✅ An industry double standard in plain sight
Agencies demand transparency on client budgets while omitting salaries from their own job ads.
There’s an odd contradiction in the public relations industry. Agency leaders speak out about the lack of clarity on client budgets during pitches but are opaque about salary information in job ads.
Budget transparency was one of the top issues highlighted by the PRCA in its Pitch Forward code to address fairness in the agency pitch process. Other issues included a clear timeline and feedback throughout the process.
The Wadds Inc. Jobs in PR project reported this week that only one in ten ads includes salary information. In an industry that claims to be making strides to address diversity and inclusivity, it's a clear own goal.
Salary information creates transparency both for job seekers and employees. It attracts qualified candidates, promotes pay equity, sets clear expectations, and saves employers and job seekers time. Not including salary information suppresses all of these things.
Please include salary information in your ads to help create a fairer market and attract better talent.
We share a list of jobs each month and a narrative about the market. Please subscribe to the project if you’re looking for a job and to support the Jobs in PR project.
Our thanks to Hard Numbers for supporting this project.
Have a good week ahead.
Management
🤐 STRATEGIC SILENCE: It’s notable how little corporate pushback there’s been this week on US trade tariffs. The lobbying that occurred before the announcement has fallen away. Politicians and trade associations are now doing the heavy lifting on lobbying and negotiation. This calculated corporate restraint will likely shift during Q1 earnings calls this week when financial impacts must be addressed. Source: Axios.
🔍 TARIFF CONSULTATION: The UK Government is seeking input (deadline 1 May) on potential tariff measures against US goods. It has published an indicative product list focusing on items with limited impact on UK businesses and consumers. This is a good opportunity for practitioners to engage on behalf of clients and their organisations. Source: HM Government.
Industry
🔄 CODE REFRESH: The PRCA launched the second phase of its public consultation on the proposed Code for Professional Lobbying (deadline 28 April). The initiative aims to replace the current Public Affairs Code with a clearer, more concise document that addresses concerns about clarity and potentially strengthens the provisions related to Peers and lobbying activities. Please participate in the consultation if you haven’t already. Source: PRCA.
©️ COPYRIGHT CONTROVERSY: A noisy thread in our community this week highlighted the long-running tension between the NLA and public relations agencies. Agency managers resent the NLA asking agencies to disclose client information. The NLA insists that all parties need a license to share media coverage. Source: Wadds Inc.
🔍 GENERATIONAL INSIGHTS: Four generations work side-by-side in public relations practice. The 2025 USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Global Communication Report sets out how Gen Z is reshaping the future, the balance between humans and AI, and the impact of generational differences on hybrid work, public relations strategy and purpose. Source: Wadds Inc.
Learning and development
🔵 SOCIALLY MOBILE DEADLINE: Socially Mobile is a 10-week programme that supports practitioners in gaining the skills and knowledge to transition to a management role. If you're from an underserved community working in public relations and want to gain management knowledge and skills, please consider applying for a fully funded place on the upcoming programme. Paid places are also available. The deadline is 11 April. Source: Socially Mobile.
Media
📰 AI SUMMARIES: The Independent has launched an AI-written news summarisation service called Bulletin that transforms articles into five to ten bullet points using Google's Gemini. UK editor Chloe Hubbard reported that readers often prefer these condensed versions to human-written originals, with the service generating "a million article views" in a day and performing well on Google Discover and search rankings. Source: Press Gazette.
📱 DIGITAL PIVOT: The UK Government has launched a Reddit account as part of its modernised communications strategy. The UKGovNews account is a shift from traditional media channels to digital platforms where citizens increasingly consume information, with the government acknowledging that 70% of its content was previously posted on X despite Britons using a wider range of online sources. Source: PoliticsHome.
📱 SUBSTACK VIDEO: Substack has launched a TikTok-style scrollable video feed in its mobile app, allowing creators to share and monetise short-form videos directly on the platform. The move coincides with TikTok's uncertain future in the US and the rising popularity of YouTube Shorts. It builds on Substack's multimedia expansion, with 82% of top-earning writers already using multimedia. Source: TechCrunch.
Artificial intelligence
🧩 COPYRIGHT SHOWDOWN: The UK government faces ongoing protests on AI copyright reforms. Ministers have offered concessions, including economic impact assessments and reporting requirements for AI companies using copyrighted materials. The Data Bill amendments aim to balance innovation against protecting the £126 billion creative industry's interests as the government navigates pressure from both technology and creative sectors. Source: The Times.
Sarah Waddington CBE is a director of Wadds Inc. and interim CEO of the PRCA. Sarah Waddington and Stpehen Waddington are founders and directors of Socially Mobile.
Thanks to John Brown, Paul Mackenzie-Cummins, Alan Morrison, Paul Stollery, and Sarah Waddington and everyone who shares and debates the stories in the newsletter via our Facebook and LinkedIn communities.
We’re trusted by 4,000+ practitioners seeking clarity on issues such as artificial intelligence, diversity and societal polarisation from a management and communication perspective. We distill news, research and industry developments twice weekly into actionable briefings to help you enhance your work.
Please consider becoming a paying subscriber to support our work if you haven’t already. It would be much appreciated.