Whitaker and Baxter - Contributions To Public Relations

Contributions To Public Relations

Whitaker and Baxter made many lasting contributions to the field of public relations. Firstly, they developed the political consulting into what we know it today. To do this, they revolutionized the PR media tactics of the day, putting a heavy emphasis on television and radio advertising rather than simple word of mouth or grassroots efforts. Additionally, they started the use of direct mail campaigns, which are still popular to this day. In doing so, Whitaker and Baxter ensured the full service campaign management became the norm for political campaigns, from presidential campaigns all the way down to state house and more local races.

In addition, nearly all campaigns utilize the advertising, messaging, and strategic tactics that were first developed by Whitaker and Baxter. Money and advertising, which were not considered essential before Campaigns Inc., are still thought of as major aspects of today's campaigns. Where the political bosses of the day used throw their weight with bribes or incentives to attract voters, political consultants are able to carefully craft a message that both attracts voters and makes careful use of a candidate's budget. Because of their expertise, political consultants have now become the norm for campaigns, and the quality of a political consultant can make or break even a well-qualified candidate. In this way, political consultants have replaced party bosses as the power holders in politics.

The legacy of Whitaker and Baxter has also affected the political issues that we still consider salient. Healthcare reform today is still largely framed using the terminology introduced by Whitaker and Baxter. This political team was able to use effective advertising and messaging to not only halt the progress of healthcare reform for their client, but to hasten this process so much that it is still being debated today.

Theodore White, the famous American journalist and novelist, made the following remarks about the legacy of Whitaker and Baxter:

“Clem Whitaker and Leone Baxter are now gone, but their kind of politics, professional image-making, has not only persisted, but thrived; and, in thriving, swept East, where politics industry has grown up—a gathering of professionals who merchandise control of voter reactions.”