PR Industry fails again – only one black person on A-List

This week, PRWeek released its list of 30 PR professionals under 30 and once again it’s left me asking questions about diversity in the PR industry. It’s quite typical of what has been happening over the last decade – a list starkly unrepresentative of the UK’s diverse population.

A recent study by Holmes Report found that the typical PR employee is female, well-educated, relatively young and “astonishingly white”. Last year, the PRCA published a census that revealed 91% of those surveyed identified as “white British” or “other white”, while only 3% identified as “Asian” and 2% as “black”.

In five years, there has been a mere 1% increase in the representation of Asian and black people in PR. This is quite unbelievable, as there are outstanding young black PR professionals in the UK who also deserve a mention when industry excellence is being celebrated.

I know the Taylor Bennet Foundation is working hard to get better representation in the PR industry but they can’t achieve this all by themselves. The industry itself must make a conscious effort to change things, including affirmative action if necessary, to make sure each annual list doesn’t become only a celebration of ‘white excellence’.

And no, we don’t need a separate award for ethnic minorities. It should be one list – a list which reflects the UK’s diverse mix. Talk without action brings no result.

 

Photo credit:PRWeek

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