ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the representation of women in trade media and considers more broadly the impact of second-wave feminism and societal shifts around women and the workforce. It highlights the need for a more historically informed position on women and public relations (PR) in order to better understand the development of an occupational and professional identity along gendered lines and the significance for the PR industry. The chapter investigates the representation of women in the Australian PR industry’s trade media from 1965 to 1972 in order to understand how shifting gender dynamics in Australian society played out in the PR industry. The feminisation of the Australian PR industry in the 1980s provoked considerable anxiety among industry leaders. Historical research on the role of women in Australian media and promotional industries has flourished. Despite evidence of women’s participation in the Australian PR industry during the years of the journal, female practitioners are often poorly represented in its pages.
