Race, Diversity, and Social Mobility in the Public Relations Industry

This book explores the recent academic and practice-based research and thinking on race, diversity and social mobility within the public relations industry, arguing for the necessity of more transformative actions to address systemic inequities.

Through an analysis of interviews with UK-based public relations practitioners from a wide range of backgrounds, the book integrates and illustrates different strands of research to shed light on persistent challenges and opportunities in the field and understand how those who are often the subjects of such discussions experience discrimination. The authors introduce complex topics in an accessible manner, providing an overview of recent research, demonstrating practical applications of theoretical frameworks, and suggesting reading for further exploration. It also includes additional pedagogical features which allow readers to explore specific topics through guided reading and exploratory questions.

By grounding its analysis in the lived experiences of public relations practitioners, the book contributes to the literature of race, diversity, and social mobility while fostering discussion on the systematic discrimination faced by practitioners. It will help and encourage researchers, educators and practitioners to critically explore their own practice and open up new conversations about this crucial issue.

Elizabeth Bridgen is Head of Academic Development (Partner Provision) at Buckinghamshire New University, UK. She was formerly Principal Lecturer in Public Relations at Sheffield Hallam University, UK. Her research mainly explores the lived experience of public practitioners with a focus on those who are often excluded from mainstream scholarship. She is co-editor with Sarah Williams of Women’s Work in Public Relations (2024), to which she also contributed a chapter ’Just like any other: Public Relations Careers in the Adult Industries.’ She is also co-editor with Dejan Verčič of Experiencing Public Relations: International Voices and recently contributed chapters to the books Towards a New Understanding of Masculine Habitus: Women in Leadership in Public Relations (Topic, 2023) and Gender and Freelancing in the Communication Industries: Experiences, practices, discourses (Anton and Moise, 2025).

She has published in academic journals including Journal of Communication Management, PRism, and Journal of Media Practice and Education and is currently writing a chapter on public relations students and their relationship with artificial intelligence tools for Effects of Education Communication in Digital Learning Environments (Duarte, Andrade, and Dias, 2025).

Ileana Zeler, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Audiovisual Communication at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain. She earned her PhD in Communication at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, where her dissertation received international distinction and honours. Her research focuses on public relations and strategic communication, with a particular interest in communication management in digital contexts, gender challenges within the industry, and sustainability. Her work is featured in high-impact journals, including the Journal of Communication Management, Corporate Communications: an International Journal, and the International Journal of Strategic Communication.

In addition to her research, Ileana is a guest professor at universities across Spain, Latin America, and Europe. She currently serves as Chair of the Organisational and Strategic Communication Section of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA). She is an active member of associations such as Euprera and AIRP and co-founder of AcadémicasPR, a network dedicated to fostering research about and for women academics in public relations, advocating for structural changes in academia and the professional field.