The Role of the Public Relations Professional in Corporate Social Responsibility Communication

Corporate CEOs and governing boards grapple with accurate communication of corporate social responsibility initiatives and increasingly with the role of the public relations executive in CSR communication. Yet, questions arise over who is best positioned to communicate a CSR program and what is the best method of conveying company CSR communications.

Some traditional executives may claim the involvement of the corporate communications or public relations department will simply broadcast to the marketplace that the company is blatantly self-promotional and “greenwashing” a specific issue. Other executives, who may have had strategic communications courses in their MBA curriculum, assert that these same departments are most adept at handling the complex communication of corporate social responsibility programs. Let’s examine the arguments for the involvement of the public relations professional in the corporate social responsibility communication algorithm.

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Byrum is an assistant professor of Mass Communications at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, where she teaches courses on public relations and media law. Dr. Byrum is accredited by the Public Relations Society of America. A public relations executive and entrepreneur, she has achieved national recognition for her work on communications programs for global CSR initiatives.