Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Juneteenth seems all but certain to become a federal holiday. Still, it seems likely some companies will resist making it a paid holiday/day off. As usual, communicators will need to navigate the waters carefully. Those who spoke with us advocated using the day to raise issues and offer education.

PRNEWS Live welcomed Alexander Slater, Founding Partner at Clyde Group, to chat about Pride Month, DEI and ‘the new age of PR.’.

We often forget what the letter R in PR entails. ‘PR is a relationship business’ flows off the tongue so smoothly we sometimes fail to think about the phrase’s meaning. In this post timed for Pride Month, UNC assistant professor Joseph Czabovsky discusses how the importance of relationships was cemented in his memory.

PRNEWS Live welcomed Spencer Harvey, communications manager at GLAAD. Harvey discussed GLAAD’s latest efforts to elevate LGBTQ+ visibility and online safety, including new initiatives with P&G, Kellogg’s and others.

Surveys confirm what we think we know already. In addition, they can upend our thinking. The pandemic has resulted in a bevy of surveys for PR. We look at a few that deal with diversity, gender, profits and cyber attacks.

In some cases, companies remain ignorant about how to mark Pride Month. Thing is, there is no one correct way to do it. Take a stand, be authentic and engage queer members in your community and staff. No queer staffers? Begin there.

We asked Alex Slater, founding partner, The Clyde Group, and Christina Ferraz, founder, Thirty6Five how they’re advising companies around Pride month and what role PR should have in advancing careers of those in the LGBTQ community.

As awareness for Juneteenth rose, so too did consumer engagement with the topic on social. Consumer engagement rose nearly 4,000 percent (May1-May 25, 2020 vs the same period in 2021), according to Shareablee data, provided exclusively to PRNEWS.

Media organizations in particular are seizing on the opportunity to make a statement as the May 25 anniversary of George Floyd’s death arrives. One well-known platform for Black creators was notably quiet, though the data bears out that audiences are asking for more.

A new study reveals that nearly 40 percent of C-Suite leaders and almost the same amount of staffers think DE&I efforts are a “waste” of time and resources. Still, a large majority of those surveyed see DE&I as critical to recruitment, retention, reputation and the bottom line.