EUPRERA joins ICCO’s Media Information and Education Pledge

London, 17^th of January, 2024 - European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA) is the latest organization to sign ICCO’s Media Information and Education Pledge. They join founding supporters: the Council of Europe, EACD (European Association of Communication Directors), GWPR (Global Women in PR), and The Trust Project, the international consortium of news organizations promoting standards of transparency in journalism.

The Pledge, launched in Strasbourg in June 2023, emphasizes the need for representing bodies spanning PR & communications, media, journalism, institutions, tech platforms, and fact-checking to acknowledge a shared responsibility in tackling misinformation, commit to shared solutions and prevention methods, as well as share the task of educating our own companies and employees, in addition to the wider public.

Stefania Romenti, EUPRERA Past President and Board member, said:

“EUPRERA fully acknowledges the core relevance of principles such as continuous media education and media literacy in maintaining pace with new and changing challenges that impact communication and public relations. Academic study and research of misinformation will be a vital part of tackling this threat to ethical and professional communication, and I am proud that EUPRERA has joined ICCO’s call to join forces and share responsibility in combatting the issue.”

Massimo Moriconi, European President, and Misinformation Lead, ICCO said:

“Wars, inflation, and polarization of opinions prepare the way for 2024, an election year in many countries including the United States, UK, and Europe during which an unprecedented level of mis-disinformation is expected also due to the irresponsible use of Artificial Intelligence. In this scenario, our Pledge takes on a relevant significance and serves as a foundation on which ICCO will continue to build the partnerships necessary to create shared solutions and education tools. I am delighted that more alliances have formed over recent months and, today, the whole coalition welcomes EUPRERA. We aim to build on this group of esteemed organizations in 2024 and beyond”.

The next stage is to align further organizations and companies with the pledge and keep strengthening the support network by sharing education resources, and practices and holding each other to account.

EUPRERA is an autonomous organization with over 550 members from 50 countries interested in advancing academic research and knowledge in public relations and strategic communication. Several cross-national and comparative research and education projects are organized by affiliated universities.

The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) is the voice of public relations consultancies around the world. ICCO membership comprises 40 associations representing 82 countries across the globe. Collectively, these associations represent over 3,000 PR firms.