The PR Industry Has a Race Issue

by Momina Hanan, Consultant MadlinHanna Consulting

“Inclusion is not a matter of political correctness. It is the key to growth.”

–Jesse Jackson (Activist)

Workplace buzzwords change year by year and the PR industry isn’t any different. 2022 was the year of “ESG” and our inboxes were flooded by requests for “sustainability specialists”; but DE&I is different. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion should go and does go beyond being a tick-box exercise. To simply accept the idea that our workplaces are not representative of the societies we live in, with many HQ’s being based in one of the most multicultural cities in the world, what has and continues to go wrong?

https://interactioninstitute.org/illustrating-equality-vs-equity/

I remember the cartoon that circulated a few years ago on Twitter, demonstrating the difference between equality and equity – it was people of different heights and statures peering over a fence. The message was that equality would give each person the same sized box to stand on to see over but equity looked at each person’s needs and the box was adapted. Looking at the PR industry, it seems that we are still battling against this and the box, whilst adapted, is set far away from the fence. 10,000 Black Interns, The Taylor Bennett Foundation and The Blueprint are all the boxes. Providing an entry to many careers and firms that would seem otherwise inaccessible to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour). Given the clear lack of representation at the mid to senior levels within the PR industry, it’s not hard to see that the height of the fence isn’t the only barrier for those stuck behind it and a ‘leg-up’ isn’t doing enough.

My question for the PR industry is where is talent going? Is it that firms aren’t well equipped to support those coming from channels mentioned above? If it is haemorrhaging at the mid-levels, how do we address, rectify and prevent this from happening for future generations? And for those in the C-Suite, what do you wish you had known during your career and how can we, as head-hunters, HR teams and colleagues help you to not only see, but climb over that fence?

During 2023, I will be looking into where the industry is falling short by speaking to BIPOC within the PR and comms industry. Please do reach out to me if you’d like to tell me of your journey within comms.

MadlinHanna Consulting is a recruitment consultancy specialising in corporate affairs, covering public affairs, corporate communications and financial PR. Contact us on 020 8088 4102 for more information or a confidential conversation about these services and more.