For the past 18 years, we have tried to use this space to give you a look at what really happens inside our business and give you a glimpse at a profession that, ironically, has done an awful job of communicating what it actually does.
While we are proud of how we have given you a look inside the window over the years, there is clearly quite a long way to go.
In recent conversations, with close friends, family and professional advisors, I’ve heard surprise when I answer the “how are things going for you?” question. The responses range from “I just didn’t expect PR to be affected” and “I didn’t think you’d be so close to it.”
Well, since the Executive Orders started flying on January 20th, it is and we are.
On the other side of the window, we are very much in the thick of it. I wouldn’t say I’m working any more than usual but the levels of intensity and degrees of difficulty have been, at often times, off the charts.
From immigration to international trade to higher education research to DEI to social services funding, to name just a few examples, our clients have been directly impacted by proposed and implemented changes, along with the pace of chaos. For those who think that PR is just about positive publicity, you couldn’t possibly understand why we’d have anything to do with this. But the fact is, as experienced communicators with sub-specialties that include crisis and change, many clients rely on us to help bring facts and perspective to their audiences, internal and external, especially during times of adversity. So when the going gets tough – and it has been exceptionally tough of late, in several cases – we have to dig in, learn as much as we can, and help them get going.
We have to be guided by sound fundamentals and whatever experience can possibly be relevant. At this same time, any comparisons to past federal government changes just don’t fit here, as nobody has truly ever experienced anything like this before. And let’s face it – PR in autocratic societies around the world isn’t exactly a booming business, unless, of course, you’re working for the authoritarians in charge. Compounding the challenge is that a certain percentage of the population (1/3 seems to be a consensus by public opinion experts) supports the Administration’s actions, regardless of impact.
Unlike some in other lines of work, we can’t blissfully tune out the news. We have to continue to be immersed in it, as it directly impacts the work we are doing. As part of the media ecosystem, threats against press freedom also resonate here, as does anxiety about the future of the First Amendment, which has created Constitutional protection for our work since the dawn of our profession.
You aren’t hearing complaints from here. We value the opportunity to serve our clients when they need us most. But, it’s exhausting and, in many cases, frustrating and frightening when considering the human impact.
This isn’t going to wane anytime soon. It’s probably only going to intensify. So while we appreciate the chance to help, we also appreciate the understanding. This is real and, quite simply, it’s hard.