Strengthening Diversity and Inclusion

As professional communicators, we have an obligation to create campaigns and materials that represent and build engagement with the audiences we serve. According to the US Census, more than 36% of the US population identify as non-white, while a PR Week/Bloom, Gross & Associates survey reported that only 16% of public relations professionals identify as non-white. This gap requires us to work diligently to represent and celebrate difference in our communications campaigns. Groups like the PRSA Foundation are working to attract and support talent in the profession, gathering research and resources to help strengthen diversity and inclusion. But, there are things we can do to support work in our organizations and communities.

In my PR Principles class, I ask students to use interactive data on census.gov to examine the demographic characteristics of Des Moines (their new hometown), including race, age and ethnicity. Students receive a list of top employers in the city and conduct online research for each employer, examining the visuals and copy found on websites, social channels and any other relevant sites. During their research, they compare the Census data with the demographic characteristics they see represented in each employer’s communications. We discuss their findings, focusing their conversations around the following key themes.

• Did employers’ sites/channels reflect the community in which they operate?
• Are there any groups missing from their communications?
• Did you find any examples of employers communicating effectively with a group not represented by your data (Probe for Religion, Sexual Orientation, etc.)?
• What actions might an employer take if they would like to expand their outreach to a particular audience (Probe for Size of Typeface, Translation Services, etc.)?
• Are there any ethical considerations in promoting an online presence that doesn’t accurately reflect the employer’s reality?
• What research might you conduct to ensure effective communications?

These questions often spark lively debate, and students are confronted with the significance of their choices and the important, multi-dimensional role they accept as PR professionals. While this exercise forces students to gain a better understanding of their new hometown and potential employment opportunities, it also provides a framework to assess representation across multiple channels. It showcases how powerful even small changes could be in facilitating more effective engagement. Perhaps most importantly, the assignment equips the next generation of PR professionals with an understanding of the importance of research and the ethical considerations they must make in serving a diverse population.

This is just one of the things I'm doing to affect change. What conversations are happening in your organizations? Please share ways you are working to strengthen diversity and inclusion in your organization or community.