Race and Ethnicity in Public Relations and Communications
Annual Benchmark Reports
Welcome to the Diversity Action Alliance (DAA) Reporting Page. Signatories submit data annually to track and measure progress in representation and promotion rates across the industry.
If you are a current signatory looking to submit 2026 data, note that we will be sending email requests as soon as the new 2026 reporting tool and process are ready. Check your email for updates and check back soon. Click the image below to read our latest report.
Key Information and Updates:
2026 is the 7th year of data collection.
The reporting deadline for all data submissions is July 31, 2026.
We are collecting North America data only, using race/ethnicity categories based on the EEO-1 report from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
We are no longer collecting data for academic departments at colleges or universities.
Signatories will be invited to submit their data once the new reporting tool and process are complete. Stay tuned for more updates.
Security & Confidentiality:
To ensure privacy, all data will be presented as aggregated scores—individual company data will not be publicly disclosed.
The data will help set industry benchmarks and track progress towards representation goals.
No individual companies will be identified in any public reports.
All data will be stored securely on a platform certified to ISO 27001, and compliant with GDPR and HIPAA regulations.
Instructions for Reporting:
Submit the number of U.S.-based employees as of January 1, 2026, categorized by job type and race/ethnicity. Ensure each employee is counted only once.
The numbers should be based specifically on your communication department/function, not the entire organization, unless communications or PR is the function of the entire agency or the company.
Only one top communicator should be listed per organization. If a category has no employees, please enter “0”.
The total of employees in categories #3-#9 should match the number in column #2.
For full job and race/ethnicity category definitions, please visit the Data Submission Toolkit in the reference links below.
FAQS
What kind of data will be collected?
The DAA is collecting specific demographic numbers similar to those found in organizations’ annual D&I reports. The DAA may expand data collection in the future. Questions include:
What is the ethnicity/race composition of the communication function or agency, and what is their level (manager, non-manager, VP, and above)?
What is the ethnicity/race composition of the communication function or agency professionals who are promoted annually?
What is the organization type, size, industry, geography, and annual revenue?
Additional organizational questions related to the study.
When will the data be collected?
The 2026 data submission is open.
Why is this data important?
Benchmarking and tracking diversity rates will provide the DAA with critical insights into key opportunity areas and the effectiveness of our diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. Furthermore, by sharing data, organizations are helping DAA create objectives to support our goal of reflecting the diversity of our society. We realize that some organizations are more advanced than others on this journey, and their department may not be where they want them to be, but these benchmarks are essential for accountability and progress.
How secure is the data reporting tool?
To ensure security and confidentiality, data will only be presented as aggregated scores rather than individual summaries. Data will be used to set benchmarks and track progress toward goals in the public relations industry. Individual organizations will not be identified publicly by name or by description in any way, nor will DAA share your data with any other party.
The collected data will be kept on a secure platform for data privacy and security that is ISO 27001 certified, GDPR, and HIPAA Compliant.
How do I collect the data?
The Diversity Action Alliance has provided detailed instructions for the 2026 Data Collection in the data toolkit.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the data collection, please contact research@diversityactionalliance.org
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE COMMITMENT!
DAA Annual Benchmark Reports Archive