Study reveals four biggest issues affecting PR professionals

The Cross Cultural Study of Leadership in Public Relations and Communication Management conducted by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at The University of Alabama reveal the four biggest issues identified by its global audience:

• Managing the volume and velocity of information (23.0 percent)
• The role of social media (15.3 percent)
• Improving measurement (12.2 percent)
• Dealing with fast-moving crises (11.9 percent)

The summary also revealed that PR is a largely female profession (70 percent), but it’s the generational gap—not the gender gap—that seems to be having an even greater impact. From Alabama’s website:

“Industry professionals under the age of 36 ranked issues like improving professional image and measurement of communication effectiveness much higher than older professionals. Younger and lower-level survey participants also ranked issues of social responsibility, transparency and diverse cultures higher than top leaders. Conversely, more senior, established leaders emphasized dealing with the speed and volume of information, crisis management or employee engagement.”