Edward Bernays, the quiet, suave man known as the "father of public relations," would probably be puzzled by the unpredictable public behavior of today's billionaire CEOs.
Bernays preached his doctrine of "artificial consent" to rescue failing CEOs. However, since his death in 1995, his "engineering" skills have had no effect on Jeff Bezos, whose unflappable smile has survived glamorous fashion parties, corporate budget cuts, and the explosions at Blue Origin.
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The WGAE president said the firings at CBS News, Scott Pelley and other "60 Minutes" staffers, demonstrate "a profound contempt for the journalism profession.".
Moreover, Bernays could no longer "interfere" with the decisions of David Ellison or David Zazlaw, who had secretly disclosed their enormous salaries in the lead-up to massive corporate layoffs.
Last week, Bernays may have warned Paramount executives against such measures when the company canceled the program. «60 Minutes» at a time when she also reaffirmed her continued support for the autonomy of news channels.
Members of the creative community have already expressed concern about future "course corrections" in traditional news programming, as well as at CBS News and CNN, which could end up under the Paramount-Warner corporate umbrella.
As a result of layoffs in the program «60 Minutes» This week, following Scott Pelley's claims that new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss is "killing" the legendary program, petitions have skyrocketed. Pelley later received an emotional speech on air from a CBS news anchor.
Filmmakers, as well as government regulators at home and abroad, are currently trying to assess the overall impact of the Warner, Paramount, and Skydance merger, partially financed by Middle Eastern funds. These assessments uncomfortably coincide with the Trump-initiated decision by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to "review" network broadcast licenses.
A fan of Edward Bernays might have cautioned Donald Trump against using this moment to promote the new $250 bill featuring his photo. This announcement, in turn, coincided with a negative credit rating outlook issued by S&P based on its assessment of Paramount's balance sheet.
Bernays, a PR guru and nephew of Sigmund Freud, worried about the negative emotional impact of conflicting messages, but also admired how Hollywood studios skillfully "instrumentalized" public opinion. Some of Hollywood's most high-profile scandals were effectively contained by press agents who exerted their influence over both the police and the media. Of course, they also benefited from the absence of social media.
In the best years the program «60 Minutes» , led by its famously authoritarian founder, Don Hewitt, could create or suppress news, operating within its own rules. By manipulating lighting and makeup, guests «60 Minutes» could be recast as "villains" or "good guys" according to the program's point of view. (I appeared as an occasional "guest," sometimes a good guy, sometimes a nice guy.) Nevertheless, the reporting was impeccable, and the points of view compelling.
Will the program's new leadership be able to ensure accurate and expanded coverage of the activities of the new AI-using corporate plutocrats? How will the Altmans and Ackmans, participants in the tech wars, manage their political and economic influence?
Edward Bernays might have insisted on consulting with a psychotherapist, such as his uncle, Dr. Freud, to better understand their conflicting strategies.
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