What Kind of Public Relations Industry Will Gen Z Inherit?

2025-09-02

PR really is at a crossroads… we’ve got old playbooks and new players coming in who want to change the rules. In its report Mind the Gap, USC’s Center for Public Relations reveals sharp divides between Gen Z and older professionals on everything from AI and hybrid work to media influence and corporate purpose. While Boomers and Gen X cling to the belief that human creativity will always be irreplaceable, Gen Z is charging ahead, optimistic about technology, eager for flexibility, and expecting brands to stand for som...

PR really is at a crossroads… we’ve got old playbooks and new players coming in who want to change the rules.

In its report Mind the Gap, USC’s Center for Public Relations reveals sharp divides between Gen Z and older professionals on everything from AI and hybrid work to media influence and corporate purpose.

While Boomers and Gen X cling to the belief that human creativity will always be irreplaceable, Gen Z is charging ahead, optimistic about technology, eager for flexibility, and expecting brands to stand for something more than just profit. But will that energy survive once they step into leadership — or will they, too, get swallowed by the system?

In this episode, we sit down with Fred Cook, Director of USC’s Center for Public Relations and author of the Mind the Gap report, to explore whether we’re training young professionals for a world that no longer exists. Are we too obsessed with purpose and not focused enough on performance? Are old myths about PR holding us back? And most importantly — can Gen Z avoid the mistakes their predecessors made, or are they destined to repeat them?

Listen For

3:04 The Weight on Gen Z’s Shoulders

5:15 Communicating Across Generations in a Fragmented Media Landscape

8:08 Polarization as a Business Model

12:02 The Death of Corporate Purpose?

17:56 Answer to Last Episode’s Question From Guest Ayeni Samuels

Guest: Fred Cook, Director USC Center for Public Relations

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Mind the Gap Study

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