Resources about PRSA’s “apolitical” stance

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In late January 2026, the Public Relations Society of America sent an email to its members reaffirming its “apolitical” stance. I have many thoughts, some of which I said on LinkedIn.

Background information

• PR Week: PRSA stresses ‘apolitical stance’ after Minneapolis shootings
• PRSA National Advocacy Framework (saved to Google Drive, but the document is still posted on the “About” page of the website as of 3/1/2026)
• PRSA Code of Ethics
• PRSA homepage displaying Black History Month (saved to WayBack Machine shortly after announcement)

Responses

• The PR industry makes headlines, we can’t pretend we’re not in them by Toni Harrison
• When ethics require us to speak by Kelliann Amico, APR, Fellow PRSA
• An open letter to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) by Shel Holtz, SCMP
• FIR #499: When saying nothing sends the wrong message by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson

Past items

• “New code needed for new conversations: A critical textual analysis of the PRSA Code of Ethics and practitioners’ responsibility to the public good” by Sandra Boone
• Silence is not golden when there is an expectation of caring from Alyssa Badalamenti, PRSA Orlando
• The ethics of silence and of speaking up by Emmanuel Tchividjian on PRSay (PRSA Blog, 2018)
• Public relations association rebukes Trump’s White House on ‘alternative facts’ by Madeline Conway (Politico, 2017)
• PRSA to Senate: Don’t use the PR industry as a ‘punching bag’ (Link to WayBack Machine, 2012)
• PRSA Professional Standards Advisory PS- 15 Looking the other way (August 2010)
• PRSA responds to CBS story challenging public relations from PRSA (Link from WayBack Machine, 2008)