Research: Gen Z & the Truth: A Pre-Roundtable Survey for Young PR Professionals
Survey Overview
More than 130 young PR professionals from 15 countries participated in this pre-roundtable survey, offering a ground-level view of how the next generation of communications practitioners navigates truth, trust, and AI in a fragmented information landscape. The findings reveal a generation that is digitally fluent but increasingly skeptical. It also shows the Gen Z holds clear expectations for the PR industry’s role in defending credibility.
A Generation on High Alert
Gen Z communicators are not passive consumers of information. The vast majority report actively verifying information before sharing or acting on it, with cross-checking multiple sources and tracing claims to their original source emerging as the dominant fact-checking methods. Many respondents have developed their own personal protocols such as pausing before engaging with emotionally charged content, scrutinizing comment sections for crowd-sourced verification, and defaulting to skepticism as a first response. The prevailing mindset: assume it could be false until proven otherwise.
AI-Generated Misinformation Is a Top Concern
Concern about AI-generated misinformation ranks high across the respondent base. With the majority describing themselves as fairly or very concerned, deepfake videos and AI-generated images are seen as the hardest content to detect and respondents acknowledge growing difficulty across all formats. Confidence in the ability to identify AI-generated content is moderate at best.
Despite this, organizational training on manipulation and AI detection remains inconsistent in the work environment. Many report that their agencies focus on how to use AI rather than how to spot its misuse.
Trust in PR Is Conditional
Gen Z professionals extend only qualified trust to their own industry. Subject matter experts rank as the most trusted sources for verifying information with journalists close behind.
What would move the needle? Respondents point clearly to two factors: demonstrated expertise in the subject matter, and radical transparency about who is being represented. Clear labeling of AI-assisted content and proactive correction of misinformation also rank as significant trust-builders.
A Clear Mandate for the Industry
When asked what the PR industry must do to remain credible in the age of AI and misinformation, Gen Z spoke with near unanimity: be transparent. Disclose AI use. Cite sources. Prioritize accuracy over speed.
Use AI as a tool, not a replacement for human judgment and creativity. From their perspective, the message is direct and the stakes are high. As one respondent put it, ” The most important thing the PR industry should do to stay credible in the age of AI and misinformation is fight for accurate information from their clients, even when inconvenient in pursuit of truth in news.”
Why This Matters
These findings arrive at a pivotal moment for the communications profession. The generation now entering the industry. They bring heightened skepticism, sharper detection instincts, and a strong demand for authenticity. For PR professionals worldwide, the survey is both a mirror and a mandate: the fundamentals of trust have not changed, but the bar for demonstrating them has never been higher.
