Trust me, the challenge for communicators is real
The year ahead is going to be filled with challenges — that you can overcome.

Diane Schwartz is CEO of Ragan Communications.
I’ve been reading all the predictions for what’s in store for communicators this year. Frankly, the forecasts remind me of last year’s and the year before. Yet as I observe that sameness, I am embracing it with excitement and optimism.
While we are living in fast-moving times and uncertainty, the communicator has always been a stabilizing force, a voice of reason and a change agent. Serving as the eyes and ears of an organization, the communicator gets to the heart of any matter to improve the impact.
The calendar may have flipped but the appointments are similar: getting that seat at the table, leading through uncertainty, focusing on employees, dealing with misinformation, making that crisis go away. Predictions I’ve read are, in a phrase: This is the year for communicators.
So was last year and the year before.
And in my nearly three decades watching this field grow, I can say that 2025 will be a good one for communicators. It will be challenging, but what’s wrong with a challenge?
If you’ve become a communicator because you want to sit back and plan your next PTO, this isn’t the best career choice. But if you’ve chosen this profession because you want to make a real difference in the lives of nearly every stakeholder your organization serves and you want to be challenged, then the ball is in your court.
With the exception of generative AI entering the fray in a big way and DEI initiatives in a state of flux, all the challenges and predictions for 2025 should come as no surprise.
The good news is AI can give you the time and space to focus more on strategy. And while there’s less external focus on DEI, most organizations are paying heed to how they treat their employees, even if communicators are changing the corporate headlines.
Lastly, misinformation is a real threat. Everything I just wrote could be blatantly false, but I’m guessing you believe me because you trust me or know enough about Ragan, where I work.
Trust will be tested this year, be it trust in the people around you, in your organization, and in the institutions that serve us. The best way forward for those in communications is to trust yourself and the powerful skills you bring to bear this year. You’re going to need them.