Public Relations

What Is PR Really For? A Call to Rethink Its Role in Society

Neville Hobson

Neville Hobson

— 3 min read
What Is PR Really For? A Call to Rethink Its Role in Society
Photo by CDC / Unsplash

A new academic article by Ana Adi and Thomas Stoeckle makes a strong and timely case for rethinking the fundamentals of public relations.

Published in Strategic magazine on 19 March, Adi (professor of public relations at Quadriga University, Berlin) and Stoeckle (university lecturer, AMEC course leader, and a fellow co-host of The Small Data Forum podcast) argue that ethical codes and guidelines are no longer enough to address the realities of today's communication landscape.

They contend that PR needs to completely shift its focus from primarily serving organisational goals to engaging meaningfully with society.

I find this argument deeply compelling. It echoes themes I’ve explored in posts and podcasts over the past few years, particularly those related to ethics, professional standards, and the real-world impact of PR decisions.

From the handling of Blake Lively’s brand partnership, with unethical PR associations, to the murky intersections of lobbying and influence in the Uber Files, I’ve noted the gap between aspirational ethics and practical accountability.

Here are three significant takeaways from Adi and Stoeckle’s article that, to me, highlight exactly why PR must evolve:

1. Ethical Codes Are Not Enough

Adi and Stoeckle make it clear: codes of ethics, however well-intentioned, do not deter unethical conduct when practitioners prioritise outcomes over values. The two authors reference James Grunig’s typology of communicators – pragmatists, conservatives, radicals, and idealists – from his 2014 work on PR ethics. The problem is that even idealists, who seek dialogue and balance, are not structurally empowered to reshape PR’s role in society.

This resonates strongly with the Blake Lively issue – how surface-level statements of intent can fail spectacularly when not backed by authentic decision-making. “Just doing your job” isn’t an excuse when the consequences affect real people and public trust.

💡
If ethics are to matter, they must be more than aspirational. They must be actionable – with mechanisms for enforcement, reflection, and consequences.

2. PR Must Shift from Client-Centric to Stakeholder-Centric

The authors advocate a move from organisational self-interest to a broader stakeholder and societal perspective. This means redefining success – not in terms of visibility, awards, or reputation metrics, but through meaningful social contribution, long-term thinking, and collaborative dialogue.

My post last November on public relations at the crossroads of measurement and standards aligns with this. In that post, I noted that what we choose to measure says everything about what we value. If PR is only measured by KPIs that reinforce the status quo, it will never challenge harmful narratives or support real change. Look at how measuring by AVE has still not gone away!

💡
Stakeholder-centric PR requires us to listen more than we speak – and to measure what matters beyond the boardroom.

3. PR Should Be a Social Function, Not Just a Business Tool

Perhaps the most important takeaway from Adi and Stoeckle is their call to reframe PR as a social function: a force for dialogue, empathy, and deliberation in facing society’s grand challenges. They encourage a metamodern approach – one that embraces complexity, accepts uncertainty, and focuses on relational ethics rather than binary outcomes.

This broader framing of PR as a civic actor mirrors the concern I raised in my 2022 post about the Uber Files: when PR becomes an enabler of opaque influence and power, it abandons its potential role as a contributor to the democratic process and public trust.

💡
Transparency, accountability, and reflection must be at the heart of our work.

What Needs to Happen Now

Adi and Stoeckle not only diagnose the problem, they also suggest practical steps:

  • Persuasion literacy in education
  • Functional rotation for PR professionals within organisations
  • Redefining success around wellbeing, cohesion, and social value
  • A more diverse and reflective PR workforce

These are changes that won't be easy, but they are essential. And they require us – as practitioners, educators, advisors, and strategists – to champion a longer-term view of what PR can be.

Concluding Thoughts

The PR industry is often quick to defend itself as ethical and progressive. But real ethics aren’t about appearances – they’re about structures, behaviours, and accountability. With their article, Adi and Stoeckle publish a bold call to stop polishing reputations and start building trust in ways that truly matter.

It also brings to my mind the quest for legitimacy and standardisation in the industry that embraces contentious issues like the licensing of practitioners. It's a thorny topic that seems unable to get attention and traction to provoke meaningful discussion.

But as we look to the future of PR, the question isn’t whether we can do better. It’s whether we’re ready to redefine success altogether.

How do you see it? Are the three takeaways I've plucked from Adi's and Stoeckle's article an effective way to address these issues? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Read more