Considering the current climate of professional industries, Public Relations included, major changes in how we work stepped in over the past 5 years. Professionals are now more readily working from home, working with flexible schedules, or implementing hybrid schedules between remote and office-based work. But is this enough to address underlying issues in the industry to prevent burnout and create a better balanced profession?
To address issues of burnout and actively work toward finding more balance for the PR professional, it is perhaps more useful to look at what they are doing – rather than how they are doing it.
The Real Issue: The Many Hats of PR Professionals
Academic research of the past 2 decades was able to isolate and identify specific roles that PR practitioners tend to fulfill. In South African research, these roles were delineated as follows:
- The Strategist: mostly do environmental scanning to determine and preempt any issues that may affect the organisation or client, decide the strategic direction of communication campaigns, translate the impact of stakeholders to management, and report on communication success.
- The Manager: mostly determine the stakeholders for and platforms to use in campaigns, develop communication plans and campaigns, oversee execution of campaigns, compile reports on communication plans or campaigns, or field media questions or host press conferences.
- The Technician: mostly implement campaigns by drafting/designing communication material, crafting content for different communication platforms (social media, digital content publication, press releases, editorials, etc.), and distributing messages to stakeholders
Since the early 2000s it was found that most practitioners fall into one or more of these role descriptions in South Africa – and up to 2024 we still see that a single person often fulfils all these roles in their organisation or for their clients.
Where similar research was conducted in European, American, and British PR practice, the corresponding roles were largely specialised and typical practice is that each function is fulfilled by a specific person or team. If South African professionals are taking on all roles by a single individual, is the PR industry as a whole heading toward a burnout that cannot be fixed by a simple hybrid working schedule?
The PR Burnout Cycle: Why the Industry is at Risk
Burnout in the PR industry is a common concern, given the high-pressure, fast-paced nature of the work. Public relations professionals often juggle tight deadlines, demanding clients, unpredictable crises, and the constant need to be “on,” which can lead to stress and fatigue.
PR professionals in South Africa are often expected to deliver results quickly, often in unrealistic timelines. The pressure to secure coverage, manage campaigns, and respond to crises can be overwhelming for a single person fulfilling multiple capacities. Furthermore, in the PR industry you often don’t get to choose a convenient time for crises – PR often operates in a 24/7 “on” mode, and constant availability becomes an expectation. Dealing with crises also takes an emotional toll on practitioners, as it is often high stress and high stakes involved. Staying composed, up-to-date, and optimistic is expected, but not always realistic.
Budget Constraints: Doing More with Less
On top of this, budget constraints continue to plague PR practitioners in South Africa – in 2024 Budget Constraints were the top challenge to PR measurement and evaluation (PR Measurement Landscape Report 2024 by Ornico). Until recently, the PRISM Awards (one of the most prestigious awards for the PR industry in South Africa) included a category dedicated to PR campaigns on a shoestring budget. Getting the most done with the least possible resources seem to be a norm for the industry.
As research has shown for years, including the PR Measurement Landscape Report’s findings, PR practitioners who are so busy fulfilling multiple roles will often lack the time to properly measure and evaluate the effectiveness of their work – resulting in the inability to show worth and a lack of recognition for hard work to further add to the emotional burden of PR professionals.
Lastly, there is a cyclical nature to PR. Pitching, planning, content creation, and repeat – this will easily contribute to fatigue and monotony for practitioners, adding to their emotional stress and burnout as a result.
Spotting Burnout Before It’s Too Late
It is especially important that employers and employees in the PR industry know and recognise the symptoms of burnout before it results in a truly problematic scenarios:
- Emotional Symptoms: Irritability, frustration, or a sense of dread about work.
- Physical Symptoms: Chronic fatigue, headaches, or difficulty sleeping.
- Behavioural Symptoms: Decreased productivity, procrastination, or withdrawal from colleagues and clients.
- Cognitive Symptoms: Trouble focusing, forgetfulness, or a feeling of being overwhelmed.
A Call for Industry Change: The Need for Role Specialisation
Fortunately, employers are now more than ever aware of the importance of creating a balanced workplace, and many PR agencies and employers are implementing wellness programs, offering flexible working arrangements, and emphasising mental health support.
However, addressing the root cause of burnout in the PR industry in South Africa is vital – shifting towards an industry-standard approach where practitioner roles are specialised and clearly delineated to prevent the overwhelm that occurs when one person becomes responsible from strategic planning through to technical execution.
