It’s an incredible time to be in communications. Our roles have always provided the opportunity to shape how a company creates and communicates its strategy and help leaders form their approach as they convey where the company is headed. What’s exciting now is the expectation that a company’s leaders will help solve major societal problems and what that means for our profession.
When...
Privacy is one of our society’s most crucial social constructs. The history of privacy is largely responsible for the freedom to think, to formulate free speech and to challenge artificial social barriers across society. Time and time again, those generations that enjoyed strong privacy protections have been free to make the world a better and more inclusive place for all who follow.
I...
We are living in an era where misinformation, or worse yet, disinformation campaigns are far too common. From the mudslinging in politics, to the safety — or lack thereof — of e-cigarettes and vaping, to innovative startups disrupting Wall Street, how do you know where the truth lies? And when it comes to your career in the communication industry, how do you know you are working for the “good...
In the previous Relevance Report, I addressed the major shift in the tech industry, in which tech companies are experiencing recurring scandals and are “no longer a source of good, but also a source of the bad.” I claimed, “Consequently, the tech spokespeople need to adjust their crisis management know-how to manage the new combat era of Techlash.”
Since the Techlash keeps evolving, we...
Investing in trust is an investment in long-term business performance.
It’s been a hard year for trust. If it were a product we were trying to sell, we’d be alarmed about its future. We’re surrounded by headlines of trust gone wrong. From employees staging walkouts over business practices to intensifying scrutiny on who to do business with, companies are standing in a big bright...
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...