Hearst over Hollywood: Power, Passion, and Propaganda in the Movies

During my research for Hearst Over Hollywood,I interviewed the late Edward L.Bernays,a nephew of Sigmund Freud and widely recognized as the father ofpublic relations. Bernays,who was over one hundred years old when I spoke with him,had spent a lifetime developing techniques ofpersuasion and creating publicity schemes that promoted corporate America and sold the public on things they never knew they needed.While some might have seen a dubious honor in being known as the creator ofspin, Bernays proudly called himselfa propagandist.Apparently,Bernays was never close to William Randolph Hearst, but he did work for the Hearst organization, and he was close at least in spirit to Hearstis brand of communication.