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Media trends: How to get UK press coverage in February
Want to get media coverage in February? Despite being the shortest month of the year, there are still plenty of opportunities to get coverage throughout the month with Valentine’s gift ideas still in demand.
Find out what else journalists are after this month and what they were putting requests in for last month on the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service.
AI back in focus
It’s been a topical issue for the last couple of years now and ‘AI’ has been cropping up on average each month in about 3% of enquiries. However, last month this increased to around 5% of the requests – likely due to the release of the new AI chatbot DeepSeek.
Journalists at IT Pro, The Next Web, The Daily Express, The Grocer, Vogue Business, and Schools Week all sent enquiries in January, looking for information and expert comment on how this new technology will, and currently is, impacting their respective sectors.
Going forward? There is a lot of noise right now about the cost of AI following DeepSeek entering the market. Many journalists will continue to cover this throughout February, likely looking for experts to give their views. If you have clients who cover this, or happen to be an expert yourself, have answers prepared, and you could get coverage in a major trade title or national press.
Winter travel ideas
Travel is usually pretty popular on the Journalist Enquiry Service and the category normally peaks in June. However, January has been a strong month for the category, and ‘travel’ has been a popular keyword. It appeared in 5.5% of the requests last month.
A lot of these enquiries were from journalists looking for travel trends for the year, but there have also been quite a few around Winter travel. This has included one for the world’s most beautiful ski chalet, skiing in Norway, and medium-haul destinations to escape the cold.
Going forward? The half term break for schools is fast approaching and we could see requests for last-minute family holiday breaks. Plus, we are already seeing enquiries about Spring and Summer destinations. Have your travel experts ready to provide comment and get featured in national press titles such as The Sunday Times, Metro, MailOnline, and The Independent.
Changing of the seasons
Many journalists, especially feature writers, are producing content two or three months in advance. That means despite it still being the middle of Winter, there were more requests in January containing the word ‘Spring’ (at just over 2%) than there were ‘Winter’ (2% exactly).
Some of these enquiries were around holidays and occasions, with just under 1% of the requests being for Mother’s Day and just over 1% being for Easter. Other Spring-related requests included tips to get your garden ready for spring, wellness retreats taking place in spring, and the best earbuds/headphones for the season.
Going forward? As the new season draws nearer, journalists’ requests around gardening, skincare and beauty, spring cleaning and home decor, and healthy living, will only increase. Journalists at consumer titles such as Top Sante, Good Homes, Stylist.co.uk, Take a Break, and Ideal Home all sent enquiries last month and are likely to again, so have information ready for them to use.
Other opportunities for PRs in February and beyond
Expect some last-minute requests for Valentine’s Day inspiration and presents, but attention will turn more towards Mother’s Day and Easter. Journalists tend to look for products to reviews or gift ideas, so have these ready.
The whole of February is LGBTQ+ History month and also National Heart Month as well, so if you have experts related to either of these, you could get media coverage this month. World Pizza Day (9 February) is coming up this weekend and Shrove Tuesday (4 March), also known as Pancake Day, is not far away. Journalists will likely be sending requests for interesting recipes or the best places to go, so have information and experts prepared.
For more about how the Journalist Enquiry Service can help you secure coverage in the media, check out this explainer.
CEOs in the news: What the era of increased accountability means for comms teams and their c-suites
Have a press-friendly chief exec to bolster your brand personality in the press? Telling the story of your business by aligning your company comms around members of your c-suite can be a smart strategy – but beware. Carefully constructed press releases form just part of the expanded conversation possible in today’s media landscape.
CEO-centred comms are a risky gambit in this era of call outs for bad behaviour, and criticism for connections with the wrong people or political factions.
Using data from Pulsar Trends and the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service, we examine just how dangerous CEO controversies can be for comms teams tasked with protecting organisational reputation.
Trouble at the top means social media scrutiny
Tracking mentions of CEOs and chief executives with phrases including ‘controversy’, ‘disgraced’, and ‘cancelled’ shows a rise in conversation among the UK public on X since the start of 2020 – with spikes for specific stories of execs in trouble. Which stories got the most people talking and sharing?
US CEOs get the most attention from UK audiences
US-centred CEO stories gained the majority of interest from Britain-based users of X, with Musk’s take over of Twitter in October 2022 sparking the most social posting and sharing. Peaks also driven by news from overseas – OpenAI ousting CEO Sam Altman from his role (later rescinded) and the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s Brian Thompson. These stories eclipsed the large-scale UK-centred CEO scandals when it came to sharing on social media for Brits. So what did get their attention closer to home?
UK social sharing centred on stories that intersected with high-profile institutions and celebrity
Attention to UK-born stories went to the stepping down of NatWest CEO Alison Rose following a high-profile clash between the bank and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, as well as the numerous controversies that fell into BBC CEO Tim Davie’s lap last year.
Harrod’s founder Mohammad Al-Fayed’s past impacted former exec Nigel Blow’s future, while events during Nick Read’s tenure at The Post Office continued to fuel furore on socials.
What they all have in common are connections to long-established institutions that come with prestige already attached – Coutts, Harrods, the Post Office, and the BBC.
Could this be an element unique to the UK, with brands fully entrenched into our social fabric? The long history of these UK organisations come with unavoidable institutional weight – making any related human-wrought controversy yet more intriguing for the general public, ready to hold those in power to account.
It’s not just high-profile institutions that bring more attention on social media, however. Celebrity also helps. High-profile – and now also highly-controversial – author JK Rowling’s involvement in a CEO-related story heightened the spotlight on Rape Crisis Scotland CEO Sandy Brindley, who shared her experiences in a story for The Times in September 2024.
In comparison, the media spotlight on UK CEOs has dimmed – but why?
When examining coverage of UK ‘CEOs’ + ‘controversy’ in the media over the last few years, the data shows a decrease…
Is this cause for relief for comms teams stamping down CEO struggles behind the scenes? Don’t relax yet – business journalists and columnists have merely shifted their focus to include business-related political figures in the wake of the 2024 General Election. The Labour cabinet in particular has become prime fodder for right-leaning news outlets since its installation in July of 2024. Naturally, this has meant a slight downturn in UK CEOs being called out.
A catalyst for one peak in both news coverage and social conversation that featured a politician-CEO combination was former Secretary of State for Education Michelle Donelan’s clash with UK Research and Innovation chief exec Ottoline Leyser in October 2024:
Does the Third Sector buck the trend?
The UK public aren’t only interested in commercial brand CEO scandals that intersect with the glitter of celebrity or politics. Beyond US-born controversy, one thing that consistently engages the UK public is scandal concerning the Third Sector.
Stories that got reporters writing – and social users sharing – was the announcement of Shelter’s ‘divisive’ CEO Polly Neate CBE’s plans to step down; the resignation of Children in Need chair Rosie Millard regarding objections to grants for LGBT Youth Scotland (LGBTYS); and the firing of Embrace Child Victims of Crime (CVOC) chief exec Anne Campbell.
CEOs don’t have to be guilty of bad behaviour themselves to be the subject of negative reporting or social media speculation. Not-for-profit comms teams must be prepared for a comms crisis related to their c-suite by monitoring the mood among the public, and the press.
CEOs as a source of expertise and controversy for UK journalists
Highlighting the continuing media interest in CEOs and the c-suite were the almost 400 related enquiries submitted by journalist, broadcast, and influencer users of the Journalist Enquiry Service last year.
