: Bernays defined it as the "use of an engineering approach—that is, action based only on thorough knowledge of the situation and on the application of scientific principles and tried practices—to the task of getting people to support ideas and programs".
: Calculating available tools and budgets. The engineering of consent
: Setting clear, specific goals for what the public should think or do. : Bernays defined it as the "use of
: Bernays argued that news is not just something that happens; it can be "planned deliberately" to dramatize an idea and capture public attention. : Bernays argued that news is not just
: Bernays famously used these principles to popularize bacon and eggs as the standard American breakfast by getting doctors to endorse a "hearty" breakfast in newspapers. Legacy and Criticism
" The Engineering of Consent " is a seminal essay by Edward Bernays, first published in 1947 and later expanded into a book in 1955. Bernays, often called the "father of public relations," argued that in a democratic society, leaders must use scientific principles to persuade and win over the public to achieve socially constructive goals.