Public Relations has a trust problem; And some of it is self-inflicted

Wednesday, June 03, 2026 | 0 Views |

Someone said something to me recently that genuinely stopped me in my tracks. “Donald Trump either has phenomenally good PR, or he is very good at his own PR.”

My heart sank a little. Not because this is about politics, nor because people are not entitled to support whoever they choose. Rather, because if there is one thing I would never want associated with what I do as a communications professional, it is the idea that PR exists to distort truth, spin recklessly or simply positivity-wash over consequence.

And yet, perhaps that reaction says something uncomfortable about our industry.

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Public Relations has a trust problem; And some of it is self-inflicted

Someone said something to me recently that genuinely stopped me in my tracks. “Donald Trump either has phenomenally good PR, or he is very good at his own PR.”

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Tshere: Holding highest vote share, margin of victory

Botswana takes industry centre stage at JCK

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