If you want to know the latest news with the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, then you can become a fan of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics Page on Facebook.  Of course you can always watch the news to keep up with the latest Olympic games, but why not interact and become a part of the exciting events!  Social Media is being used around the world to reach millions of people.  How are you using Social Media in your business and personal life?    

As America is celebrating its 233rd birthday this weekend, it is impossible not to notice the dramatic changes in society from the stories of old.  Over the last two centuries communication has evolved from the handcarved quill pens, powdered ink and parchment paper used to create the Declaration of Independence to the finely tuned CPU and Internet that allow 140 character Tweets to spread to millions at the click of a button.  The ease of sharing and spreading information is remarkably greater.   Is the art of molding a message the same or has it changed over the years too?

The long told story of our founding father's bravery and defense of the American people and the fight for the desire of the nation is slightly inaccurate.  In fact, a large portion (more than 20%)of the population was opposed to the Revolution.  The brutalities and poor leadership by the officers on the Colonial side would have generated even more negative opinion had the images and stories been passed along to the average person.  However, a few good talkers turned the image around and made the public believe in the Revolutionary cause.

Let's look back at America's original PR team lead by the renowned Ben Franklin. 

On November 29, 2005, Congress established the Committee of Correspondence to communicate with Colonial agents in Britain and "friends in other parts of the world."  Much of the committee's responsibility revolved around diplomacy and the ironing out of agreements surrounding trade.  As the committee's responsibilities expanded they changed the name to the Committee for Foreign Affairs in 1777 to handle war related issues and international relationships.  On the top of their list was building support on the homefront to fuel the Revolution.

Thomas Paine wrote "Common Sense" in 1776.  This was one of the first pieces of written communication in American history and is thought to have kicked off the American Revolution.

John Jay, the sixth member of the Committee, orchestrated the composition of more than 85 essays called the "Federalist Papers" to gain support for the constitution. These papers led to the ratification of the constitution of the United States of America in 1976.  The authors of these papers were later considered the fathers of this nation.  The "Federalist Papers" serve as guides to interpretation of the constitution in courtrooms today.

Though messages were written by quill, they were lasting.  Delivered by foot or horseback, they were direct and genuine.  The work of our forefathers has shaped the nation that we live in today.  As communication technique has evolved, one thing has remained the same: the absolute power of public relations.

Thomas Jefferson once said, “In a truly democratic society, everything depends on the consent of the public."

Without PR, we would not be celebrating our independence today.