I was unaware of how closely public relations and the law were tied together until I read this chapter in the book. PR and the law are very closely intertwined. Public relations practitioners are often put in the limelight when their clients are in some sort of legal trouble. They speak on behalf of their client to try and salvage their reputation and maintain their relationships with others.
The First Amendment is the most important development in public relations. It stated that “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” It allowed people the right to speak their mind and openly express their opinions. Ultimately, the First Amendment helped to stimulate the growth of public relations.
http://www.instituteforpr.org/research/pr_and_law/
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/Fall99/Westbrook/Default.html
