How PR pros see 2021 as a year of opportunity for DE&I

In the past year, many companies have put diversity, equity, and inclusion front and center, from statements about racial justice in the wake of George Floyd’s death to attempts to address structural racism as the country reels from a global pandemic.

In this moment of change, advocates and experts see a moment of opportunity—but only if communicators and the organizations they work for are asking the right questions.

Rachel Noerdlinger, managing director at Mercury Public Affairs, offers “equity” as an example of a word that must be clearly defined to ensure progress in the workplace. “What does that really mean for companies that are trying to go beyond the knee jerk reaction” she asks in an interview with PR Daily about the next step in the DE&I journey for American businesses. “Are you really being intentional? And how are you doing things internally, not just externally?”

For PR pros and communicators to be effective in delivering messages about DE&I, as well as corporate social responsibility and good governance, it’s essential to become a strategic advisor, beyond the tactical execution of the latest press release.

Rachel Noerdlinger