NEWS: Organisations more cautious about taking public positions compared to five years ago CIPR’s 2026 State of the Profession report reveals

London Wednesday 30 September

Over half of public relations professionals say their organisation is more cautious about taking public positions on issues than it was five years ago. A similar number report that polarisation in society has made their job more difficult.

New research published in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ (CIPR) State of the Profession report finds that just under half of professionals (48%) say the risks of taking public stances outweigh the benefits while a similar number say their organisation faces more pressure to comment on controversial topics than previously (47%). Just shy of two-fifths say taking a clear public position has strengthened their organisation’s reputation.

Private sector practitioners (63%) are the most likely to report that their organisations are more cautious on taking public positions on issues, while not for profit practitioners (39%) are the least and are more likely to say taking positions has strengthened reputation. Fewer than half of respondents work in organisations with any form of policy or guidance on handling controversial or polarising issues.

The report provides industry-leading insights into the public relations profession following a survey of 738 PR professionals on a range of topics including working hours, industry challenges, activities most commonly undertaken, the use of AI, and the impact of polarisation and controversial topics on the profession.

Other key findings include:

• Average full-time income has risen to £64,817, the highest recorded in the State of the Profession series and 22% above the 2024 figure. However, the reported gender pay gap has also risen to £5,539, up from £3,894 in 2024.
• A quarter of PR practitioners use AI professionally without any formal AI policy or guidance. 81% believing the skills that make PR professionals valuable cannot be replicated by AI while 76% believe AI-generated content risks damaging trust in public relations.
• The biggest identified challenge facing the profession is, for the first time, fake news and disinformation. AI, which ranked top in 2024, is now second.
• The majority of professionals say their workplaces are very or extremely inclusive. However, White practitioners are more likely to say this is the case compared to non-White colleagues (72% vs 57%).

CIPR President, Farzana Baduel commented; “Polarisation is making it harder for businesses to know when to speak and what to say. Remaining silent can feel like a statement while speaking out can create division both within and outside an organisation. At the heart of this are PR professionals, supporting organisations to understand the context, opportunities, and risks of taking a public position while balancing the expectations of increasingly vocal employees, customers, and stakeholders. This is a critical responsibility for our profession. Our role is more than just helping leaders to find the right words, but to help them understand when they should speak, what they can credibly say, who needs to hear it, and what responsibility comes with using their voice.”