Wills points out diversity disparities

Dr. Caitlin Wills, associate professor of communication at the University of North Georgia (UNG), knows about the lack of diversity in the public relations field.

"White men dominant leadership positions and white women fill the lower ranks," she said. "The field has been slow to change and reflect the diversity of society, and fundamentally does not reflect the diversity of its audiences."

To illustrate the point, Wills examined the definition of diversity on the websites of 50 of the top international public relations firms. She found nearly half did not include a definition. Of those that did, many defined diversity in broad terms that did not mention demographic factors such as race and gender.

She analyzed her findings in the article "Diversity in Public Relations: The Implications of a Broad Definition for PR Practice?" It has gained some recognition. It was published in The Public Relations Journal and was featured in the Institute for Public Relations report of "The Top 15 Public Relations Insights of 2020."

As a result, Wills was invited to discuss her research as a panelist at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) International Conference (ICON). The virtual conference ran from Oct. 4-20, with Wills participating in a research panel on Oct. 5.

"I was really honored," she said. "It was enjoyable to participate and to hear the research from other panelists."

She views her research as important to PR practice.

"The PR field is not yet diverse in traditional terms," she said. "The field needs to diversify in that way before they can move to broader definitions that ignore race, gender, sexual orientation, etc."