New Survey: White House Communications Team Harming PR Industry

Members of the White House communications team are traditionally the most prominent public relations professionals in the world. As the most visible figures in American and global media, they are a key voice for advancing presidential policies and priorities that impact not only Americans, but citizens around the world. According to a new study conducted by a sister organization of CPD's – the USC Center for Public Relations at the Annenberg School (CPR), under the current administration, they are also impacting something else – their own profession.

A survey of 900 public relations professionals conducted by CPR found that 73.2% of respondents across the political spectrum believe the current White House communications team is negatively impacting the public perception of the PR industry.

“It’s clear from the results of our survey that the PR industry would prefer to distance itself from the current White House communications team, whose practices are not reflective of the values of the broader industry,” said Fred Cook, CPR's director. “The vast majority of PR professionals believe that honest, open communication leads to constructive dialogue and shared understanding, both of which are in short supply these days.”

To read the full USC Annenberg release about the new CPR study, click here.