PR Pros’ Unyielding Principles: The Battles Worth Fighting

In the high-stakes world of public relations, where reputations hang by a thread and a single misstep can unravel years of trust-building, communicators cling to a set of inviolable principles. These are the ‘hills they’ll die on’—non-negotiable tenets drawn from nearly 300 professionals who responded to a LinkedIn query compiled by PR Daily . From rejecting verbosity to demanding ethical rigor, these guidelines reveal the core convictions shaping modern PR amid rapid technological shifts and eroding media trust.

Kevin Lee, chief communications officer for the Office of the City Manager at the City of Long Beach, insists on adaptability: “Scrap the comms plan if it isn’t working. Flexibility and a willingness to pivot when the moment calls for it are greater strengths than sticking to the plan.” Echoing this, Brad Russell, a fractional communications strategist, questions rigid planning altogether: “Is there a point to a comms ‘plan’ anymore? You should have a communications paradigm/POV that helps dictate what you will/will not engage in … but a plan is obsolete by the second month.” Such views underscore a shift toward agility in an era where AI and real-time social dynamics demand constant recalibration.

Scott Gilbert, team lead for PR and multimedia at Penn State Health, drives home the need for clear objectives: “Tell me your end game: What does success look like? Otherwise, you don’t get a damn news release.” These strategic imperatives form the bedrock of PR’s evolution, as professionals navigate understaffed newsrooms and algorithm-driven distribution.

Clarity Over Complexity

Michael Williams, communications director for the Florida Department of Transportation, rails against unnecessary jargon: “There’s no reason to say utilize. Just use use.” Emily Kirchner, associate director of brand org capability development at Whirlpool Corporation, advocates brevity: “Say less.” Sarah Brown, founder and principal at Brighton Media, targets bloated documents: “Briefing books shouldn’t be novels.”

These calls for simplicity resonate as communicators combat information overload. In a field flooded with data, precision separates signal from noise, ensuring messages cut through without dilution.

Dan Mazei, principal at All Tangled Roots, elevates communications beyond tactics: “Communications is not situational, nor a tool. It’s a critical business function that needs to be part of core planning and execution, just like operations or strategy.”

Business Integration Imperative

Kevin Pérez-Allen, senior vice president at Signal Group, laments leadership gaps: “Almost no CEOs come from communications, and that’s the problem. Companies should be run by people who understand narrative and trust, as opposed to spreadsheets and process.” Gregg Feistman, professor of practice in public relations at Temple University, adds: “If you don’t understand how business works, and how to connect PR efforts to supporting business goals, you’ll always be an order taker, not an order giver.”

Michael Rowinski, vice president of communications at Mimecast, dismisses fluff: “When a press release needs 1,500 words to ‘tell the full story,’ there is no story. You’re just hoping nobody notices.” Gabrielle Reitano, a PR consultant, stresses audience fit: “Everyone wants to be in the WSJ, the New York Times, Business Insider, etc., but your audience might not be there. They might be reading a smaller trade.”

Sukanya Sen, vice president of global communications and PR at Urban Land Institute, reinforces realism: “No, I can’t get you into The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, or ’60 Minutes’ just because we think it matters. Newsworthiness isn’t internal validation; it is about whether the audience cares or not.” MaryBeth Matzek, freelance writer and editor, sets boundaries: “No, you can’t see the story before it runs.”

Media Relations Realities

Andrew Wargofchik, director of marketing and communications at Epirus, prioritizes substance: “Agency pitches focused on ‘reporters we have strong relationships with’ mean nothing. Strong story > lukewarm ‘friendships.'” Jen Nycz-Conner, senior director of global enterprise communications at Hilton, clarifies terms: “An ‘exclusive’ means one journalist and one journalist only. ‘Embargo’ means multiple journalists who agree to a certain publication time. There is no such thing as a ‘print exclusive’ or ‘trade exclusive.’ ‘Exclusive’ = one. Period. Paragraph.”

