Numbers don’t lie: Public relations has a diversity problem. 

According to 2022 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 81.4% of public relations specialists identify as white, 12.2% identify as Black, 2.4% as Asian and 11.9% as Latino or Hispanic. There’s a wage gap, too: A 2015 study by The Holmes Report found that a white female public relations professional makes an average $9,000 more a year than a woman of color. This is a problem for all of us, including those in privileged positions across the industry.

Ensuring that our profession better reflects the makeup of the consumers and audiences we’re trying to reach should be the top priority for 2023 and beyond. This is a mission we can work together to achieve, beginning today. And we can all start by doing what we do best: doing a good job of describing the problem and how to address it.

Representation is key to unlocking the potential for our industry. Of course, we should equitably expand the talent pool, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because we can’t drive growth for clients without a diverse group of people contributing their unique points of view and the lens through which they see the world.

Americans expect government, the entertainment industry and educators to realistically reflect their diversity, and so should the communications industry. This includes race and ethnicity, but true inclusivity prioritizes a range of social identities such as gender identity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and religious beliefs. After all, clients need us to reach new audiences, and we can’t do that without speaking to those audiences with authenticity and respect. 

Here are four strategies to consider when recruiting talent and planning for a more diverse future for the public relations industry. 

Rebrand the PR profession

Many entry-level professionals don’t have a realistic grasp on what a publicist truly does—what their day-to-day looks like, what their skills and strengths are. For those of us of a certain generation, the high-gloss Samantha Jones of “Sex and the City”—a white affluent woman making phone calls from the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car—was our first introduction to this career. 

This stereotype may bear some resemblance to the truth, but it isn’t exactly welcoming to individuals who don’t look like Samantha or who grew up in a different tax bracket. Plus, how much of this is evocative of a real PR job (which is still thrilling in its own right?) PR is a career path that requires eloquent speaking, impactful writing and whose specialists remain curious about the world. Let’s capitalize on that for a change.

Create an equitable pipeline for talent

Recruitment doesn't begin and end with new college grads. People of color aren’t given enough opportunities to rise to senior level positions. The industry claims there is a pipeline problem, which is not necessarily true. Without creating pathways for success for diverse workers, and without young grads of color seeing people who look like themselves in leadership roles, fewer grads pursue PR as a career and are more likely to leave the industry early.

Once, after accepting her job offer, a South Asian candidate told me how excited she was to work for an agency with a founder who is a woman of color. I've never let myself forget it. How many PR professionals are out there who feel the same way—who want to work for people who look like them and who are also successful in their roles? 

Rethink recruiting

Once internal commitments are in place within the industry, it's time to look at the ways in which we attract new talent. Not only are HBCUs some of the most prestigious academic institutions in the nation, but they’re also churning out some of this generation’s most brilliant and well-prepared graduates. Agencies should be sure to proactively recruit at HBCUs, starting at the intern level, and mentor current students who show an interest in PR, marketing and communications—as well as storytelling, public speaking and writing in general. 

This tactic can be applied beyond HBCUs, too. What about partnering on career fairs with local community colleges or holding career fairs at inner-city high schools across the country? The more communities of diverse backgrounds to which we’re able to introduce to PR, the more diverse the industry will become down the line. We should be playing the long game here.

Challenge studios to rethink how they portray publicists

Whether you like it or not, the entertainment we consume deeply influences how we view the world. I already mentioned Samantha Jones, but it bears repeating: The blonde, wealthy power-publicist is a pop-culture fixture in mediums such as TV and film. Can publicists band together to address production studios, introducing them to a more attainable, real-world depiction of the communications industry? Take it from me: A simple call to action goes a long way.