Which sections of the media are hungry for CEO stories? The majority of requests came from business-focused trade titles including Management Today, Business Age, and Verdict, but also national press outlets with business beats including The Times and PA Media. Many of these requests sought comment from CEOs on the big stories of that week’s news cycle… but others wanted comment on the actions of CEOs themselves – including high-profile marketing expert, and controversy-courter, Steven Bartlett. One such journo request:
‘The online lifestyle, fashion, and beauty magazine SheerLuxe has come under scrutiny for ‘hiring’ their first AI (artificial intelligence) employee as Fashion Lifestyle Editor, Reem.
‘However, business mogul and host of the Diary of a CEO podcast, Steven Bartlett, scrutinised critics of the marketing stunt in a LinkedIn post […] Does Bartlett actually mean what he says? Or is he just trying to go against the grain of the common opinion?’
The opinion of business leaders is still of great use to journalists who require quick expertise to back-up their reporting (impressive job titles still confer respect) but, as is spotlighted by the data above, they aren’t granted unquestioned authority anymore, and their missteps can be quickly mined for content.
UK social media users are ready to pick apart CEO scandals and extend the life of these stories – especially when a controversy intersects with established and ‘respectable’ institutions or well-known figures. While the majority of the media has shifted focus to politicians, this doesn’t mean CEOs are in the clear.
Increased demand for ethical business choices from the public, and journalists reporting with their interests in mind, means CEOs are now just as easy to target for criticism as for their expertise. ‘Higher-profile’ increasingly means ‘higher-risk’, and understanding the nuances of the conversation will be a vital part of the PR toolkit this year.
Find out how to monitor your organisation’s reputation in the press and on social media with Vuelio’s monitoring solutions.
Media trends: How to get UK press coverage in December
What are journalists looking for as 2024 draws to a close? Festive content is obviously prevalent, but the media are using the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service for a lot more, too.
Find out below what was popular in November and what could get you featured in the press during December and into the New Year.
Last minute Christmas content
Unsurprisingly, ‘Christmas’ was the top keyword used by journalists for a third month running as it cropped up in 18.5% of the total requests sent in November. ‘Gift guide’ was prominent within this as nearly 8% of those journalist enquiries were for products and items to feature in a guide or round-up.
Some of the more unusual Christmas-related requests included a journalist looking to speak to someone who is giving some of their pension cash this Christmas, and another wanting to speak to interior designers about Christmas styles that remain popular every year.
Going forward? While there is relatively little time left until the ‘big day’, the media will still be looking for the best last minute gifts so have products ready to review. Fashion and food are also regular requests in December with advice on what to wear for the holidays and what to cook. The i paper, Ideal Home, Yahoo! Style, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist all sent an enquiry last month so there is the opportunity for national press or consumer magazine coverage.
2025 in focus
The end of one year traditionally gets journalists looking ahead to the next one and it’s proved no different this year with ‘2025’ featuring in just over 7% of the requests last month. ‘New year’ has similarly proved popular with just under 3% of enquiries containing that phrase.
Journalists at The Daily Express, PA Media and The Guardian sent enquiries in November with ‘2025’ in them including looking for new beauty launches for women, GenAI trends to watch out for, and new hotel and restaurant openings in the new year.
Going forward? December last year saw nearly 14% of journalists send enquiries for the year ahead, wanting information on travel, fashion, beauty, technology, and more. Have press releases ready on trends and predictions for 2025 and experts in areas such as fitness and wellness to tie in with events like Dry January and Veganuary.
Heating up for the Winter
We’ve mentioned in previous posts that seasonal requests are popular with journalists and ‘Winter’ has proved no different as it received 4.5% of the total enquiries last month. But there has been an increased focus recently on staying warm this winter with ‘heat’ or ‘heating’ cropping up in nearly 3% of requests.
Some specific enquiries included looking to speak to pensioners struggling to heat their homes, wanting to know the cheapest way to heat one room, and asking for comment from a health expert on the health risks of not putting your heating on.
Going forward? December and January are traditionally the coldest months of the year and journalists will be looking to get expert advice on what to do with your heating without spending too much. There will also likely be requests for case studies of clever techniques for staying warm and how the Winter fuel payment changes are affecting people.
Other opportunities for PRs in December and beyond
Returning to the Christmas theme again and journalists could be looking to cover Christmas Jumper Day and any other festive charitable events, so have information ready to send along these lines.
Get lists prepared for the best places and ways to see in 2025 to get potential media coverage. Plus, after the festivities of Christmas Day, Boxing Day brings with it the chance to get a bargain in the sales. Product reviews and round-ups will be in demand, as well as retail experts to pass comment on the state of the industry.
To connect with the media on these topics, and much more, check out the Journalist Enquiry Service and the Vuelio Media Database.
Find out more about how Vuelio can help you gain and track your coverage in the media here.
Best practice for campaign reports
Whether you’re launching a product, hosting an event, or raising organisational awareness, a campaign report is the best way to showcase the successes to stakeholders in an easy and digestible format. Measurement also helps teams to improve, compare strategies, and understand the true value of events and campaigns.
Campaign reporting isn’t only about evaluating what happened in the past, you can also use media analysis to support you before and during a campaign.
By following this framework for your campaign reporting, you’ll be able to:
- Set meaningful KPIs and understand the media landscape (before)
- Respond to the media and receive analytical support from a team of experts during a busy period (during)
- Showcase your successes to stakeholders with insightful evaluation and a greater understanding of what worked well and what didn’t work to identify opportunities for future campaigns (after)
Before your campaign
Goals
Before your new campaign begins, it’s time to set up clear goals and meaningful KPIs. This will help provide everyone with a clear direction of what is to be achieved and help with the future measurement of assessing the success of the campaign.
Consider the following:
- Who do you want to target?
- What message do you want to send, and what action do you want your audience to take?
- Where does your target audience go to consume traditional media?
- When is the best time to launch the campaign?
For example:
A mountaineering rescue charity may want to analyse its summer mountain safety campaign. They may want to target novice hikers with the key message to be prepared while hiking this summer. This charity have particular issues in the North of England, so want to target local media in that region, during the summer heatwave.
SMART Goals
With goals in place, you can set realistic SMART KPIs that align with your overall campaign objectives (SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound).
For example:
The mountaineering charity would like to increase the volume of campaign coverage by appearing in 400 outlets between 5 June – 4 July.
Or, they would like to increase the amount of headline mentions from the previous year by 5%.
Using historical or Industry Data
Once you’ve established your campaign’s goals and KPIs, use data to establish benchmarks to ensure your targets are SMART. Effective comparisons could be to your competitors, yourself, or the industry, and without data, you’re basing decisions on nothing more than a gut feeling.
Using data allows you to:
- Assess against industry standards or pre-determined goals
- Track progress over time if you compare it against your own previous campaigns
- Hold yourself accountable by setting measurable targets
- Say no to ideas that have underperformed in the past
For instance, the mountaineering rescue charity may have run a similar campaign the previous year and found that they achieved coverage in 300 outlets and a key message penetration of 35%. It would be unrealistic to set a goal of 100% key message penetration if the previous year had a 35% penetration, so an organisation can use this information to set a realistic target against last year’s results.
Vuelio can support you during the pre-campaign period with analysis of competitors or previous campaigns that can allow you to identify opportunities and threats.
Choosing the right metrics
Deciding which metrics to include is important, as the campaign report needs to reflect your SMART goals in a simple way that stakeholders in the wider business can understand.
Base your metrics on what best demonstrates your SMART objectives. This is especially the case with sentiment and proactivity analysis. Unless your campaign is to combat a negative reputation, sentiment will generally be positive, and the campaign itself is proactive, so consider other metrics such as the following:
Campaign-Specific Messaging: Track whether your intended key messages are being portrayed in the media e.g. How much coverage was the key message ‘When hiking this summer, be prepared and take water’ featured in?
