanding of international approaches to corporate and organizational communication. The second point refers to the support from the public and private sectors in Colombia, which believed in PR from an early stage, even though there was a lack of theorization and research, and formal teaching of the discipline was still very incipient in Latin America. The final point is the role that professional PR associations accomplished in legitimizing it as a profession and supporting its development, which was crucial in making PR a part of Colombian organizations’ core communication activities.

This chapter explores the historical evolution of public relations (PR) in Mexico by taking a journey that begins with the foundation of the first PR agency in Mexico in 1945 to the present day. It also considers the factors that influenced the development of the scientific and professional disciplines involved in the practice. Particular emphasis is on six factors: (1) the transition from a skilled occupation to modern profession; (2) the evolution of PR departments and agencies; (3) partnerships between national and international agencies; (4) consolidation of specialists in the field and the creation of professional associations; (5) professionalization of the practice through academic training; and (6) government PR. The chapter demonstrates the scope and value of PR in Mexico and its contribution to the practice in Latin America.

The evolution of public relations (PR) in Peru from the mid-20th century to the past decade is described. It focuses on pioneering texts about this communicative discipline, referring in detail to their role in the theoretical and academic debate of the specialization. As well, it considers the first professional societies and the formation of the ethical regulations which aided the consolidation of PR in this country.