Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Chapter 2: The History of Modern Public Relations
Test Bank
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following contributed to the rise of press agentry in the 1800s?
a. growth of the newspaper industry
b. support for American independence
c. exploration of western territories
d. increase in European immigrants
2. What was a common publicity technique used by P. T. Barnum?
a. donating circus proceeds to needy local charities
b. providing gifts to reporters for positive news articles
c. staging controversial events to gain news coverage
d. distributing pamphlets about his circus to the press
3. During the 1800s, the railroad industry expanded significantly in part because of PR.
Which statement best explains how the railroad industry utilized PR?
a. Through positive press, the railroad industry overcame negative attitudes about train
travel.
b. The railroad industry used strategic communication to promote westward migration
by train.
c. Different railway companies competed for customers by offering free tickets and
prizes.
d. Publicists were hired to convince citizens that train travel was both safe and
inexpensive.
4. Which of the following PR activities is attributed to John Muir?
a. implementing publicity stunts to accomplish political goals
b. using communication tools to advocate environmentalism
c. travelling around the country to promote new products
d. using the press to build support for charitable organizations
5. Parker and Lee helped the Pennsylvania Railroad Company gain approval for a rate
hike by ______.
a. using opinion leaders to gain public support
b. relying on scientific persuasion techniques
c. hiring lobbyists to draft legislation
d. establishing a corporate PR department
6. Which of the following is suggested by the number one Page Principle?
a. Communicate clearly and succinctly.
b. Address company problems immediately.
c. Be honest with a company’s stakeholders.
d. Use actions to show a company’s character.
7. George Creel’s 4 Minute Men was one of the first examples of ______.
a. social activism
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
b. a sponsored radio drama
c. pro bono work
d. a speaking tour
8. Which U.S. president hired Amos Kendall to be the first White House Press
Secretary?
a. Ulysses S. Grant
b. Andrew Jackson
c. Woodrow Wilson
d. Franklin D. Roosevelt
9. Arthur W. Page was a pioneer in which of the following areas?
a. corporate social responsibility
b. integrated marketing communications
c. public relations research
d. corporate public relations
10. Which company received PR advice from both Page and Burger?
a. P&G
b. AT&T
c. American Tobacco
d. Hormel
11. Which of the following was established by Eleanor Lambert?
a. Best Dressed List
b. American Red Cross
c. Victory Gardens
d. National Organization for Women
12. With its work for Johnson & Johnson, Burson-Marsteller established itself as a
leader in which of the following areas?
a. corporate philanthropy
b. social activism
c. marketing public relations
d. corporate crisis management
13. What was the purpose of promoting Victory Gardens?
a. providing locations for war widows to grieve
b. encouraging support of the war effort
c. promoting the sale of war bonds
d. establishing recruitment locations
14. What is a commonality between Harold Burson, Dan Edelman, and John Hill?
a. starting their careers as journalists
b. working as corporate salespeople
c. serving as White House press secretaries
d. founding political consulting firms
15. Since it first opened, the Edelman agency has focused on which of the following?
a. integrating social media and earned media
b. building corporate reputations with PR activities
c. using earned media to support marketing efforts
d. establishing a diverse team of PR specialists
16. Which of the following ideas is credited to Dan Edelman?
a. integrating a marketing message through all media communications
b. offering free public relations services to reputable charities and causes
c. establishing a strong social media presence by paying bloggers to mention products
d. sending company spokespeople on national media tours to promote new products
17. Hill & Knowlton was the first American PR firm to ______.
a. promote services with media tours
b. open a branch office in Europe
c. work for a political campaign
d. have an African-American owner
18. Who founded the first black-owned PR firm in the United States?
a. Joseph V. Baker
b. John W. Hill
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
c. Moss Kendrix
d. Inez Kaiser
19. What did Moss Kendrix urge numerous firms to do?
a. establish and publish codes of ethics
b. engage in socially responsible activities
c. advertise their support of philanthropic causes
d. stop using stereotypical images in advertisements
20. How have digital and social media primarily altered PR?
a. improving communication efficiency
b. ensuring communication accuracy
c. quantifying PR return on investment
d. increasing impression rates
21. Which of the following was credited to Leone Baxter?
a. gathering competitive intelligence for publicity campaigns
b. establishing offices in both Europe and the U.S.
c. founding the first political consulting firm in the U.S.