Calls-to-action: Analyse if the media has included your campaign actions e.g. Head to mountaineeringrescue.co.uk to find out more about hiking safely this summer.
Prominence: Assess not just the volume of coverage about the campaign, but also the quality – are you appearing in headlines or as passing mentions?
Target Media Analysis: If your goal is to gain attention from specific media outlets, a detailed analysis of these results is necessary, e.g. Mountaineering Rescue is targeting local charities in the North of England so have compiled a list of relevant outlets in the region. It’s worth utilising a media database, like Vuelio’s Media Database, if these are journalists you haven’t worked with before.
The Vuelio team can support you with choosing the correct metrics. The team also typically provides manually analysed metrics that will allow you to analyse bespoke campaign metrics such as campaign messages.
During the campaign
Establish a useful reporting framework
During the campaign, it is important to continuously assess progress with the use of snapshot reports. These reports can help your organisation showcase immediate success, or respond to media reactions that may not be favourable or in line with messaging.
While you may already produce a campaign report at the end of your campaigns, sometimes this can be time-consuming. Vuelio’s Insights team can provide support during busy campaign periods on an ad hoc and ongoing basis. Many of our clients enlist us to provide them with multiple campaign reports per year to utilise our expertise, while some clients require our services on an ad hoc basis.
After the campaign
Once the campaign has finished, it is time to assess if your organisation has met its KPIs. At its core, media measurement is a continuous improvement process.
It may also be useful to consider if any additional data sets would add value to your reporting. For example, it may be useful to understand if donations, sales, or website traffic increased during the campaign.
Finally, when your campaign has ended and all analysis has been completed, you can then use this report not just as a summary of your campaign but as a benchmark for future work.
Find out more about campaign reporting and how Vuelio can help here.
How do journalists find audiences in the platform era?
How has the emergence of new media platforms impacted journalism, and its audiences?
To explore the state of journalism today and how it’s evolving for the future, we invited two panels of industry experts to share their expertise with an audience of PRs and fellow media professionals for the Pulsar x Vuelio event: ‘Seeking Audiences: Journalism in the Platform Era’ event.
Joining us to discuss the ‘new news’ landscape – including the challenges of capturing audience attention amid fragmenting forces like TikTok; the role of podcasts; and comebacks for local news – was Press Gazette UK Editor Charlotte Tobitt, ITV News Reporter and Producer Siham Ali, Polis Founding Editor and Director of The Journalism AI Project at the London School of Economics Professor Charlie Beckett.
Covering changes in audience perceptions, brands, and behaviours was CNN International Commercial Vice President, Audiences & Data Tini Sevak, The Economist’s Media Editor Tom Wainwright, and BBC News Journalist, Producer, and Presenter Kamilah McInnis.
Here are key points from the speakers, as well as extra answers we ran out of time for…
The new news: Reaching audiences with journalism today, from TikTok to podcasts, to local journalism
So many platforms, so little time for each: What are the biggest hurdles to reaching an audience for journalists?
‘Two main things – the fragmentation of the media landscape, and Google sending less traffic to them,’ was the verdict from Press Gazette’s Charlotte Tobitt, who covers the fortunes, and fluctuations, of the media as part of her daily beat.
‘It’s rarer for someone to search for ‘The Telegraph’ to find their news now, and publishers are finding it harder to engage directly. They need to future-proof against the many other platforms out there by building brand connections – trust is at a real low in the UK and the US’.
Charlie Beckett, whose organisation Polis campaigned hard for amendments to the Online Safety Bill, highlighted just how much the media industry has been transformed by competing platforms pumping out information, 24/7:
‘I remember when it was just papers and TV. We were the only place you could get news – life was great!
‘Social media is the biggest thing to happen to journalism in a hundred years. You have incredible access to different sources, and that can be overwhelming. But as an audience, we don’t want to go back.
The problem for publishers is having to start from a place of what people want. But journalism has always been good at that.’
Is the plethora of platforms warring for audience attention actually an opportunity for journalism? ITV News’ Siham Ali, talking as a reporter with ‘boots on the ground’ across the UK, sees the positives:
‘I think finding an audience is easy with TikTok and Instagram. Especially with local news – Facebook has made our jobs easier.
‘We have stories that perform well on TikTok. The trick is adapting our storytelling to this new way of sharing news. I don’t think it’s a bad thing. But then, I’m young, so…’
Another ‘newer’ format for storytelling is podcasting, a medium the publishing industry has invested in heavily over the last few years.
‘[The podcasting format] is infecting ‘traditional’ broadcasting and making it more casual,’ believes Charlie. ‘And they aren’t much different – they’re merging.
‘Podcasts are ambient. TikTok, you’re more focused on it. When we talk about audience attention, it’s skeletal – it doesn’t tell us everything we need to know.’
Rebuilding trust in the news industry when bad actors also have a platform
Vuelio’s head of insights Amy Chappell asked if the extra competition for audience engagement has meant more clickbait (and as a result, more misinformation).
‘You have to be really careful where you get your news from,’ said Siham. ‘I’d like to think the big media names are the good actors. There’s clickbait everywhere.’
Charlie pointed out that this isn’t a phenomenon born from the digital age:
‘Audiences have a lot of agency – they consume “fake news” because they want to. People are driven by identity and emotions, by fear – they choose to consume what panders and pays attention to fears they have.
‘Clickbait wasn’t suddenly invented. Marketing and advertising people have known this for decades.’
Trust was also highlighted as a difficult part of the local journalism ecosystem –
‘People are at the heart of everything we do. In journalism – people are the story,’ said Siham.
‘I was only able to work on certain stories because of people in communities. I saw their need to be heard.’
The importance of time covering a local new beat on a journalist’s skillset was underlined by Charlie – not just for the journalist, but also for building loyalty with audiences:
‘Editorial diversity is what’s needed – knowing what it’s like to grow up on a council estate, for example.
‘Most national press get their stories from local news. The media have to be honest that we’ve messed this area up by reducing news teams – fewer journalists are left now in regional journalism.’
Is social media and vertical video making news accessible, and can it bring media success?
‘The news industry was slow to TikTok, and then a few individual journalists picked it up,’ explained Charlotte.
‘The Daily Mail is now one of the biggest news publications on TikTok, and it’s a good thing for the longevity of the brand.
‘People were hesitant initially because the monetisation wasn’t there. But for brand building, it’s worth it. The TikTok algorithm is so good that the right stuff should find the right people.’
But Charlotte also recommended caution regarding social platforms like TikTok:
‘It would be risky to rely on them completely – the platforms can change up the algorithms anytime. Publishers shouldn’t get too excited about one platform.’
‘Audiences that are underserved [by traditional media] are on TikTok,’ added Siham.
‘They might then come through to ITV at 6.30pm. An 18-year-old then knows what’s happened in Westminster today. They’re now able to pass that information to their friends at the pub.
‘TikTok used to be an afterthought, but now it’s part of the planning stage at ITV. The social team make up a chunk of our output on the platform’.
The opportunities for PRs and a bright future for journalism
‘I used to work in PR, and we didn’t think to add vertical assets – there’s a lot of potential in that space, said Siham. ‘Show that your content is multiplatform.’
‘I’ve seen politicians doing interviews directly with social teams, and not the digital news teams. That trend is quite interesting.’
‘I’m excited by the new platforms, adapting as a news organisation is exciting.’
‘If I wasn’t optimistic about the future of journalism, I would be in the wrong job,’ said Charlotte. ‘People are aware of the challenges, but there’s lots of innovation and cool stuff going on.’
‘The news industry is more aware than it’s ever been. News is incredibly resilient – the dogs won’t die,’ said Charlie.
