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PR and diversity: It all starts here
December 11, 2009 | | Leave a Comment
With the election of President Barack Obama as the country’s first African-American president, the United States is stepping forward in the right direction in tackling diversity.
The public relations industry strives to reflect the changing society we live in by recruiting diverse talent to build a stronger more competitive industry. The PR industry has made a real commitment in broadening its diversity, and according to PRWeek’s Diversity Survey, we still have a long way to go to ensure equality among PR professionals.
In 2003, the Public Relations Society of America formed the Diversity Committee to help members who represent diverse genders, ethnicities, races and sexual orientations succeed in the PR industry.
As college students on the brink of graduation, we are the voice and face of the future. It is largely our responsibility to prepare ourselves for the future by taking part in improving diversification across campus. We are going to be joining the professional world soon, so what are we doing now to make our campus a diverse environment?
As the saying goes, in order to think globally we must act locally. Here at Chico State, the department of journalism, other departments and student organizations are focusing their efforts on diversification.
Chico State is the first school in the nation to partner with MediaNews Group to develop the MediaNews Group Journalism and Diversity Partnership, which aims to achieve greater diversity in the university’s journalism department and ultimately in the profession.
The partnership provides scholarships to help attract journalism students from diverse backgrounds to Chico State. Resources are also available to help students obtain internships and mentoring from professional journalists.
Another diversity achievement is Chico State’s Building Bridges, a biannual newsletter that celebrates diversity on campus and within the community by addressing issues of tolerance and respect.
As I graduate and begin my search for a career in the PR industry, I am confident that I am a well-rounded professional individual who will thrive in any environment. Chico State’s efforts have helped me understand diversity and prepared me to participate in a professional and diverse environment.
-Ashley Anderson