PR Won’t Survive the Pandemic

Public relations is at a crossroads. Years of failing to adequately address the measurement issue, ignoring associated disciplines like SEO and a steadfast refusal to understand the viewpoint that PR is a tactical function rather than a strategic discipline have created a position where the industry is now in serious danger of being absorbed into marketing once and for all.

An annual study in America shows that progressively less public relations professionals report into the C-Suite, while the latest CIPR State of the Profession report highlights a chasm between what PR people think they should do and what they actually do. 

In a recent blog post, public relations author, write, speaker, podcaster and change-maker Gini Dietrich asserted that the industry will fail to exist as a standalone discipline within three to five years. In this episode of the Digital Download podcast, I question Gini about her line of thinking, how and why she reacted to the threat of COVID-19 way before others, what the implications of the trends she has identified are, and whether she's finally given up on PR.

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