The great automobile race of 1908 as a public relations phenomenon: Lessons from the past

The 1908 Great Race from New York to Paris captured the imagination of the world as intrepid competitors endured the hardships of the around the world race. The New York Times, its co-sponsor and source of the publicity, was in a unique position to practice media relations. Framing research was used to examine how the New York Times used strategic communication to build interest in the race to sell more newspapers and to allow automobile manufactures to broaden their Markets. Media frames used to generate interest provide insight into strategies for influencing behavior through a controlled form of media relations. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.