In just the past few months, amidst a growing national divide, United States citizens have witnessed numerous tragedies unfold: from the brutal murder of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman to a deadly attack in Boulder, Colo. on demonstrators supporting Israeli hostages, two school shootings in Minneapolis, Minn. and Evergreen, Colo., the assassination of conservative activist and commentator Charlie Kirk and the church attack in Michigan by a 40-year old, Iraq War veteran, which left four people killed and eight injured.
There was a time when a national tragedy, at least for a while, would have united the public—a time when the world would have set aside its differences and, with a shared sense of humanity, mourned the loss of life. There was even a time when politicians would have taken a moment before ramping up their rhetoric. Today, that unity seems elusive, and unless the PR profession steps up as the ethical change agents it is meant to be, those days may be forever lost.
Media Mistrust and Polarization
Trust in the media is at a historic low, with a recent Gallup poll revealing that “7 in 10 U.S. adults now say they have 'not very much' confidence (36%) or 'none at all' (34%)” in mass media. The poll goes on to state that the low confidence in the information shared through the news is true across all political parties and is especially low among younger age groups.
Media mistrust has led to polarization spreading across nearly every topic, affecting demographics and ideologies. The State of the Nation Project, comprising leaders from seven U.S. think tanks and senior officials and advisors to the past five U.S. presidents, released its State of the Nation Report in February 2025, showing that the U.S. ranks in the bottom tier internationally in terms of polarization.
In turn, polarization has led to information with which someone disagrees being labeled as misinformation or disinformation without them ever engaging in dialogue or thorough research and a refusal to engage in open dialogue.
Is PR Responsible for Parity?
The question the PR profession must now ask itself is, how much responsibility does it have in the divide seen across the nation? Is it guilty of using or permitting clients to use language that dehumanizes those whose ideology or background they disagree with? Has it helped to shape a society that views its opponents as caricatures rather than complex individuals?
The PR profession has a critical responsibility and opportunity to lead organizations and clients in bridging the divide in the country through relationship-building and dialogue that fosters greater understanding, even when it does not lead to agreement. The profession is rooted in highlighting a shared humanity through storytelling, helping to discover the common threads that connect people.
However, the PR profession can’t bring understanding when it helps craft messaging that reduces complex groups to simple villains and heroes, and it can’t build bridges if it produces messaging that solely focuses on societal differences. When it does, it’s not only being ethically questionable, the profession is also being strategically shortsighted. When the humanity is stripped from those with opposite views, the message not only damages relationships but also it fundamentally alters the capacity for effective communication.
This doesn’t mean abandoning advocacy or avoiding difficult conversations. It means approaching each conversation and each piece of advice with the understanding that those with different perspectives are just as fully human, with legitimate concerns that deserve respectful engagement, even when there is disagreement.
A Responsible Architect of Public Discourse
In a world increasingly divided by political ideology, algorithmic echo chambers and performative outrage, the PR professional who bridges the divide will find themselves with the rare ability to change minds instead of just hardening them.
As the voices for organizations and the architects of public discourse, the PR profession has both the opportunity and the responsibility to model a different way forward.
To do this effectively, it is essential to foster stronger connections and clearer communication. Here are five practical strategies PR professionals can use to build understanding while maintaining respect for others:
- Practice the 24-Hour Rule and Empathy Check: Wait a full day before responding to controversial events, and ask yourself how you'd feel if someone you loved were affected. This pause creates space for nuance and prevents dehumanizing reactions.
- Lead With Shared Values and Humanizing Language: Focus on common ground rather than divisions, and choose language carefully, such as saying "those who disagree" instead of "enemies," "discussion" instead of "battle," and "advocates" instead of "fanatics."
- Consider All Affected Audiences: Before communicating, identify everyone who might be impacted and think through potential unintended consequences of your messaging.
- Commit to Rigorous Fact-Checking: Never present hearsay as fact. Verify information thoroughly before sharing it in any communication.
- Seek Diverse Feedback and Continuously Learn: Regularly audit your communication for negative patterns or biases, actively seek input from people with different viewpoints and backgrounds and remain open to learning about cultures, religions and perspectives beyond your own.
Communicators stand at a crossroads where they can either shut out those with opposing viewpoints or create space for nuance and understanding. One path leads to healing, the other risks deepening the country’s division and repeating history's darkest lessons: that the most powerful propaganda has always begun not with lies, but with the systematic dehumanization of those with opposing views.
Jared Meade, MPS, APR, is Founder and Principal at Rayne Strategy Group.