d. initiating the idea of market targeting and segmentation
22. The activities of P. T. Barnum were similar to which of the following?
a. radio dramas
b. social activism
c. political campaigns
d. reality television
23. Which of the following contributed to the growth of public relations in the 1960s?
a. increasing activism, like the Civil Rights movement
b. opening of PR agencies, like Burson-Marsteller
c. rise of issue-based activism, like Greenpeace
d. using PR for non-profit organizations, like the Red Cross
24. Which of the following is an example of a non-profit organization using public
relations?
a. measuring the number of hits on the organization’s website
b. attracting donations through the organization’s Facebook page
c. developing mission and vision statements for the organization
d. running a commercial about the organization on broadcast TV
25. Howard Bowen has been dubbed the “Father of ______.”
a. Modern Public Relations
b. Spin
c. Corporate Social Responsibility
d. Press Agentry
26. How did firms like Kodak and Ford demonstrate corporate social responsibility prior
to the 1930s?
a. reducing manufacturing pollutants
b. establishing business best practices
c. monitoring product and worker safety
d. offering bonuses and benefits to employees
27. During which era did Americans demand that corporations demonstrate ethics and
citizenship?
a. 1980s to 1990s
b. 1960s to 1970s
c. 1940s to 1950s
d. 1910s to 1930s
28. Which factor contributed to the growth of CSR in the 1960s and 1970s?
a. investigations into corporate ethics scandals
b. enactment of federal employment laws
c. concerns about rapid globalization
d. decline of philanthropic organizations
29. P. T. Barnum was most likely the first person to ______.
a. use publicity stunts
b. have traveling exhibits
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
c. promote a road show
d. hold a press conference
30. What was P. T. Barnum’s primary goal when seeking publicity for exhibits like the
Feejee Mermaid?
a. proving the validity of his artifacts
b. educating the public about science
c. generating awareness of his museum
d. establishing himself as a showman
31. Sam Adams was known as the “father of press agentry” because he ______.
a. urged the nomination of George Washington
b. supported enactment of the U.S. Constitution
c. published numerous political pamphlets
d. used events to encourage dissent from British rules
32. What was the primary purpose of the Federalist Papers?
a. promoting the efforts of American patriots
b. encouraging public support of the U.S. Constitution
c. hyping events like the Boston Tea Party
d. summarizing concerns about British rule
33. A press agent in the mid-1800s would most likely use which of the following tactics?
a. reach out to company stakeholders
b. write opinion pieces for local newspapers
c. exaggerate the benefits of a product
d. tailor product messages to target audiences
34. During the 1980s, which of the following events triggered concerns about business
ethics?
a. potential wrongdoing by Exxon related to the Valdez oil spill
b. lack of corporate social responsibility by Viacom
c. ineffectiveness of the United Nation’s Global Compact
d. possible errors by Johnson & Johnson in the Tylenol case
35. How did Edward Bernays and Doris Fleishman pioneer pro bono PR work?
a. writing free articles about their clients
b. promoting charities at no cost
c. using media tours regularly
d. scheduling press events
36. Which of the following is an event created for the sole purpose of getting media
coverage?
a. press conference
b. media tour
c. fake news
d. publicity stunt
37. Representatives of Bow Wow, Inc., a dog food company, are traveling to more than
50 cities across the United States to promote the firm’s latest organic dog food. In each
city, company representatives set up dog agility contests, distribute samples, and
answer questions from customers. Which term best describes the efforts of Bow Wow?
a. media tour
b. media relations
c. press event
d. publicity stunt
38. Based on the Pew Research’s Social Media Usage 2005–2015 study, which of the
following statements is true?
a. Social media usage has increased slightly in the last decade.
b. Most American adults get their news from social media sites.
c. Nearly half of all American adults use social networking sites.
d. Social media usage has remained stable for the last decade.
39. Which of the following is the best method for measuring PR campaigns?
a. tracking media impressions
b. using the AVE tool to quantify PR impact
c. monitoring click-through rates
d. calculating the ROI for PR activities
40. Which of the following should be the basis for evaluating the impact of a PR
campaign?
a. short- and long-term marketing strategies
b. detailed competitive intelligence
c. specific, measurable objectives
d. duration of media impressions
41. At the Wilson Agency, PR, advertising, product development, and research
specialists coordinate their efforts to ensure that messages to the target audience are
clear and consistent across all media platforms. The Wilson Agency is using which of
the following?
