Welcome to the 2020 edition of the USC Annenberg Relevance Report — a look into the future of one of the most dynamic professions on Earth. As in past years, we have curated a series of short essays from leading executives, academics and students in the public relations field, who are all connected to the University of Southern California.
Their stories cover a wide spectrum of topics...
I was reading a report on the next generation of communications leaders, when I came across the following simple sentence:
“Communications is arguably one of the most disrupted professions.”
This declaration set me back on my heels. To tell the truth, it kind of shocked me. When I imagine disrupted professionals, I think of newspaper reporters, retail merchants, music...
We’re in the midst of a mental health crisis — one that has reached epidemic proportions. Universities, the place I work, are in many ways ground zero.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly 1 in 5 American adults live with a mental illness. That’s 46.6 million people. The situation is particularly acute in younger populations like Gen Z, where rates of anxiety...
Only 6% of consumers say they’re influenced by TV advertising to make a purchase decision, while 35% rely on online reviews. But when it comes to tattoos and people’s love of brands, the Harley-Davidson logo slipped down to 6% of tattoo choices this year, and people’s favorite logo to put on their bodies is a family brand, Disney. This data comes from a brand-new survey by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
Today, more so than ever before, we live in a society driven by communication. Technological advancements continue to amplify the complexities of our diverse, dynamic world — a global environment in which economic success is strongly correlated to the dissemination of tailored messaging. Institutions have been forced to evolve in response to these changes and the conflicting interests of...
What defines tech news, and consequently what is tech public relations? New research conducted at USC Annenberg discovered a turning-point in both practices due to 2017’s technology scandals.
Today's issues are not the same as they were a few years ago. Covering technology is no longer just about the company’s innovations. Now it’s what users do with those innovations and their impact...
I’m a gamer, but don’t quiz me on what year each World of Warcraft expansion came out when I tell you that I’ve played the game before. Don’t test me on which multipliers are most effective for demon hunter gear in Diablo 3 . Don’t tell me I’m not a real gamer if I can’t tell you which keyboard shortcut constructs additional pylons in Starcraft II (it’s E, by the way).
For all the talk...
The USC Center for Public Relations issues two reports: this Relevance Report that predicts trends, and our Global Communications Report each spring that analyzes them. Since we live and work in a time when truth is questioned daily, it seems timely for the industry to weigh in on ethical issues facing the public relations profession.
In this year’s Global Communications Report , we...