Who do you report to?

In an article posted today at PRSA's PR Tactics and The Strategist Online, John Guiniven, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA responds to a PR pro whose company moved its public relations function as a direct report to human resources. Not surprisingly, this PR pro resigned after this restructuring.

Many of you may have read that Chrysler did the same thing a few months ago. Detroit Free Press columnist Mark Phelan commented on this move as a proud PRSA member would, saying, "Communications must have a seat at the grownups' table, with direct access to Chrysler's bosses as the company develops and executes its turnaround strategy."

Guiniven says that not only is it a blow to the PR team's collective ego to report to a department that was once its peer, but reporting to a more "contemplative" department can also slow down PR's ability to respond to a crisis and counsel leadership.

As a former function head for both PR and HR, Gary Rich states, "PR under HR might work if you don’t have the opportunity to get into trouble. PR needs to be able to act quickly and independently regardless of where it reports” when dealing with volatile issues.

I would challenge any CEO to say that his or her company hasn't been in "trouble" in the public eye, or won't be in the future. The proliferation of on demand information makes our jobs as PR professionals even harder and puts our companies and clients at greater risk now that consumers can report the news en masse via social media. Just ask Virginia Sen. George Allen, whose "macaca moment" exploded on YouTube in 2006 and buried his hopes of being re-elected to the Senate (and running for president, according to The Washington Post).

PR pros need the support of senior leadership now more than ever to ensure they can protect their clients' reputations and guide leadership as they're creating their strategies. Guiniven and Phelan both present interesting viewpoints on why PR needs a seat at the table, an issue that has challenged PR pros for years.

Do you want to hear more about PR governance (and whether it belongs under HR) at the Sunshine District Conference, June 19-21 in Miami Beach? If so (or if you have a suggestion for another program) please take our survey to share your input for our programming. You can also recommend presenters by e-mailing us or submitting our Call for Presenters form by March 31.