Journalism in the platform era: Audience perceptions, brands, and behaviours
How worried should the media and comms industries be about increasingly polarised communities?
The Economist’s Tom Wainwright highlighted just how split media audience are along political lines – particularly in the election-heavy 2024:
‘More extreme takes travel further online than more moderate ones. That makes the space seem very polarised. And what you see in polling is that trust is very split along partisan lines in readerships and viewer bases. After Brexit, the big fallout between ‘leave’ and ‘remain’ audiences, for example.
‘It’s part of a broader mistrust from more conservative audiences with what they see as ‘elite’ institutions. This split is a hard thing to fix. Organisations need to increase their diversity of staff partly because of this. There’s a divide that’s baked in.’
‘People still value credible and well researched journalism but news is dominated by organisations that focus on sensationalism and misinformation,’ added BBC News’ Kamilah McInnis.
‘Organisations should apologise when mistakes are made, listen to audiences and be consistent to rebuild trust. Respond to what audiences need. And remember that they also tune in for escapism and analysis.’
CNN’s Tini Sevak emphasised how vital established and non-partisan media organisations are for the public, whatever their political outlook:
‘When people are making big decisions, they’re still coming to news organisations.’
Bringing audiences back to engaging with news reporting, wherever it’s published, posted, or shared
The panel talked about the rise in news avoidance over the last few years, and how this is increasingly impacting audiences across demographics. It’s not just younger people who avoid hard news – not tuning in to ‘traditional’ news mediums like ITV News at 10, or picking up a daily print newspaper. Even those who had previously been avid news-followers are tuning out for a variety of reasons – the increase in global conflict; the ways awareness of this has seeped into all other mediums to become a constant in the background of modern lives; even the lack of censorship and inclusion of distressing images and updates.
Much has been made of this increase in news avoidance over the last few years – both at industry conferences for journalists, and in reports detailing challenges for publishers. Could a factor be a simple lack of visibility for ‘traditional’ news platforms?
As Tom pointed out: ‘As a child, I had to watch Newsbeat to get to Grange Hill. People are moving from a news-rich environment to a news desert. Maybe people are bored of news, but I think they’re just seeing less of it.’
Discussion also centred on the lack of news on the streaming channels now available – Tom mentioned Netflix as an example of a platform that doesn’t have an option for news updates. For many of the public, the only way they will encounter broadcasts devoted to news reporting specifically will be by seeking it out. How can new organisations build relationships so that audiences will search for them as sources?
For Tini, reputation and reliability are vital:
‘When you’ve got a brand that stands for something, you have a relationship with your audience. It’s about giving back – news has to be a reflection of life. Hard news, but also culture – reflecting what life is about’.
The impact of paywalls and subscription models
Tom pointed out the difference that a subscription model makes to an outlet’s overall focus, not just their audience:
‘Organisations that focus more on subscriptions are more likely to go niche. The New York Times has shifted to a subscription model and is aiming to be more in tune with their readers – for the good and bad.
‘If you’re funded by advertising, however, you’ll be more generalised and centrist. With subscriptions, readers want to engage with content they agree with. The way publications respond to that dilemma depends on their business model’.
‘The brand safety aspect is very real,’ added Tini.
‘Advertising within news doesn’t have to be a detriment to your brand. There’s an opportunity to engage with a tuned-in audience’.
For more on this topic, as well as the Pulsar and Vuelio research discussed during this event, check out our reports ‘TikTok journalism: The platform’s impact on news audiences’ and ‘Hold the homepage: How scoops circulation through the modern media landscape’.
Media trends: How to get UK press coverage in November
What will go off with a bang in the media in November? Many people will be celebrating Bonfire night with fireworks this evening, and journalists, broadcasters, and influencers have been using the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service to source information about this and other topics.
Find out below what the media wanted from PRs over the last month, and how to get coverage in November.
An avalanche of Christmas content
‘Christmas’ has been the number one keyword used by journalists in enquiries for a couple of months now, and October was no different – the festive season featured in around 17% of the total requests. Nearly 10% of the enquiries included the words ‘gift guide’ with ‘advent calendar’ on 3%.
While the vast majority of requests were for products, journalists looked for different angles as well, including how to avoid social burnout in the lead up to Christmas, and for comment from a historian on British Christmas heritage.
Going forward? Have products ready to review for gift guides and information about the perfect Christmas dinner and events to get out to (amongst other topics). Journalists at The Sun Online, PA Media, Daily Mirror, and The Guardian all sent requests last month so you could get national press coverage.
Political interest and money matters
Rachel Reeves’ first budget announcement as Chancellor of the new Labour government was always going to be a big talking point, and so it proved with ‘budget’ featuring in 4% of all enquiries throughout October and ‘Government’ in 3% of those containing that word.
GB News, The Independent, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, and ITV News all sent requests around the budget. They asked for opinion on how the Autumn statement would affect different areas, such as pensions, tax rises, the bus fare cap, and specific industries including tech.
Going forward? Politics is always a popular news topic with the media and journalists are regularly using the Journalist Enquiry Service to get insight and information. They will also want expert reaction to and comment on the US Presidential election, plus the recent Conservative leadership race. Personal finance experts will also continue to be in demand for advice on the on-going cost-of-living crisis.
Winter is coming and so are more features on AI
Journalists regularly use the enquiry service for seasonal content but despite still being in Autumn, Winter is now their main focus. 4% of the total requests in October featured ‘winter’ in them, double the amount that had ‘Autumn’.
Another topic that regularly gets a good amount of requests each month is ‘AI’. Nearly 4% of the enquiries last month were from journalists covering artificial intelligence’s impact on businesses and people’s daily lives.
Going forward? AI has been a big topic of conversation for a while now but journalists continue to use the enquiry service to get expert comment. If you have someone that can provide a quote or advice then you could be featured in the Metro, IT Pro, Evening Standard, or BBC News Online.
Winter requests have ranged from choosing the best duvet and skincare products, to knowing the signs of norovirus. If you have winter-specific information or products, you’re very likely to find relevant media opportunities.
Other opportunities for PRs in November and beyond
Black Friday arrives at the end of the month, so journalists will be looking for information on the best deals, as well as products to try out and review themselves.
Health and medical specialists will be in demand ahead of World Diabetes Day (14 November) and environmental experts may be required for comment for National Tree Week (23 November – 1 December). The whole of November is also World Vegan Month, so have information ready on the benefits this can bring and you could get media coverage as a result.
To connect with the media on these topics, and much more, check out the Journalist Enquiry Service and the Vuelio Media Database.
Find out more about how Vuelio can help you gain and track your coverage in the media here.
Listen up: News podcasts share the story of water pollution in the UK
Bad news has the ability to spread quickly in our hyper-connected modern world of multiple platforms. For PRs, this means more channels to monitor than ever before for signs of crisis… but it also provides extra ways to boost important stories, connecting audiences to vital information.
One crisis with far-reaching implications for the UK audience over the last few years has been polluted waterways. This issue was put to politicians in the run-up to our General Election this summer, discussed with frustration across social platforms, and covered by the media in print, online, and in podcasts.
To highlight the impact of the podcasting format as an increasingly useful way to connect with audiences, we tracked the story of water pollution in the UK, and internationally, across podcasts from 1 November 2021 to 29 September 2024.
So many podcasts… and for good reason
2022’s Interactive Advertising Bureau and PricewaterhouseCoopers’ report on podcasting projected that the industry would generate $2 billion in revenue in 2023, and $4 billion by 2024. The prediction of podcasting’s emergence as a format for storytelling has proved right – not just among friendship groups sharing anecdotes on their sofas (of which there are many), but for publishers, too.
