A political economy of communication analysis of PR News: Intern status, skills, and conflict within the public relations industry.

This article examines the evolution of internship programs within the U.S. public relations (PR) industry through a textual analysis of PR News, a leading trade publication for PR professionals. Using a political economy of communication framework, it explores how the industry constructs interns as valuable labor sources while highlighting potential exploitative conditions, especially as economic recessions shifted practices from paid entry-level hiring to reliance on unpaid or low-paid intern labor performing menial tasks. The study identifies tensions between management's expectations and interns' neoliberal-driven aspirations for creative autonomy and career advancement, noting that trade discourses may contribute to interoffice conflicts and the devaluation of intern work both financially and professionally. It concludes that fostering mentorship and integrating professional development into internship programs could better align industry needs with emerging practitioners' skills, thereby enhancing retention and the profession's future identity.