The Committee on Public Information was established by an action of the Executive Council in 1947. Its initial charge was defined as that of preparing “appropriate press releases in connection with the scientific meetings” and, in general, “with respect to the press to act in behalf of the Association”. It is in response to this charge that the committee has acted, and continues to act, to date.
The appropriate mode of such action has, however, been a subject of some considerable controversy and pendular swings over the years. In the view of some, the Association, and the committee as its agent, should take an active, aggressive role in promoting and publicizing both psychoanalysis in general and the Association and its activities in particular. In the service of this viewpoint, the Association has on several occasions employed professional public relations counsel, who have advised and, at times, actively served the committee in its efforts to reach out to a wide audience through the public information media.
Others, however, have urged a more restrained and limited promotional role for the committee. In their view, the interests of psychoanalysis and of the Association will be best served by concentrating on the dissemination of our scientific activities, by providing supportive assistance to journalists and other media representatives, offering objective information to the public through brochures and other forms of literature, and supporting similar efforts by local societies and institutes. These observers consider the use of hired public relations counsel to be inappropriate, ineffective, or economically unsound.
As the present chairman of the committee, I have been sensible of these conflicting currents in the Association. The issue is one which touches, however, not only those who serve on the committee but on the total membership of the Association, since it is in their interests that the committee acts. It is good, thus, that Dr. Fogel, who is a member of the committee as well as editor of the Newsletter, has chosen to open the question to the membership by printing the viewpoints of two of the committee's former chairmen. The responses of the members, directed both to the committee and to the Executive Council, will be helpful in shaping the future of the Association's public information efforts.
Aaron H. Esman, Chairman
Committee on Public Information