The Daily Telegraph’s political editor Ben Riley-Smith highlighted podcasts as ‘a huge booming area for news consumption’ when speaking on the changing political landscape in the UK in 2023, and other publishers and big media brands have capitalised on this in 2024:
‘It makes sense for publishers to be moving towards the podcast space,’ believes Reach Studio’s head of content Yara Silva, whose team launched The Division Bell podcast to coincide with the UK General Election, and the Euro Thrash vodcast for Euro 2024.
‘People are just busier and busier – it’s so easy to consume a podcast while you’re doing other things. Podcasts are only going to get bigger and more important to publishers’.
The importance of news podcasts to audiences is also clear when tracking mentions of the format on X since 2021:
Mentions of news podcasts reached a zenith on X in June 2023 as the industry ‘boomed’, and it continues to be a source of discussion on social media. It’s now a firmly established format to turn to for news, with listeners/viewers no longer posting about a ‘podcast’, but specific shows, namechecking where they heard about certain topics.
Examining mentions of the two biggest podcasts in the UK – The Rest is Politics, which launched in March 2022, and The News Agents, launched in August 2022 – proves podcasting’s utility as a news source. Peaks occur around key events in the news cycle – the obvious example being the UK General Election causing a spike in mentions for both podcasts this summer.
Podcasts aren’t just for entertainment – they are also turned to by the public as a way to stay informed on events happening around the world, as well as closer to home.
How podcasts reached audiences with reports of water pollution
Water pollution is an issue faced across the world to varying degrees – tracking related news shows a firm focus on the topic in UK and US regions especially. Following mentions also shows how these stories reached further audiences with publisher-affiliated podcasts.
UK media outlets including BBC News and The Guardian have an outsized impact on the global conversation. Their influence on ‘greener’ socially progressive conversations is to be expected within their UK base, but this international dominance is surprising… Until the impact of their podcast brand extensions is considered. Both outlets reported on water pollution, and then took up the story in their podcasts to share extra information and delve deeper into the specifics. By contrast, US and Australian outlets like The Washington Post or ABC Australia produced a significant amount of written content, but did not fully utilise their podcast channels.
The ‘boom’ of podcasting as a format for news reporting isn’t just the result of a faddish focus within the publishing industry – audiences are listening (and watching, when there is accompanying video). PR and comms teams tasked with raising awareness by securing coverage in the press should expand their focus to aural formats alongside the traditional written word – important stories can reach audiences across every platform out there to engage with.
For connecting with podcasts relevant to your brand or niche, try Vuelio’s Podcast Monitoring – providing access to 65k podcasts as well as insight into audience sentiment and emerging trends within the world of audio content.
Not sure which platform is right for your next campaign? Check out the benefits of each social media platform – and how Vuelio can help you make the most of them – in this blog post.
Lifelines for local journalism: How the media is reconnecting with communities
Aiming to engage local audiences with media outreach for an upcoming PR campaign? First for the bad news, and then for the good…
Fortunes have undoubtedly been rather bleak for local journalism in the UK for a while now. Newspapers relied upon by their local communities for generations have closed in favour of shiny new centralised news hubs. Long established publishers have been bought out and absorbed into larger organisations. Where did the readers go? Many to social media, joining private Facebook groups or following hashtags on X to find out what’s happening in their area – risking misinformation, and further increasing the pressure on existing local journalists.
But now for the good news: local journalism is fighting back. It’s the perfect time for comms teams tasked with connecting with communities across the country to take another look.
To examine the ways local journalism is making a comeback across the UK, we analysed mentions of the phrase across online news and social media from 2019 to 2024. The story told by the data – a more positive outlook for the UK in comparison to other regions across the world.
What renewed public interest in local journalism?
Examining spikes in discussion of ‘local journalism’ across the UK in comparison to the US highlights commonalities in times of increased interest over the last four years.
To be expected – April 2020’s discussion of local journalism spiking as the effects of the pandemic on the job market also hit newsrooms. In the US, posts focused on job losses at papers including the Tampa Bay:
Support from local journalism came from senators in Virginia and even Ben & Jerry’s in Vermont. Since then, interest has tended to taper off. That is not the case within the UK.
Back in 2020, #buyapaper trended as local outlets faced closures, with reminders to support local journalism coming from within the media itself, and the public:
January 2022 saw a huge spike in discussion around local journalism in the UK, driven in part by recognition for the stories it remained capable of breaking, even after successive years of declining budgets and readerships.
Political controversies and coverage in the wake of, and run up to, our respective election seasons in the UK and US are causing discussion of local journalism to rise in both regions again. While trust in ‘mainstream’ media channels has fallen, confidence in localised reporting appears, by comparison, to have strengthened.
A ‘continued rise in community journalism’ was how Sefton Council’s senior communications officer Ollie Cowen described this trend when talking about his team’s task to raise awareness of changes in UK voting laws across the UK in 2023. They reached out to local reporters to do this, also making the most of ‘geographically centred pages on social media that had either been created or grown exponentially as a result of the increase in “good neighbour” behaviour during lockdown.’ As the pandemic kept people apart physically, it would eventually bring local communities back together – this has been a boon for local journalism, too.
Publishers and journalists have had to find news ways to connect with audiences and rebuild followings in the wake of how the world changed – advocating for communities across the UK with targeted, audience-first reporting.
For an example, let’s head to Manchester…
‘What local journalism should be about’: The Manchester Mill finds its community online
The Manchester Mill was launched in June of 2020 by Joshi Herrmann, a journalist with experience at national outlets including The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, the Evening Standard, and The Spectator. Unlike these publications, the Manchester Mill is not available on newsstands to pick up in person, but is instead accessible online on Substack, a newsletter platform.
‘The Mill is my attempt to build a media company around readers rather than advertisers,’ reads Herrmann’s mission statement. ‘We won’t copy and paste press releases. Instead, we will dig deeper into local stories that matter – whether they are about crime, culture, business, or new ideas.’
The Manchester-focused Mill publishes one in-depth article via email and online daily to paying members (also known as ‘Millers’), and provides a free option in the form of a weekly digest email. This is paying off in both engagement and revenue. Meanwhile, its journalists have become part of the local ecosystem, helping to spur engagement with other localised reporters and continually grow the audience for the publication.
In terms of the most influential local voices, Herrman himself drives much of the conversation, generating the most engagement overall with almost as many posts as the main Mill account.
Manchester Mill employees actively share news articles and express positivity about their contributions to local journalism and the work the Mill is doing – something its community of ‘Millers’ are also grateful for. Subscribers number 50k so far, with reader reaction to its success highlighting commitment to community ‘collaboration’ and its focus on breaking important stories, including its Sacha Lords scoop.
Summing up this commitment to localised reporting, senior editor Sophie Atkinson said ‘Nowhere else do you get this level of engagement, comments, emails, tips. It’s exciting and rewarding’. And, from looking at the numbers, it’s working.
Nichification: Success in Suffolk?
Centralised news hubs dolling out automated updates to readers living across the country removed journalism from its audience in other ways than the physical. How can local news publications reconnect with locals? By tapping into existing loyalties through coverage of local heroes – their sports teams.
By analysing how often audiences (and other media outlets) link to these publications, we can get a sense of what’s driving growth or re-engagement among audiences.
Clearly, sport is playing an outsized role here – and the story becomes clearer still when we break things down on a topic-by-topic basis.
Outside of the football pitch, engagement goes to reporting on the local environment, including stories on crime (with spikes for fox hunting and a local criminal case) and amenities (road closures, criticism of Anglian Water, and the construction of a local solar power plant).
