The Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Michigan State University recently announced the launch of a new textbook co-authored by faculty and graduate students within the department. Different Together offers a multi-perspectival exploration of the historical evolution of diversity, equity, and inclusion across the advertising and public relations fields.
Both master’s and doctoral students studying within the Department of Advertising and Public Relations contributed to the writing of chapters of the book, which examine multiple aspects of identity in advertising, public relations, and related communication industries, from race and ethnicity, social class, disability, age and generational belonging, sexual orientation and gender, national identity, immigration, and religion.
“We decided to produce this book because nothing quite this comprehensive existed, in terms of documenting how diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging intersect with the advertising and public relations industries,” said Anastasia Kononova, Ph.D., associate professor of advertising and one of the three editors of the book. “Our authors represent remarkable expertise in advertising and public relations, in terms of their own research and experience in strategic communication, as well as the unique perspectives that they bring to the work in terms of their own backgrounds. The text also includes important audio and video interviews with industry experts about the applicability of DEI in industry settings, from finance to technology sectors, and in strategic communication agency settings.”
Published by Kendall Hunt, the book’s other two editors are Susan McFarlane-Alvarez, Ph.D. and Teresa Mastin, Ph.D. Adopted internally during the 2023 Fall semester as an ePub, the book is available in its first issue by MSU students enrolled in the course PR 310 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Public Relations and Advertising. In coming semesters, the textbook is planned to be launched for national use in similar courses offered by other universities across the country.
About the Department of Advertising and Public Relations
Launched in 1958, the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at MSU is one of five academic units within the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. The department focuses on real-world experience and impactful research, with expert faculty who teach the latest in creative advertising, management and public relations and researchers who study the effects of advertising on individuals and the world. As one of the oldest and largest departments of its kind, advertising and public relations offers multiple advertising programs, including bachelor degrees, masters degrees and a jointly-offered Ph.D. in Information and Media.