a. integrated marketing communications
b. proactive public relations
c. comprehensive media relations
d. controlled communications channels
42. Impressions are based on the ______.
a. viewership ratings of a media outlet
b. potential costs of airtime or media space
c. number of clicks per second on a website
d. profitability of a media investment
43. Which of the following best defines integrated marketing communications?
a. analyzing the target audience before developing a communications plan
b. establishing measurable objectives for communicating with customers
c. using both traditional and digital media to communicate with customers
d. communicating with customers in a consistent and coordinated manner
44. By engaging in CSR, firms are able to ______.
a. coordinate their messages
b. enhance their reputations
c. globalize more rapidly
d. integrate social media
45. U.S. firms that receive the Award for Corporate Excellence have been recognized
for ______.
a. employing a highly diverse workforce
b. providing a safe working environment
c. exhibiting social responsibility overseas
d. supporting local charities and organizations
46. Which of the following would likely improve the effectiveness of messages?
a. more diversity among PR, marketing, and advertising professionals
b. an increased focus on accurately translating copy into multiple languages
c. the use of celebrities and models from different cultures and ethnicities
d. the implementation of integrated marketing communication concepts
47. Which of the following is considered the starting point of CSR?
a. expansion of environmentalism in the 1960s
b. impact of the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s
c. concerns about business ethics in the 1930s
d. demands for higher wages in the early 1900s
48. Which of the following was asserted by Howard Bowen?
a. Every organization is entitled to public relations representation.
b. Corporations should be transparent with their stakeholders.
c. The government should support equal opportunity in the workforce.
d. Businesses should enact decisions and policies that benefit society.
49. Which PR agency was one of the first to have a global presence?
a. Rogers & Cowan
b. Hunter PR
c. Hill & Knowlton
d. DAY
50. Which of the following activities is credited to Daniel J. Edelman?
a. promoting a global brand
b. using PR to market products
c. managing company crises with PR
d. applying thought leadership
True/False
1. Edward L. Bernays pioneered the use of behavioral psychology in PR campaigns
intended to shape public opinion.
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
2. The first and most important Page Principle is “a company’s true character is
expressed by its people.”
3. The 4 Minute Men group conveyed information to the public about government efforts
during World War II.
4. Chester Burger was an early pioneer in using television for PR purposes.
5. In the 1980s, Inez Kaiser, a former schoolteacher, became the first African-American
woman to open a PR firm.
6. Hill & Knowlton is credited with initiating the idea of media tours, which the agency
first implemented for its largest client, the American Iron and Steel Institute.
7. In response to intense criticism, Burson-Marsteller refused to represent controversial
clients like big tobacco companies.
8. Due to numerous incidents of corporate wrongdoing in the 1950s and 1960s,
consumers demanded that businesses establish codes of ethics and integrate CSR into
standard business practices.
9. As one of the earliest advocates for CSR, Howard Bowen called on businesses to
consider how their policies and actions impact society.
10. When determining the effectiveness of public relations campaigns, return on
investment is a more quantifiable and defensible measurement than the Advertising
Value Equivalency tool.
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Short Answer
1. Name two of the Page Principles. Why are the Page Principles still relevant today?
2. George Creel, Amos Kendall, Leonne Baxter, and Elmer Davis were PR pioneers.
Briefly describe the contributions of two of these individuals.
3. What contributions did Daniel J. Edelman make to the public relations field?
4. What factors drove the growth of corporate social responsibility during the 1960s and
1970s?
5. Define integrated marketing communications (IMC). What are the benefits of IMC?
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
Essay
1. Edward L. Bernays is often referred to as the “Father of Modern Public Relations.”
What innovative methods and approaches did Bernays implement into his PR
campaigns? Illustrate your response with specific examples of Bernays’ work.
2. Briefly discuss and analyze the philosophy and contributions of Arthur W. Page. Why
is it important for modern PR professionals to understand and apply the Page
Principles?
3. Compare and contrast how businesses and nonprofit organizations use PR. How
does each type of organization benefit from effective PR?
4. Explain how corporate social responsibility has evolved from the 1980s to present
day. What factors have contributed to these changes? Illustrate your response with an
example of a firm that engages in CSR.
5. “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demographics of advertising,
marketing and public relations jobs in the U.S. indicate that 8.7% are African-
Americans/Blacks and 15.3% are Hispanics/Latinos. This compares to the
demographics of the U.S. population that is 14% black and 17% Hispanic, for the same
Instructor Resource
Page, Introduction to Strategic Public Relations, 1e
SAGE Publishing, 2019
period.” What does this information suggest about the field of PR? How might these
statistics impact the success or failure of an organization’s PR campaign?