It could be argued that the extra interest – and potential revenue – driven by engagement with a local team (one experiencing its greatest success in decades) is in some senses underwriting more traditional local journalism topics. Recent promotional campaigns from The East Anglian Daily Times suggests they certainly view it this way, touting a subscription model that appears closest to that of The Athletic (which sells subscriptions based on unparalleled attention on local teams).
However, this comes with two potential problem points. Firstly, the financial implications of this engagement (whether it is truly able to support dedicated local journalism over a prolonged period) is yet to be tested, Likewise, a local team enjoying back-to-back promotions to the Premier League is hardly a model for all local journos.
Similarly, some would point to the Mill’s success and suggest it could only work within parcels of the wider country – namely those boasting large, youthful populations.
Whether or not these approaches could work for the local journalist scene at large, it proves that publishers and journalists are continuously finding ways to breathe new life into a sector long neglected. A local football team cannot be counted on to drive a mass of feelgood engagement – but it does provide a model for nichification, around sporting or cultural institutions. Likewise, the Mill shows the opportunity latent in an increasingly tech-savvy population, used to getting its news via non-traditional means.
The story told by the data – people care about what’s happening in their local community. News teams that make the effort to find their communities where they share and consume news – and pay attention to what they genuinely want to read and react to – are providing a lifeline to local journalism as a whole, as well as a place for longer-term loyalty and connection.
To connect with local communities through media outreach, find out about the Vuelio Media Database and the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service.
Want to know more about the state of journalism in 2024? Check out our analysis of audience attitudes across the globe.
The state of journalism in 2024: What do audiences think?
PRs will always need journalists, and journalists – in turn – will always need an audience. But how do audiences across the world see journalism in 2024?
While the media has always had to evolve to meet the changing needs and expectations of its audiences, this requirement has only accelerated in recent years. The changing role of journalists in our fast-moving modern climate presents challenges – for society as a whole, media organisations, and for the PR and comms industry professionals who navigate the media landscape.
How has citizen and independent journalism on platforms including TikTok, and in increasingly popular formats like podcasting, impacted the way news is shared? How are international news brands and local reporters each effected by these alternatives to ‘traditional’ news sources? And how do stories spread across media, platforms, and audiences in this climate?
Journalism is…
These are all questions we’ll be exploring over the coming months, as we conduct our research into journalism and news audiences. But first, to investigate the current perception of journalism across the world, we’ve analysed over 1.2 million media and social data points internationally, tracking mentions of ‘Journalism is…’ from May to September 2024.
Let’s begin with a look at the differing attitudes towards journalism across the world, and specifically, the UK…
How is journalism perceived in the UK in comparison to other regions?
The short answer – not in a particularly positive light. When tracking words commonly used following the phrase ‘Journalism is…’ online, ‘dead’ tracked the highest in the UK, followed by ‘biased’, and ‘corrupt’.
The source of this negativity isn’t hard to find, with press coverage of this summer’s UK General Election sparking criticism from the public across social media en masse. As debates, interviews, and analysis filled television schedules and column inches, the people watching and reading at home went online to share their frustrations, with high-profile journalists bearing the brunt.
The US audience shared a similarly dim view of journalism across social and online media – also unsurprising, perhaps, considering the political unrest stirring in the light of their own leadership race.
While the US and UK are aligned on attitudes towards the media, the ways in which they are expressed in public spheres and the media is where they differ (and not just in the UK audience’s willingness to share opinions with a sprinkling of swear words in their X posts).
So which audience of those we tracked considers journalism most important? Those in Australia and New Zealand. ‘Journalism is important’ was a more popular opinion shared online than ‘journalism is dead’ in these regions. A higher number also believed journalism to be ‘crucial’ than in the US and UK.
Is journalism ‘dead’?
Aside from UK fans disagreeing with reporting regarding their favourite sports team, celebrity, or other niche personal interest, the sharing of the view that journalism is ‘dead’ among UK news audiences has been rampant.
2023’s Edelman Trust Barometer found that the UK is one of the countries with the lowest faith in the media. Of the 27 countries surveyed, respondents were only less trusting of the news industry in Japan and South Korea.
While trust was up by 2% from Edelman’s previous survey in 2022, regaining confidence from the public is going to be hard going for the UK news industry. A consideration being taken seriously, as shown by the debates happening at media industry events across the country, including last year’s Society of Editors’ Media Freedom Conference.
The past year has also seen criticism of media reporting on the ongoing Gaza conflict, with disconnects between images and video shared on social media, public protests happening across the world, and the choices made in media coverage sparking further distrust.
Is journalism still ‘crucial’, ‘essential’, and ‘important’?
While use of positive descriptors by those sharing their view of journalism in the UK was much lower than use of the more negative ones, news reporting – in all of its different formats – continues to be cited as ‘important’…by invested communities. Journalists themselves, and those in adjacent industries, see and share reasons for optimism, but how can this be transmitted to audiences who have become distrustful, and disconnected?
Among the challenges facing the news industry – misinformation, lowering revenues, and distrust – audiences still seek information, and reporters, broadcasters, and content creators of all kinds are adapting to provide this.
Media brands making the effort to stay attuned to changing audience needs are building back loyalty and trust. For some recent examples: The Independent has doubled its profit and revenue over the last five years; the Financial Times is adopting data-driven personalisation as part of an audience-first strategy; and Reach plc’s launch of its Reach Studio hub is bringing each of its brands to new viewers in new formats.
The current state of journalism in the UK is in flux, and the prognosis can perhaps seems bleak. But there are causes for optimism to be found in emerging audience behaviours, platforms, and brands, which we’ll be exploring as part of our continued State of Journalism series.
Interested in how the media is evolving? Sign up for the 23 October Vuelio and Pulsar webinar ‘The New News Audiences’.
How newsrooms are changing and what this means for the PR industry
Newsrooms are always looking for ways to improve their processes, and the PR industry needs to keep up as they evolve. Press Gazette’s Future of Media Technology Conference featured a panel discussion dedicated to exactly that – newsroom transformation.
Here are insights shared by David Dinsmore, COO of News UK, Graham Page, sector lead for media, tech, telco & sports at Q5 Partners, Paul Rowland, editorial director at Reach plc and Nina Wright, chair of Harmsworth Media and the Professional Publishers Association…
AI’s impact on the newsroom
While AI might still be in its infancy, it’s already having an impact on the newsroom. Paul Rowland spoke about how Reach plc have been using Guten:
‘It’s a rewriting tool which makes a piece of content written in house, and reversions it for another title in that style of that publication, therefore eliminating the need for journalists to do things which aren’t distinct to their particular beat or their particular patch.’
Other publishers also mentioned different tools they are using to make the more mundane parts of a journalist’s job quicker. But David Dinsmore stressed the important role of humans for research – ‘The journalist is still going to go and dig up the proper stories, and that’s the stuff that the customers are interested in.’
The impact on PRs: Remember early predictions that AI could one day be turning your press releases into articles? Should this come to pass, journalists will have more time to dedicate to writing in-depth articles. Getting these stories will continue to require a lot of research, and the media will be reliant on expert opinion and case studies to give news and features colour and credibility. PRs – get your clients ready to be featured regularly, and in more detail.
The importance of brand
PRs and publishers both have this in common – the importance of brand and brand reputation. The problem for a lot of publishers in the current climate is that younger audiences, especially Gen Z, don’t recognise news brands. As Graham Page explained:
‘When people come across your content, they don’t recognise who it is and whether it should be trusted or not. We run a youth panel – when we talk to people, around 16 to 18, their knowledge of news industry brands is very light.’
Newsrooms are adapting to make sure that their brand is standing out. Nina Wright shared that ‘Brands need to be alive and sing on a whole number of different platforms, and your revenues need to do that as well.’