Stephanie E. O’Neill, SEO content and communications consultant, debunks myths: “There’s no such thing as ‘off the record.'” Joseph J. Nuñez, senior director of global communications at Smartly, challenges metrics: “PR/communications should not be strictly measured by the same standards as other more quantitative marketing functions. The idea that certain KPIs have to continue to grow (e.g., we need 30% growth in media mentions month over month!) is both unrealistic and unstrategic.”

Cody Luongo, media consultant, urges amplification: “You’re losing more than half the value of your earned press wins if you’re not repurposing and sharing them online via employee and brand accounts.”

Trust as the Ultimate Currency

Lauren Roberts, public relations and communications strategist, warns: “PR dies when it chases attention instead of credibility.” Alejandro Ramos, director of strategic communications at Hirsch Leatherwood, tests ideas rigorously: “PR is more about earning belief than earning coverage. If an idea can’t survive in a skeptical group chat, it can’t survive in the public.” Christine Kim, chief communications officer and founder of The ATTN Economy, rejects virality: “Stop optimizing for virality. The content that spreads fastest is almost never the content that builds anything real.”

Julie Inouye, CEO at Outcast, emphasizes patience: “There are no shortcuts to building trust.” Ellen Gerstein, former head of digital communications at Pfizer, centers audiences: “It doesn’t matter what we want to say. It matters what our audience needs to hear.” Lucy Screnci, senior consultant at Santis Health, calls for immersion: “Not enough comms and PR pros are immersed enough in their industry in terms of reading and being able to contextualize news and developments for pitches and thought leadership.”

Jessica Masuga, content and editorial strategy consultant, humanizes narratives: “A good storytelling program can’t live on data, product claims, and thought leadership alone. People want to understand the humans behind the work and the humans impacted by it.” Kerry Leslie, director of strategic communications at Upstream, rejects vagueness: “The ‘general public’ is not a target audience. Neither is ‘media.'”

Internal Rigor and Ethical Lines

Kelly O’Brien, vice president of global communications and PR at PDI Technologies, demands parity: “Internal comms should be held to the same copy and creative standards as external.” Shannon Simpson-Peeling, strategic communications leader, prioritizes transparency: “Silence erodes trust faster than difficult decisions. Leaders owe people clarity, especially in uncertainty.” Carrie Goldstein, communications consultant, sets pace: “Your lack of planning is not my emergency … but I’ll still make it happen in the end.”

Yelena Tebcherani, senior director and head of corporate communications at Qualcomm, embraces restraint: “You’re not obligated to answer every question — silence is a strategy, not a slip.” Usher Lieberman, fractional communications leader, draws a hard line: “I will not lie on your behalf.”

Style debates rage on, with David Eckstein, strategic communications executive, declaring: “The Oxford comma is for hacks.” Anya Nelson, SVP and public relations practice lead at Scratch Marketing + Media, deems it “overrated.” Allison M. Mackey, communications and brand manager at the City of Visalia, champions standards: “Use AP style in public communications!”

Style Wars and Pet Peeves

Carole Barrow, vice president at Edelman Smithfield, mourns lost flair: “I miss em dashes — their mid-sentence emphasis — it’s just one of those irreplaceable pauses.” Kym White, chief corporate affairs officer at Generate:Biomedicines, corrects usage: “‘Data’ is a plural word.” Steve Saleeba, vice president of media relations at Hollywood Agency, bans hype: “No one cares that you are ‘excited’ to announce anything. Using that language in a press release is a low key crime against humanity.”

Chris Murray, EVP and partner at BTC, clarifies scope: “PR is not a synonym for media relations.” Karen Murray, communications director at Elysium Marketing Group, agrees: “PR does not stand for press release.” These stylistic battles, while lighter, reflect deeper commitments to precision amid 2026’s challenges.

Recent insights amplify these principles. As Capitol Communicator notes for 2026, “success for communicators will depend on faster reactions, smarter strategies, and a renewed focus on relationships.” PR Daily highlights audience depth: “Deeper understanding of key audiences… should guide strategy.” Cision echoes measurement woes, with over half of communicators struggling, urging focus on genuine impact over vanity metrics.

In boardrooms and newsrooms alike, these hills endure, fortifying PR against AI disruptions, political volatility, and trust erosion detailed in PR Daily ‘s roundtables and PRNEWS predictions.