Stories by Jared Meade

Betsy Ann Plank, APR, Fellow PRSA, known as the “first lady of public relations,” dedicated more than 60 years of her life to the industry. She devoted much of that time to advancing PR education by passionately advocating for students of the profession.

Fernando Valverde, APR, Fellow PRSA, and an unsung hero in PR, is widely recognized as the “father of PR in Puerto Rico” for laying the foundation for the development of PR practice there.

Muriel Fox was a feminist activist and PR executive who helped give voice to a generation during the women’s rights movement in the ’60s, alongside the civil rights and anti-war movements.

Moss Kendrix, a pioneer in the field of public relations, played a significant role in transforming the portrayal of minorities, especially Black Americans, in the media over 75 years ago.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, hate crimes against the Asian community have increased. Indeed, they rose 339 percent in 2021–an unprecedented level. Surrounded by so much hate and misunderstanding, we often wonder what can… Continued

Elevating pioneers of color who helped build PR may inspire the next generation of diverse leaders and highlight for all the importance of diverse voices.

If you search ‘Native American PR pioneers,’ you will be hard-pressed to find one name, let alone a list. Not because there haven’t been Native Americans who excelled in PR, but because most never held a traditional PR title. But suppose you are willing to dig a bit deeper and look at PR not as a title but as a role or a mission. In that case, you will find that there are many Native Americans who not only practiced PR, but helped shape the world through the spoken and written word.

Millions will enter polling stations and vote for the next president. While many of us have watched this election closely, few have considered PR’s role. Whether used positively or negatively, all candidates

The US armed forces have a proud PR tradition. A look at its history shows that the services nearly abandoned PR. A panel discussion at the Museum of PR later this month will look at military PR and public affairs past and present.

Why don’t PR pros know more about the history of their profession? Our author argues they’re missing out on not only interesting material but a wealth of material that can inform their practice.