The Elon journalism alumna, who serves as director of public relations and business development at Hannah Cranston Media, was recognized among the industry’s rising professionals.
Amanda Gibson ’21, director of public relations and business development at Hannah Cranston Media (HCM), has been named a 2026 Person of the Year by PRNEWS, earning recognition in the publication’s Ones to Watch category.
The annual recognition honors emerging public relations professionals making their mark on the industry in the early stages of their careers. For Gibson, the recognition gave her a chance to appreciate how much she and HCM have grown in a relatively short time.
“PRNEWS is one of the most respected platforms in the industry, so it’s an honor to be recognized,” Gibson said. “I’ve spent the past few years watching Hannah Cranston Media grow from a team of three to a team of more than 20, and most days I’m too deep in pitching and problem-solving to stop and think about how far we’ve come.”
While Gibson has built her career in public relations, many of the skills that guide her work today were developed through her experiences as a journalism major at Elon.
The Honors Fellow was heavily involved with Elon News Network as an anchor and multimedia journalist, while also participating other immersive experiences like FreshTV. Those opportunities helped establish a foundation in storytelling that she continues to draw upon while working on the public relations side of the media industry.
“Elon gave me a passion for storytelling and a tenacious curiosity, both essential to my career,” Gibson said. “Working as a reporter and anchor with ENN taught me what it takes to build a good story, and what makes people actually connect with one – the human element has to come first.”
That journalism background, Gibson said, has proved especially valuable as she develops stories and works directly with reporters.
“It’s shaped how I think about what a good story looks like and made me a better resource to the journalists I work with today,” she said.
Following graduation, Gibson spent three years with Jennifer Bett Communications before joining HCM in early 2024 as senior manager of public relations. She was promoted to director of public relations and business development six months later.
In her current position, Gibson oversees the agency’s consumer packaged goods, women’s health and wellness client roster, with responsibilities spanning client strategy and media relations. Her work can range from developing pitch strategies with colleagues to staffing events with reporters and cultivating media relationships. “My job changes shape depending on the week – which is one of the best parts,” she said.
Gibson credits much of her professional growth to learning the importance of surrounding herself with people committed to their work and to one another.
“Bet on people over playbooks. In an industry built on relationships, we can teach anyone to write a pitch or find the right story – but working alongside people who are passionately determined and hungry to see their teams succeed is an irreplaceable, unteachable quality.”
– Amanda Gibson ’21
Gibson also points to retired Elon faculty members Rich Landesberg and Glenn Scott as influential mentors. She credits Landesberg with instilling a respect for journalism’s ability to serve communities, an outlook that has influenced the brands and people she chooses to work with. Her research with Scott examining how stories are told around major events also continues to inform her approach to identifying stories and perspectives that might otherwise be overlooked.
Those lessons, along with the relationships she developed during her undergraduate years, remain important to Gibson five years after graduating.
“Beyond the classroom, the friendships and mentors I found at Elon continue to be a bedrock of both my life and my career,” Gibson said, “I’m endlessly grateful for my time Under the Oaks.”