S&T Live Recap: How 4 Generations of Communicators Feel About the Future of the Profession

Asked about the direction of the PR profession, some 75% of PR pros surveyed believe it’s either “positive” or “very positive,” a recent report from the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations finds.

At “such a disruptive time in our industry,” when “powerful forces are changing our business,” how PR practitioners assess their profession “is not overly enthusiastic, but it’s not bad, either,” said Fred Cook, the center’s director. He and colleague David Michaelson, Ph.D. a research fellow at USC, were the guests on April 23 for Strategies & Tactics Live, PRSA’s monthly livestream series on LinkedIn.

Called “Mind the Gap,” USC Annenberg’s 2025 communications report studies how PR pros view four issues that are challenging the profession: the evolving media landscape, the rise of artificial intelligence, hybrid work environments, and political polarization. The report surveyed four generations of people currently working in public relations: baby boomers, Gen X, millennials and Gen Z.

While most communications professionals favor hybrid work arrangements, how they regard the changing media landscape “depends on your generation,” Cook said. “Gen Z feels more positive about it.”

But among all generations of PR pros surveyed, an average of 62% believe that a viral campaign on Instagram or TikTok is the best way to market a product, compared to 36% who think a positive review in The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal brings the best result.

Taylor Swift over The New York Times

“Gen Z would prefer an endorsement from Taylor Swift over a story in The New York Times, which is a gigantic shift generationally,” Cook said. “Gen Z is working with social media that they’re familiar with, as opposed to pitching traditional media.”

When looking at how different generations of communications professionals view the effects of political polarization on their work, “We see a huge gap of 29 points between baby boomers and Gen Z, with 31% of Gen Z’ers saying [political polarization] makes their job easier,” Michaelson said. “People in Gen Z have grown up with political polarization, they’ve grown up with that level of dissension.”

As with social media, Gen Z communications professionals “know how to operate within this environment” of political polarization in America, Michaelson said. But “baby boomers and Gen X do not.”

When it comes to AI, more communicators surveyed think the technology will reduce the number of jobs in the profession. However, respondents also believe AI will improve the quality of their PR work.

John Elsasser, editor-in-chief of PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics publication and host of S&T Live, pointed out that two-thirds of Gen Z respondents feel AI will benefit the practice of public relations, even as 25% expect the technology to reduce the number of entry-level PR positions.

“The people who are familiar with AI and excited about it feel that they are going to be the ones who are employable,” Cook said. “We’re going to need a lot of training.”

Watch a replay of the episode here. Download a copy of the USC report at this link.

Image courtesy of usc annenberg 

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