She gave the example of the New Scientist which, as well as having several revenue streams and being on all the social media platforms, also has an extensive live event programme. This helps to further its connection with communities and make the brand more memorable.
The impact on PRs: Publishers could well be shifting from their traditional platforms and PRs must be ready for these industry changes. News organisations won’t be interested in pitches that don’t align with their current branding. Make sure that you understand their brand, and that your own brand is also trusted and reputable. With publishers also more likely to be getting on the newer platforms, such as TikTok, make sure the content you are suggesting can work on a myriad of mediums.
Platform changes affecting publishers
Google’s algorithm changes have been impacting publishers, as we highlighted in this round-up of the conference on our sister ResponseSource blog. Nina said that many publishers are currently ‘at the mercy of the platforms’ as ‘you never know when they are going to change their algorithms, and then you have to scramble around and react and respond to that.’
Newsrooms have had to be even more savvy to make sure that their content is performing well on search and that the right audience is reading it. This is a particular challenge for smaller newsrooms. Paul spoke about Reach plc’s CornwallLive, which aims to be ‘a local, trusted, relevant news source in Cornwall, but also wants to thrive and scale.’ With a story about a new bypass, the team there were able to use the platforms to their advantage. As Paul explained:
‘The Google Discover algorithm knows that lots of people have an interest in Cornwall, and if they optimise that through headlining it in a clever way, then it can reach a huge audience, beyond the core audience of loyal Cornwall users it wants to get to.’
Impact on PRs: While Paul was able to recount a positive story for Reach plc, a lot of publishers are struggling due to Google’s changes. As PRs, stay on top of what changes the platforms are making – algorithms are no longer the same. Be aware of what is going to perform well on Google, and where SEO can be optimised – journalists will be more likely to want to work with you.
For more on the ins and outs of the publishing industry, and how you can work with journalists, broadcasters, and influencers to gain coverage in the media, check out the Vuelio white paper ‘From pitching to getting published: A PR’s guide to media relations‘.
What trade can learn from brands: How to raise your media profile through media evaluation
Vuelio was a proud sponsor of the Trade Association Forum’s Best Practice Exchange 2024, a space for professionals across UK trade associations to share sector insights and predictions for what lies ahead.
Want to raise the profile of your organisation or association in the UK media? Check out advice shared during the Vuelio masterclass on what can be learned from big brands, including client stories to illustrate use cases adoptable for trade associations
Why learn from brands?
Sharing her expertise on how brands can amplify their message in such a saturated media landscape was Vuelio’s head of account management Katharine Feltwell, who talked tactics for cutting through the noise.
‘There are clear similarities between brands and trade associations,’ said Katharine.
‘Where the customers drive the revenue for brands, members drive the revenue for trade associations.
‘Where the brands make their money through customers purchasing their consumer products, trade associations make their money through members buying into things such as training and events.
‘Brands strive for a clear brand identity against their competitors, and trade associations strive to develop a brand identity which is industry linked.’
Key differences to consider:
‘Brands are usually the most well-off organisations. They tend to have the most financial freedom to be seen as early adopters of new tech and trends. As they are consumer facing, they generally have more competition and can have to try harder to be the loudest voice in the room to have the most commercial or b2b impact.’
The key challenges of amplifying your voice?
Katharine shared challenges frequently faced by industry clients who want to amplify their voice in the media, highlighting:
– Difficulties in ensuring messaging is both cohesive and concise
– A lack of audience consideration and understanding
– Struggles with rebuilding trust once it has been lost.
In light of these, how can trade associations facing the same issues overcome them?
Understanding your audience and where to aim your comms
Katharine shared two case studies from her experiences aiding clients in getting their messages out to the world, the first being a top 100 charity based in the UK who successfully reached its target audience with its comms.
Starting right at the ideation stage, the charity didn’t know who to contact with its story, or which publications should be in its target outlet list for coverage.
‘Ensuring a not-for-profit budget is channelled in the best direction, with the best return, is of utmost importance,’ said Katharine.
‘This charity wanted to work smarter not harder, and put its effort into reaching specific key audiences rather than just shooting wide and hoping for the best. This particular charity had five different audiences of financial donors that it wanted to reach, spanning from so-called “traditional wealth” to “concerned neighbour”.
‘We focused on something the charity already knew – its own donor personas.’
By enhancing Vuelio’s own analysis with the audience intelligence of sister company Pulsar, it was possible to understand which media and social profiles these personas would engage with – and the ‘traditional’ publications they may read – resulting in a robust list of media to target with messaging.
‘Every month, our team of analysts work together to create a report for this charity. These reports delve into what topics resonate best with each target audience. I.e. Do fundraising case studies appear more commonly in the types of publications that “concerned neighbours” read rather than “traditional wealth”? Is the “traditional wealth” demographic is mostly interested in the policy change stories?
‘If you are starting from the very beginning of your strategy and are not sure where to start – begin with something that you already know, or expertise you already have, and work backwards to your end goal.
‘As a trade association, you will have incredible amounts of industry data from your members. This is powerful information that can help shape your media activities.’
How to cut through the noise with your comms
Want to be seen as a leader in your industry sector? Learn from the story of an international bank that wanted to share its ESG credentials in the media, without incurring greenwashing accusations (a pitfall many brands have fallen foul of over the last few years).
‘What we did for this client was to provide a status quo report,’ said Katharine.
‘Our team of analysts examined a group of six international banks (themselves included) and the tactics used when talking about each element of ESG; which ones resulted in a positive and neutral result versus negative coverage, and where the reach was the highest.
‘We created an eight-page report filled with charts, graphs, and written analysis, finding that banks that relied heavily on press releases, blog content, and quotes from CEOs did not see the largest volume of high quality, high reaching positive/neutral coverage.
‘Instead, those who focused on press announcements of actionable changes made the most splash. Actions speak louder than words when it comes to creating a credible ESG profile as a bank – sweeping statements do not work.’
The client pivoted to communicating actions, and has gone on to win multiple sustainability awards.
‘Learn from other people’s mistakes and victories and craft your plan based on what has already happened in the story so far,’ said Katharine.
Key takeaways to remember when elevating your voice
– Simplicity is key when it comes to working smarter not harder
– Look around you and think about the voices that are already loud on your chosen topic – what is and isn’t working for them?
– Create your ideal audience from information you already hold, analysis of external channels, and the right support
– Once you have decided what ‘good’ looks like for you, consistent tracking of your performance against goals will ensure lasting success
‘Doing these four things will allow you to create your own bespoke playbook for managing your own reputation,’ advised Katharine.
‘This ultimately will enable you to take this strategy whatever may come your way – be it a curve ball from the Government where you have to amplify your external voice at pace, or a positive opportunity for change.’
Learn more about Vuelio’s Media Monitoring and Insights solutions, and Pulsar’s audience intelligence tools, for sharing your organisation’s story and successes.
Winners and losers: Who placed on the PR podium for the 2024 Olympics?
There are no medals for PR at the Olympics (yet), but comms teams across the world were busy bigging-up sponsorships and superstar athletes throughout the 2024 event in Paris. Which PR campaigns were successful and deserving of plaudits, and which could have done better?
With the Paralympics (and a whole new load of PR moments) on the way, here is our overview of what worked, and what didn’t, at this year’s Olympics…
Our gold medal goes to… cheese
Probably an unsurprising choice (if you’ve been online at all throughout the games) is Italian gymnast Giorgia Villa’s partnership with cheese brand Parmigiano Reggiano. Sponsored by the cheese since 2021, Villa’s past photoshoot with wheels of the good stuff was rediscovered by X users at the end of July, to widespread joy and social virality.
