Publicity and Public Acceptance

Many men and many movements, many reputations and many public and private ventures are made and unmade by desirable or undesirable publicity. And since publicity and propaganda so intimately affect our lives and since the personalities who are in the public parade become so much a part of the pattern of our thinking, it may be well to look for a moment at the part publicity plays. It is quite common, of course, for people to be employed to paint word pictures of other people to suit every passing purpose. Many titles, earned and unearned, have been created for publicity purposes for people who were bidding for public approval. Indeed an able campaign of publicity can put out impressions for public consumption that can create almost any effect in the minds of people who are not otherwise informed. But there are some things publicity can’t do, as well as some things it can do. Publicity may promote public acceptance, but it can’t change qualities of character. Publicity may paint a glowing picture, but it can’t create talent where it doesn’t exist, nor wisdom where it isn’t to be found. Publicity may magnify the stature of a man in the public eye, but it cannot magnify the man in his essential attributes. Publicity may smooth over the surface, but it doesn’t change the substance of things not seen. And regardless of what things are made to seem to be, “seeming” and “being” aren’t the same thing. Merely saying that something is so doesn’t make it so. And this is true whether we are trying to tear a man down or build him up. And so whenever we attempt to appraise publicity and public pronouncement, we should consider the source and the purpose, and not be too quick in judgment in either direction, for things aren’t always as they seem. When we buy goods and commodities, we legally demand that they be what the label says they are. Should we ask less of people? Or should we not say to everyone who chooses to become part of the public parade: Be what the publicity you present, or permit, says you are. Should we not say to everyone, publicly and privately, ourselves included: Be what you seem to be. Be what you would have others think you are, and don’t depend upon publicity to make the surface cover the substance.