✅ What the workplace generation gap tells us about the future of public relations

The 2025 USC Global Communication Report reports on the generational divide shaping the future of our industry - and why management should be paying attention.

It’s tempting to view the future of public relations through the lenses of culture, geopolitics, media fragmentation and technology. But, according to the 2025 USC Annenberg Global Communication Report, the more urgent story is generational.

For the first time, four generations work side-by-side in practice: Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X and Boomers. And they don’t see the world - or the future of public relations practice - in the same way.

This isn’t a problem to solve. It’s a signal that managers need to tune into.

Based on responses from more than 1,000 international practitioners, the USC study identifies differences in values, work styles, media preferences and attitudes towards AI. If you're leading a team, setting strategy or shaping talent pipelines, these are the gaps that matter.

Gen Z brings fluency, urgency and fresh values. Gen X and Boomers bring context, caution and experience. Neither group can succeed without the other.

The 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.

We’ve dug into each of these areas in detail for this week’s research briefing.