Lookism in Indonesia's public relations industry

•In Indonesia, PR is perceived to be the profession of physically attractive women.•This study examined the views of students and practitioners on lookism in PR.•Physical attractiveness is largely accepted as important asset in PR.•Lookism is not considered a form of discrimination by most.•Forms of sexual harassment are often found in the PR profession.

SynopsisAs a feminized profession, public relations is dominated by women in numbers, but dominated by men in power and responsibility. Because in Indonesia, public relations is often regarded as frontliners of the organization, as opposed to a managerial function, an emphasis on physical attractiveness is placed on its practitioners, thus promoting lookism. This article aims to answer the following research questions:1.What are the perceptions of PR professionals and students toward the existence of lookism in their field?2.Do public relations professionals and students regard lookism as an effect of the feminization of the profession?In-depth interviews were conducted with 50 public relations professionals and 125 public relations students in the Jakarta area. Findings show that lookism is present in Indonesia's public relations industry. While practitioners oscillate from negating and admitting the existence of lookism, students are fully aware of such discrimination, and agree that attractiveness is essential in public relations.