Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

PRNEWS is pleased to announce this year’s Top Women in PR honorees. Our honorees demonstrated significant passion for their work even beyond their (virtual) office doors, often taking on pro bono communications work, in addition to advancing women leadership and/or diversity initiatives, both inside their respective organizations as well as in volunteer capacities outside of office hours.

PRNEWS welcomed Aba Blankson, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the NAACP, as the keynote speaker for this year’s Media Relations: Next Practices Virtual Event. The NAACP thoughtfully handled a barrage of communications challenges in 2020, from COVID to social justice and race relations, always keeping in mind the needs of its audience—the Black community and its advocates. 

For many in PR, because of their own day-to-day experiences, the thought of accessibility for an audience may not register when strategizing communications. But the truth is that 61 million Americans live with a disability, according to the Center for Disease Control. And that is a sizable number to acknowledge when trying to release important information. 

For it to be most effective, DEI efforts need to expand beyond being a function of HR, according to panelists at this week’s PRNEWS webinar, “Communicating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Actions to External Stakeholders.” The question, then, becomes what PR’s role should be.

DEI initiatives permeate the PR industry. Are they effective? A recent survey finds 74 percent of respondents saying they are optimistic about their organization’s commitment to DEI. However, only 53 percent say DEI training is required, and 40 percent report their organization’s budget does not fund DEI. The enthusiasm for DEI exists, but the industry has a long way to go. 

October marked the 75th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. To celebrate, we spoke with Rachel Carver, a senior PR specialist at Outlook Business Solutions.

Female-led WE Communications has an enviable track record on gender diversity. Last week it named 20-year WE veteran Elizabeth Herrera Smith EVP and head of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). We asked about ways PR can bolster its ethnic diversity and how small and mid-size communication shops can kickstart DEI.

PRNEWS Live welcomed Michelle Ngome, president of the African-American Marketing Association, as our guest. We discussed the continual actions companies and brands are taking to improve DEI, particularly during this Global Diversity Awareness Month.

In the wake of the George Floyd killing and the rise of #BlackLivesMatter, numerous companies issued statements supporting Black and Brown communities. Unless these statements are matched with internal communication and action, they risk doing harm to employees, argues Tamon Geroge, co-founder & CEO of Creative Theory Agency. He offers tactics for such action.

Organizations, large and small, can work to better understand and improve their D&I practices and seek change. Communicators can lead in these efforts, the co-chairs of PRSA’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee argue in this essay that honors Global Diversity Awareness Month.