Paul Holmes 27 Oct 2024 // 6:04PM GMT

In close to 40 years of public relations publishing, we have never felt the need to endorse a candidate for President, or any other elected office. But this year is different, and with the mainstream media in America completely abandoning both their values and their priciples, we believed it was important to make our position clear.
First, because we can. Our business is not dependent on government contracts that might be terminated by a vindictive victor and we recognize that “anticipatory obedience” only emboldens would-be authoritarians. Although we would like to believe that even in the face of a threat to our First Amendment freedom—perhaps especially in such a case—we would not lack the courage to act independently and responsibly.
And second, because on issues that are essential to the tenets of the public relations profession, there is a chasm between the two candidates that must be clearly articulated and cannot be ignored. Below are the six reasons—all critical to our business—that we believe make it necessary for a publication that believes passionately in the future of public relations to stand up and be counted, and to endorse Kamala Harris for President of the United States.
1. Truth
Business leaders and corporate affairs directors have identified the increased volume and sophistication of disinformation as a major threat to their companies and to economic and political stability. This election has featured a tsunami of lies on issues ranging from the culinary preferences of Haitian immigrants to the disaster relief efforts of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The vast majority of those lies have come from Donald Trump himself and his supporters.
It is our belief that public relations cannot operate effectively in a post-truth world. If credibility is not dependent on truthfulness, factual accuracy, and authenticity, then credibility has no meaning and our attempts to deliver it will be in vain.
2. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Building long-term success for global corporations and PR agencies alike depends on an increased commitment to DEI. DEI is important for a number of reasons: it expands the pool of talent from which businesses can recruit talent beyond the narrow confines of the past; the interaction and collaboration of people with different backgrounds and life experiences leads to improved business decisions; and building relationships with employees, customers, communities, and even shareholders requires a team that reflects those stakeholders—a particularly important issue for teams charged with managing those relationships.
The threat that a Trump-Vance administration would use its influence to punish corporate efforts to increase representation is very real, and must be resisted.
3. ESG
All public relations professionals must understand that a corporate commitment to sustainable business success requires a management approach that prioritizes responsible environmental, social and governance policies. Anyone who believes that reputation matters, that trust is necessary, and that stakeholder relationships are built on behavior that respects the environment, ensures a positive social impact, and delivers responsible governance, must see ESG as the foundation of any successful corporate affairs strategy.
Attacks on ESG from the right are attacks on the fundamental premise of public relations: that relationships matter and that the impact of an organization on its internal and external stakeholders should be mutually beneficial.
4. Free Speech
During the campaign Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly sought to intimidate media outlets that report accurately and honestly on his campaign. He has threatened to revoke broadcast licenses. He says he would make it illegal to criticize judges who make decisions he agree with. Teachers, professors, librarians and medical professions in red states have had their free speech rights curtailed. In Florida, Republicans threatened legal action against outlets running pro-choice ads. Trump ally Elon Musk has repeatedly used legal bullying to curtail the free speech rights of his critics.
Public relations is free speech, and free speech is under threat in many ways if Donald Trump becomes President.
5. The Economy
At this point, the data showing that the economy performs better under Democratic presidents than their Republican counterparts are undeniable. Whether your criterion is stock market performance, job growth, GDP, or the deficit, it is a fact that Democratic policies have been better for the economy. But leaving that aside, Donald Trump is promising an economic policy that would send inflation skyrocketing and destroy not only America’s economic future but the future of global trade. Economists warn that the tariffs he plans will impose a massive effective tax increase on ordinary Americans.
The economic impact on a Trump presidency will surely be felt by everyone and the public relations business—and publications that depend on it for their own success—are unlikely to be immune.
6. Democracy
There is an argument that I have been making in speeches—almost always in emerging markets with fledgling democratic institutions—for the past two decades: public relations depends on democracy, and democracy depends on public relations. Public relations is only truly valuable in markets where people are free to make their own decisions (about where to work, which products to buy, which candidates to vote for), and democracy can only function properly with free and open communication that enables people to make informed choices. There is no reason to believe that kind of democracy is something Trump, Vance and their backers believe in.
For that reason, and for the others listed above, we believe that the public relations profession has a major stake in the outcome of this election, and we wholeheartedly endorse Kamala Harris as the best choice for the future of our profession and for America.