It's Time to Get Involved.

Relevance to Generation Z:
In a world where fake news and misinformation circulate rapidly, it's essential to be aware of the credibility of the source of information. While PR teams inherently aim to bolster the public image of their company, it is a central point of contact between the public and the company itself, and thus some degree of transparency is important. Tesla's decision to remove its PR department can cause a massive disruption to communications; it also demonstrates the trend in today's polarized climate towards disseminating heavily biased information.

Tesla has reportedly dissolved its public relations team. This company has not responded to press inquiries in months; they have not been open to the press in the past and decided that they don't need to deal with it in the traditional matter. As a result, Tesla removed its specific point of contact for journalists. 

Tesla's decision is not necessarily a surprise, but it is a first in the industry. As Tesla is the lead automaker company, other companies may follow if it succeeds without a public relations team. 

Tesla has released some formal press releases, but the essential information is typically relayed by Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, on his Twitter account. Musk is known for criticizing the media, express its "systemic negative & political bias about almost everything." 

Musk is now the center of all inquiries surrounding company activity, policies, and agendas, which is troublesome. Leaving all communication responsibilities to Elon Musk will lead to less information about the company because he is one person and therefore isn't capable of answering even 1% of inquiries from the public. Additionally, as said by Electrek, Musk "seems to be almost exclusively responding to fans who are lavishing praise on him via Twitter and almost never challenge his views." Responding only to positive messages is incredibly harmful to the overall credibility of Tesla communications. Without addressing concerns and critical feedback surrounding the company, all Tesla communications appear overinflated and unreliable. 

- Chloe Davis

Source: Electrek