This week's PR Roundup looks at PRSA's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, The White House's risky media relations move with The Associated Press, and how Shopify's reputation received some major blows after not acting quickly enough in a crisis with Yeezy.com.
PRSA Delivers DEI Statement
What happened: This week, the Public Relations Society of America published a statement to its PRSA and PRSSA (student) members confirming the organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
The statement, written by Ray Day, APR, 2025 PRSA Chair, and the PRSA DEI Executive Committee, acknowledges the current critical climate of DEI and organizations feeling the pressure to abandon these missions or face criticism. PRSA notes that “DEI is not a passing trend—it is fundamental to the future of public relations, business and society.”
It also explains why DEI is important to PRSA, contributing to the mission and values of the organization, such as the promotion of diverse teams, which produce better business outcomes, as well as the importance of lifting its members up.
“The reality remains that PR and communications professionals from underrepresented communities continue to face barriers to advancement. The 2023 Diversity Action Alliance Report revealed that while 25% of entry-level PR professionals are people of color, only 14% reach the senior executive level. These statistics underscore why our work matters now more than ever.”
The statement also addresses the organization’s role in leading the PR and communications’ industry forward, including action items such as providing DEI resources to members, celebrating diverse voices, and supporting members in states where DEI efforts face legal and political challenges.
“We shape narratives, build reputations and foster meaningful engagement between organizations and the public. As communicators, it is our responsibility to not only reflect the world as it is, but also to drive the change needed to create a more equitable future.”
Communication takeaways: In a time where many PR pros may be struggling to decide how to communicate their company’s or clients’ policies, the support of the largest PR membership organization in America can provide some comfort.
The organization also delivered actionable items to guide members through challenges when it comes to DEI. The statement provided a sense of community and suggested that communicators do not have to feel alone.
Ray Day, APR, 2025 PRSA chair, noted that the organization takes its advocacy role very seriously, and showed this by coming forward with this statement. It strives to support its members by reflecting on timely challenges.
“PRSA serves our members and our profession through networking, professional development, certification and advocacy,” Day says. “Last year, we focused heavily on misinformation as well as the ethical use of AI. This year, communications professionals are faced with serious questions about how to navigate backlash against DEI and diversity, equity and inclusion—and PRSA is here for our members and the profession once again offering advice, data, best practices and support.”
White House Press Secretary Defends Banning AP from White House Reporting
What happened: The Associated Press determines the style in which a majority of journalists write. Its guidance has spanned many years via the AP Stylebook, and it provides timely updates before, during and after major events and trends affecting the populace.
However, one update it will not budge on is President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America. And this has been noted by The White House. Because of this, the AP was banned from covering several press conferences and events this week.
The AP, in its defense, does not write just for an American audience, but the entire world, and noted that while America may have changed the name through an EO, the global readership does not acknowledge that change outside of the country.
AP Executive Editor Julie Pace issued a statement on the Oval Office Access on Feb. 11.
“It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism. Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment.”
On Wednesday (Feb. 12) White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the decision to keep the AP out of the Oval Office press pool and said that covering The White House is a “privilege.”
“We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office,” Leavitt said during a briefing with reporters on Wednesday when asked about the move.
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) backed the AP with its own statement.
“The White House cannot dictate how news organizations report the news, nor should it penalize working journalists because it is unhappy with their editors’ decisions,” the WHCA said in a statement. “The move by the administration to bar a reporter from The Associated Press from an official event open to news coverage today is unacceptable.”
Communication Takeaways: Obviously this is not a prime example of positive media relations or a productive way to handle difficulties between an organization or client and the press.
Wendy Atobatele, Account Manager at Global Situation Room, says decisions like these can have a snowball effect for media and those who consume media.
"When press access decisions appear retaliatory or ideologically motivated, it can alienate not just the targeted outlet but also others who view it as an attempt to dictate the terms of media coverage,” she says. “Over time, this can create an adversarial environment which erodes credibility. Organizations should establish clear, consistent engagement policies to avoid the perception of bias and maintain trust with the press."
Shopify Removes Yeezy.com Following Nazi Shirt Sale
What happened: Shopify, which hosts and fulfills orders for Kanye West’s (also known as Ye) Yeezy.com, removed the website after the rapper’s shop shrunk its inventory to one t-shirt with a swastika symbol on it. In a statement, Shopify said the brand violated policy.
"All merchants are responsible for following the rules of our platform. This merchant did not engage in authentic commerce practices and violated our terms so we removed them from Shopify."
Shopify also did not say what terms were violated, but according to NBC News its terms of service state that it will act "to restrict products or activities that we deem unsafe, inappropriate or offensive."
However, even with the action, many customers took to social media from Sunday to Tuesday asking why nothing was being done sooner. Complaints can be seen on Shopify’s Instagram posts.
Shopify President Harley Finkelstein appeared on CNBC Tuesday to talk about the impact of tariffs on customers and e-commerce trends, but he was also asked about the controversy and why the removal did not happen sooner.
Finkelstein told CNBC, “Good process creates good outcomes. We follow a good process here. It was down the moment we realized it was not actually a real commerce practice.”
What did that even mean? No one was really sure.
Communication takeaways: According to Sarah Evans, Partner at Zen Media, Shopify’s delay in removing the Yeezy.com site speaks volumes—and not just about process gaps, but about the hesitation brands face when weighing public sentiment over principle.
“A moment that called for a swift and decisive response resulted in hesitation,” Evans says. “Why? Likely to gauge backlash rather than act on what should have been a human reaction.”
She also noted that it’s not just about the incident, but about what it signals to onlookers.
“The question now isn’t, “Did they eventually do the right thing?” but “Why wasn’t this an immediate decision?”
She also notes that Shopify will have to go beyond just removing the site to rebuild their trust with customers.
“Reputation isn’t just about fixing mistakes—it’s about proving you’ve learned from them,” she says. “If Shopify wants to move forward, they need to demonstrate stronger policies, faster decision-making and a commitment to trust over hesitation. What they do next and long-term will define their reputation.”
Nicole Schuman is Managing Editor at PRNEWS.