I noticed Phineas T. Barnum (commonly referred to as P.T. Barnum) has been popping up a lot in our readings. Being a Public Relations major, I recognize his name from my Communication courses – he was an early pioneer in the PR field. He was the master of what historians call the pseudoevent – a planned happening that occurs with the intention of being reported.
Barnum made a public relations event out of the marriage of two midgets. He was also instrumental in the success of Jenny Lind, the “Swedish Nightingale.” Lind was famous in Europe, but Americans were unaware of her beautiful voice until Barnum took her on a national tour and made her a pop icon prior to the Civil War. He managed to get full houses on opening nights in each community by donating part of proceeds to charity. Barnum also gave free tickets to celebrities in the hope that they would attend his events.
- Josh Steffen
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