New CPRS Research challenges PR identity, urges AI readiness and calls for leadership on trust

The CPRS 2025 State of Public Relations Report launches during CPRS Week a national conversation on trust, AI and the future of the professional field

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Oct. 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS), in partnership with Leger, ChangeMakers, McMaster University Masters of Communications Management Program, Notified, and CKCommunications, has released the 2025 State of Public Relations in Canada Report. It provides a data-driven look at how Canadians and professionals perceive the public relations field, and how the profession must evolve. It is the first publication of the new CPRS Thought Leadership Council.

The report release is part of CPRS Week 2025 and includes five in-person events in major cities across Canada and a bilingual national webinar on October 31, under the theme ELEVATE. ENGAGE. EXCEL.

A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

“This year’s report reveals a professional field ready to lead but grappling with how it is perceived, how it shows up, and how it steers emerging technologies,” said the report authors in a joint statement. “The conversations ahead will shape how we describe our evolving professional field and how we define its impact on organizations and society.”

The Report presents three themes: 

Identity and trust: Among the report’s key findings is a growing divide in how professionals, business leaders, and Canadians perceive the profession, starting with the language used to describe it. 

While a strong majority of professionals identify as communications professionals (67%), the term public relations professional presents challenges. Only 36% of Canadians say they trust public relations professionals, compared to 50% who trust communications professionals. Business leaders reflect a similar pattern. 

Yet despite the semantic differences, all audiences express similar expectations from the profession, including trust-building, ethical conduct, transparency, and strategic counsel. 

Artificial intelligence: AI is becoming routine for professionals. Fifty-five percent report weekly use, but governance and policy have not kept pace. Only 27% report having a formal AI policy in place. Meanwhile, 74% of Canadians expect ethical use of AI from professionals. This underlines the need for visible leadership in this area. 

Ethics and professional associations: Ethical practice is non-negotiable for both the public and professionals. The report reinforces CPRS’s mandate to uphold professional standards, visibly enforce them, engage new generations of practitioners, and lead on urgent issues such as misinformation and AI. CPRS National Conference attendees were clear. CPRS must be seen as a leader on ethics, inclusion, and innovation, not only within the profession, but also in the public eye. 

“CPRS greatly values ethical research into our professional field.This report comes at a critical time and provides CPRS with a timely foundation for meaningful dialogue and action across our profession,” said National President Jane Antoniak, APR, MCM, MCPRS. “I want to thank the authors for their insightful work. This data and analysis will spark valuable conversations and actions for us about identity, inclusion, innovation and the continued role of ethics in everything we do.” 

The report is accompanied by the SOPR GPT, a custom-built AI tool that allows users to explore the full survey results on demand. This tool reflects CPRS’s commitment to thought leadership and innovation. It does not generate new data or opinions; it synthesizes only what’s included in the original research files.

“We wanted to go beyond the one-way communication of a typical research report,” said the report authors. “SOPR-GPT lets professionals dive into the findings that matter most to them, at their own pace, while reinforcing transparency and evidence-based insight.” 

The CPRS 2025 State of Public Relations in Canada Report was developed through a mixed-method approach led by Leger in partnership with the Canadian Public Relations Society:

• A general population survey of 1,512 Canadian adults was conducted online between March 20 and April 8, 2025, using Leger’s LEO panel. While the sample is non-probability based, a comparable probability sample would carry a margin of error of ±2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
• A survey of 100 senior Canadian decision makers and business leaders conducted by Leger, exploring trust in professional groups, leadership expectations and AI priorities.
• A professional survey of 181 communications and public relations professionals, conducted by Leger, was fielded via an open link and CPRS distribution channels during the same period.
• A facilitated workshop was held in May 2025 with more than 100 delegates at the CPRS National Conference in Banff. Participants explored the emerging themes through guided discussion and contributed qualitative insights on professional identity, ethics, trust and the impact of AI. Additional conversations included the 2025 ConversationFest in Sligo, Ireland and with the CPRS Thought Leadership Council.

The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is a national, not-for-profit association founded in 1948 for public relations and communications professionals in Canada. It provides a professional network, sets ethical and professional standards through its code of conduct, and offers a professional accreditation (APR), job boards, and educational programs. The organization is made up of 13 local societies across the country and a national body that advocates for the profession and supports its members. 

Visit cprs.ca/sopr to learn more.

Media contact:

CPRS National
Marketing and Communications Manager 
communications@cprs.ca 
647 532 5569

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