Barriers, Borders, and Boundaries: Exploring Why There Are So Few African-American Males in the Public Relations Profession
Chuck Wallington, M.S., IPR Trustee, Cone Health
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In this research study, Chuck Wallington examined why there are so few African American men working in the public relations industry by exploring topics such as the experiences of African American males in public relations and whether the public relations profession is at a competitive disadvantage by not having a stronger sense of African American males, among others.
Wallington interviewed 32 African American males currently working in PR to explore their perceptions, experiences, and possible barriers.
Some of the solutions Wallington offered include:
- Hire leaders and ensure that they have diverse slates of candidates when interviewing for open positions.
- Intentionally provide growth, development, and promotional opportunities as well as coaching and mentoring opportunities
- Openly and intentionally invite and listen to the perspectives and points of view of African American males on their teams.
Read more to listen to the stories and perspectives of the executives interviewed and the steps the industry can take to move forward.
Chuck Wallington will be presenting at the IPR Future of Comms Conference (virtual) on October 8, 2020. Learn more about the event
here!
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Government Affairs Executives Expect Pandemic to Cause Long-Term Decline in Face-to-Face Lobbying
Doug Pinkham, IPR Trustee, Public Affairs Council
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Social distancing and self-isolation aren’t just keeping families apart; they are also separating politicians from constituents and others trying to shape public policy.
Over 70% of 245 government affairs executives surveyed in a new Public Affairs Council poll believe that, even after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, it will remain much more difficult to meet with federal policymakers in person. Nearly one in four executives (23%) strongly agree with this assessment.
At the state level, 53% say face-to-face meetings with policymakers may become a thing of the past, with 13% believing strongly in that point of view.
Read the rest of Doug Pinkham's blog to find out more of the study’s findings, including the future of video meetings, the impact on the election, and the effect on public policy.
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Consumer Perceptions of Companies' Responses to U.S. Protests
Morning Consult
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Morning Consult conducted a study between June 3—June 5, 2020 among a national sample of 2,014 adults as an update to their
previous report
that examined what Americans think companies should do in response to the current protests occurring in the United States, what they should emphasize in their messaging, and more.
This poll provides an updated analysis from this nationally represented sample.
Some key findings include:
- 52% say they would have more favorable views of companies that gave employees time off for mental health or made a commitment to increasing diversity in the company's leadership (48%). (See Image Below).
- Adults are divided on whether they would have a more or less favorable view of a company that gave employees time off to protest.
- 75% say business leaders should address racial inequality— up from 64% last week.
- Companies that do not make an official statement are viewed more negatively (11%) compared to last week (7%).
- 65% of adults say companies should set up funds to help small businesses, 64% say they should establish community cleanup funds, and 40% say they should donate to social justice groups.
- 62% of U.S. adults said they support the protests in response to the death of George Floyd and others in the black community, up 8 points from the prior survey. (See Image Above).
- 42% of Americans said they would support cities calling the U.S. military to supplement city police forces, down 13 points from a survey conducted Sunday into Monday.
- Over the past week, the percent of adults saying the country has "gotten off on the wrong track" reached an all-time high of 72%. Roughly half of Trump supporters say things are on the wrong track, another all-time high. See more reporting here.
Read more to learn about how Americans think companies should respond and react to the protests.
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The Seriousness of Systemic Racism: United States and Canadian Perspectives
Leger, Association for Canadian Studies
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Leger conducts a weekly survey of Canadians and Americans about current events related to COVID-19. This week's report includes results related to the current protests occurring in the United States, as well as Canadians' and Americans' views on racism.
This web survey was conducted from June 5 to June 7, 2020, with 1,523 Canadians and 1,001 Americans.
Key findings include:
- 72% of Canadians support the protesters involved in protests about systemic racism in the United States, while only 63% of U.S. respondents support the protesters.
- Only 12% of U.S. respondents feel relations between police officers and visible minorities are better in their area, while 68% of Canadian respondents feel relations with police and visible minorities are better in their area.
- 34% of U.S. respondents reported hearing racist or prejudiced comments from friends and family about black people, while 27% of Canadian respondents reported hearing similar comments.
- 68% of Canadians think relations between police officers and visible minorities in their area are better than in the United States.
- 50% of total respondents feel racism is a serious issue among law enforcement (such as city police, RCMP, etc.) where they live, 33% among employers in their community, 27% at universities, and 22% among neighbors. (See Image Below).
Read more to learn the full results regarding the seriousness of systemic racism in the U.S. and Canada, support for groups involved in the protests, police relations, and more.
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Black Americans Face Higher COVID-19 Risks and Account for a Disproportionate Share of COVID-19-Related Deaths
John Gramlich and Cary Funk, Pew Research Center
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A recent
Pew Research Center Survey found that black Americans account for a disproportionate share of COVID-19 deaths, and stand out from other racial and ethnic groups in their attitudes toward specific healthcare topics. For example, black adults are more hesitant to trust medical scientists, embrace the use of experimental medical treatments, and sign up for a potential vaccine to combat the illness (See Image).
Some key findings include:
- Nationally, black Americans account for about 13% of the U.S. population but 24% of the COVID-19 deaths.
- In Kansas and Wisconsin, black people account for 6% of each state’s population but 29% and 26% of deaths, respectively – the biggest proportional disparities out of the states for which demographic data on COVID-19 deaths is available.
- In eight states overall, the black share of COVID-19 deaths is at least twice as high as the black share of the population.
- Public health experts have offered a mix of explanations for these disparities. They include:
- Higher rates of preexisting health conditions that increase the risk of complications from COVID-19
- Social and economic factors that contribute to health risk
- Long-standing inequities in health care access and outcomes for black Americans compared with other racial and ethnic groups.
- 35% of black Americans have a great deal of confidence in medical scientists to act in the public interest, compared with 43% of white adults.
- A 57% majority of black adults say the risks of expanding experimental treatments outweigh the benefits, while 41% say the benefits outweigh the risks. Hispanic (53%) and white adults (63%) are more likely than black adults to say the benefits outweigh the risks.
Read more to learn the higher risks black Americans face and their perceptions of medical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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