This article explores how Cicero, Machiavelli, and Ivy Lee each used “the message” as a vehicle for power, persuasion, and public control. From Cicero’s moralised rhetoric to Machiavelli’s cunning optics to Ivy Lee’s media-savvy framing, it dissects how messaging intersects with ethics, audience, and intent. Their techniques still shape political campaigns, corporate comms, and crisis response today—proving that the message is never just about words, but always about influence.