Advocacy CSR decreases among PR Pro

The public relations industry has been ensured by many challenges in recent years, with economic uncertainty, increased political polarization and historical technological interruptions, such as artificial intelligence, causing many to question what the communicators play in the mass -Media landscape in today’s evolution.

According to the most recent global communications report published by the Center for Public Relations of the USC Annenberg, perhaps, probably no problem is as divisive as the role that the corporate social responsibility in industry is currently playing.

As “Wokeness” takes over an increasingly radioactive status in the national conversation, many PR professionals are now withdrawing the responsibility of companies to address social problems, which in itself has become a divisive problem in the PR sector, with opinions in this respect often divided by the generations.

The annual report, which focuses on the trends and changes that affect the global communication landscape, reported that the percentage of PR professionals who believe that companies have the responsibility to address social problems has decreased precipitated in recent years, and is now 52 % in 2025, compared to 85 percent last year and 89 percent in 2023.

In the last three years, PR professionals have been asked if they believe that companies have the responsibility to approach social problems. At that time, the percentage that answered “yes” decreased by 37 percent.

A decrease of 37 percent of support for corporate social responsibility in three years is a great news on its own, but what is equally striking is the extension of the generational gap that these current attitudes reveal in the PR sector. According to the report, while three quarters (75 percent) of the Z PR Practitioners believe that companies have the responsibility to plead or support social problems, even if these issues are not directly relevant to their business, only 56 percent of millennia and 40 percent of the X and Boomers agreed. Instead, 52 percent of boomer believes companies do not They have the responsibility to plead for social problems that are not relevant to their business, compared to 49 percent of Gen Xers, 35 percent of millennia and only 18 percent of Gen Z.

Also, the boomers were more likely to say that the financial performance was a top consideration when it comes to work on behalf of a company or organization, while the Z gen practitioners had more chances to read inclusion initiatives and ESG practices.

The report also discovered that Pro PR have an overwhelmingly positive perspective on the impact on the industry, a feeling shared by two thirds (64 percent) of the Z -like practitioners, as well as 57 percent of millennia, 65 % of the X and 62 percent of Boomers. Only a quarter of PROFESSIENS in PR considers that you will reduce the number of positions at the entry level in the industry, according to the USC report.

However, younger practitioners were much more likely to have a pink perspective of the positive benefits of AI than the older PRESS. Three quarters (73 percent) of Gen Z believes that you will make their jobs easier, compared to 63 percent of millennia, 65 % of gender and 52 percent of boomer.

Only 35 percent of gen and 33 percent of the millennial PRs consider that you will increase misinformation (compared to 56 percent of boomer and 47 percent of genres). Throughout the world, the Z gen practitioners have also been more likely than older practitioners to believe that you will improve the ability to measure PR impact, to increase the crisis response, to attract more customers and to reduce costs. They are also more likely to believe that you will be able to generate most of the content created by people.

In contrast, while 82 percent of boomer and 78 percent of Gen Xers believes that people will remain essential for PR to be efficient, only 60 percent of millennia 52 % of the gender has agreed.

Most professionals in PR believe in political polarization will continue to present a problem for the future of public relations profession, a shared feeling of 70 percent of Boomer PR respondents, as well as 69 percent of X and 52 percent of millennia. However, only 44 percent of the practitioners gen Z believe this. Older practitioners also had more chances to believe that misinformation will continue to be a problem for the communication sector in the next five years (72 percent of boomer and 74 percent of Gen Xers) than younger PRs (54 % of millennia and 46 percent of Gen Z).

A generational division is also obvious in PR Pros feels in terms of our media landscape, where traditional media sources such as television and print have continued to decrease in relevance, while social media, podcasts and applications for smartphones win in popularity. While nearly two thirds (63 percent) of the GENE, it believes that this transformation has a positive effect on the PR sector, 57 percent of boomer and 53 percent of gender I think this change affects the industry. Meanwhile, millennia are somewhat divided, because 44 percent believes that this change has a positive impact, while 39 percent see a negative impact.

Almost half (46 percent) of GEN Z PRs believe that these changes will make their jobs easier, the only generation that feels more positive than negative in how our new media landscape will affect their daily work. Gen Z PR PRES are also greater than older generations to believe that social media will be the main source of news in the next five years (45 percent) and are also more likely to believe that social media, podcasts, smartphones and influencer promotions will continue to be relevant in 2030.

Finally, despite significant interruptions, numerous challenges and generations, PR PRSs remain overwhelmingly positive in terms of their profession, with three quarters (74 percent) of practitioners saying that they have a positive perspective on the future of industry, while only 11 percent have reported a negative perspective.

The global global communication report of the USC Annenberg, “Mind the Gap”, examined over 1,000 online communication professionals between January and February. The report was produced in collaboration with Zeno Group and the International Association of Business Communicators.