Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn, spoke with Holly Teichholtz, SVP communications and content strategies at The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The two discussed pandemic-related disruptions to the workplace, the future of work, and how the nonprofit sector can best respond to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Earlier this week, IBM and Amazon said they will pull back from facial recognition technology contracts with law enforcement. The use of machine learning technology that detects faces has come under renewed scrutiny for racial bias. In addition, the technology is known to be flawed, particularly when applied to non-white faces. Until today, Microsoft was notably quiet on the issue, given it too has provided facial recognition software to police.

Communicators and the companies they represent are wrestling with what to communicate, if anything, about diversity and inclusion. In the end, the best response seems to be the authentic one, interviews with PR pros indicate.

The CrossFit debacle is not a crisis to be envied by communicators, however, the transparency it provided the public with its poor choices and timing prove that it is trying to regain the community’s trust and respect.

In a wide-ranging interview, PRSA chair T. Garland Stansell argues that diversity and inclusion should be year-round concerns for communicators. In addition, he believes PR pros have a vital role to play in combatting the scourge of misinformation about coronavirus treatments. “People are looking for direction and leadership, and it is our job to be truthful, transparent, and trustworthy,” he says.

As companies look at addressing their D&I issues, one place to start may be who should fill the shoes of those replaced. Particularly in media, no one can leave a prestigious editorial leadership position gaping for long, as news never stops. However, who and how you choose to replace can have a long-term impact on any organization.

Many employees have received or will receive statements from senior management detailing the company’s stance on supporting diversity and the Black Lives Matter protests. The PR community knows the power of communication and what words and messages represent. We look at how some companies and trade groups are shaping internal communication at this moment.

Porter Novelli SVP Dwayna Haley and Neil Foote, president of the National Black Public Relations Society, talk to PRNEWS Editor Seth Arenstein about diversity in communications.

The killing of George Floyd led the author to think of her father, an immigrant who poured his life into his children. He expected that providing his children with a strong education would help them succeed professionally and personally. Pure merit isn’t enough when structural racism and exclusionary practices exist. The status quo must go, the author argues. Stakeholder capitalism is here to stay.

Yet another example of police brutality was caught on video. This time it was against a white man, in Buffalo, NY. Complicating the issue is that police claim their response statement was crafted as they looked at a second video, as opposed to one that went viral and created a crisis. From a PR standpoint, the incident raises issues about honest communication and how long to wait before you respond to a crisis.