As said by one X user: ‘Dunno how much the Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Consortium has been paying Giorgia Villa since this deal was arranged in 2021 but they’re certainly getting their money’s worth this week’.
Will Villa further build her own brand with other tie-ins, like Usain Bolt, George Forman, and Mo Farah have in recent years? It’s a solid PR strategy for sportspeople, and the brands they work with, for getting attention online and press coverage.
Silver goes to… Mongolia’s opening ceremony uniform
Way before the serious sporting even started for this year’s Olympics games, competition was rife among the countries taking part… around the release of their uniforms.
While Team USA had tagged in fashion heavy-hitter Ralph Lauren to clothe their competing athletes, it was Mongolia’s uniform that received the majority of attention online, as shown by analysis of social and news platforms using Pulsar.
A common feeling among the takes on Mongolia’s uniform – positivity for the nods to tradition, careful crafting, and textile choices.
Reaction to the US’s uniform – perceived laziness for the choice of ‘dated’ brand Ralph Lauren.
Mongolia’s uniform got the public talking, with pleasant surprise. All this, despite the lack of a big PR and comms function behind the team.
When looking at brands involved in the Paris Olympics, Ralph Lauren received plenty of mentions on social and news write-ups – both prior to and post-competition – much of it negative.
There’s a lesson here for those tasked with tie-ins and team-ups for the upcoming 2028 Olympics: find out what your intended audience actually wants to see by researching their interests. Integrating cultural relevance into branding was effective in this case. Well-researched choices can spark those watching at home – an average of 30.6 million people watched coverage of the Paris Olympics on Comcast Corp.’s US media outlets, by the way – to dive into the conversation.
Bronze goes to…Snoop Dogg and Flavor Flav
Bringing ‘delight to the games’, as reported by The Guardian, was superstar Snoop Dogg, who served as a special correspondent for NBC’s Olympics programming.
Plenty of celebrities featured at the Paris Olympics – including, confusingly, the Minions during the opening ceremony – but none got quite the same level of fondness in their press write-ups. Apart from Flavor Flav.
Fellow musician and memetic star Flav’s signing of a five-year sponsorship deal with the US women’s and men’s water polo teams, and help with landing sportspeople brand deals, has strengthened his profile. AND, more importantly, is sure to help more people of colour into the sport – a hope he shared during an interview with NPR.
And the ‘better luck next time’ award goes to… a well-intentioned misstep in memeing
Shout-out to the PRs who flagged this one – a brand post aimed at highlighting inspirational female athletes… with subtitles related to relationships.
‘I mean, it’s 2024, right? […] It’s sad to see this stereotype being used yet again. Are we not past the point of thinking women are only interested in men and relationships?’ was one take on LinkedIn. The company later deleted their Instagram post – a wise strategy when a piece of PR isn’t winning over the audience.
Want to connect with journalists who’ll be reporting from upcoming sporting events, and track your coverage? Try Vuelio’s Media Database and Media Monitoring.
Back-to-school essentials, Christmas gifts, and keeping cool: What the media are looking for in August
What will the media be covering in August? The news cycle may be ever-changing and unpredictable at times, but the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service is a good indicator of what is popular.
From how to stay cool in a heatwave, to what to expect from the new Labour Government, below we look at what journalists were sending requests for in July and predict what their focus will be for this month.
Summer is starting to heat up
The UK is finally enjoying some good weather and as a result we saw a new keyword last month, with ‘heat’ featuring in just under 2% of all enquiries. Journalists were looking for ways people can stay cool in the heat, how to keep pets safe in the warmer weather, and how often to water the garden.
‘Summer’ stayed as the top keyword in July, with just under 6% of the total enquiries. This is a 20% increase compared to July 2023. ‘Gardening’ also remains very popular, appearing in 5% of requests. This is a 40% increase in comparison to last year.
Going forward? With the weather set to remain hot throughout August, there are likely to be more enquiries on how to cope with the heat. Have experts ready to provide comment and products for keeping cool, ready to review. Travel advice and holiday destinations will stay in demand throughout August too, so be prepared with experts and information.
Back to school
Schools have only just broken up for the summer, but journalists are getting ahead with their articles and features. ‘School’ featured as a keyword in over 2% of last month’s requests, with around half specifically being about ‘back to school’.
This included enquiries for back to school essentials (new pencil cases and bags), the cost of school holiday childcare, and back to school lunch box recipes. The ‘Education’ category saw a 56% rise in the amount of requests between June and July as a result.
Going forward? Requests around ‘school’ and ‘university’ made up over 4% of enquiries in August 2023, and we would predict similar numbers this year. Review products are usually the most in demand, but there will likely be requests for education experts and teachers to provide comment, as well.
Christmas in July
Despite the fact that Christmas is over four months away, we have already seen our first flurry of festive requests. ‘Christmas’ appeared in nearly 2.5% of enquiries from journalists to PRs throughout July.
As ever, journalists are looking to plan their Christmas features and product round-ups far in advance. Requests varied from travel packages for breaks over Christmas, to top new board games, and eco friendly/sustainable gifts.
Going forward? The number of Christmas requests will steadily increase over the next few months. In August 2023, 6% of enquiries featured the keyword. Journalists at Red magazine, House Beautiful, woman & home, and Good Housekeeping all sent requests in July, meaning lots of opportunities are likely to be featured in consumer magazines in the coming month.
Other opportunities for PRs in August and beyond
‘Christmas’ is likely to take over the Journalist Enquiry Service, alongside with ‘school’ and ‘summer’. But be ready with experts, statistics, and case studies on other subjects – at the end of the month, there is Notting Hill Carnival (25 August) and the summer bank holiday. Journalists will be looking for ways to celebrate the carnival and activities and days out for the bank holiday weekend, so have information ready for both occasions.
Festival season draws to a close with Reading and Leeds (21 – 25 August). Journalists often send enquiries for ‘festival essentials’, which means a good opportunity to get products featured in the media. The Food & Drink category should see more interest from journalists with National Prosecco Day (13 August), National Rum Day (16 August) and National Burger Day (29 August) all taking place this month. If you’re a PR who specialises in food and drink/FMCG, there is plenty of opportunity to get press coverage this month.
To connect with the media on these topics, and much more, check out the Journalist Enquiry Service and the Vuelio Media Database.
Find out more how Vuelio can help you gain and track your coverage in the media here.
Are you following the Green Claims Code with your comms?
A growing awareness of the impacts of climate change has meant greater accountability for PRs communicating company ESG credentials.
Alongside the potential for bad press if you’re doing it wrong are the dangers of falling foul of legislation – the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)’s Green Claims Code, this Autumn’s DMCC, and incoming EU regulations being just three possible pitfalls.
In our latest webinar ‘Navigating the Green Claims Code: How to avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing’, The Grocer’s editor-in-chief Adam Leyland explained the clampdowns, why your words matter, and how to communicate your credentials to the media.
The clampdown on ESG claims
‘Greenwashing has been going on for a long time – it’s rampant,’ said Adam.
‘In the FMCG space, sustainability-related terms are used liberally – words like ‘eco’, ‘green’, and ‘sustainable’ are scattered into comms. Sometimes this is innocent and well-meaning – linked to positive initiatives to minimise the impact on the environment. Sometimes it’s cynical and glib – and PRs are among the worst offenders.’
Is PR all bad, then? No, explained Adam.
‘The point is this is all relative. Using different packaging doesn’t make a product ‘green’. To make that claim now, you have to undertake some onerous lifecycle analysis of all aspects of the supply chain – packaging, sourcing, catching, energy, water, and what happens to it at the end of the cycle. It’s a difficult thing to make these claims when you have to be so exhaustive.’
While there have been rules set in place on sustainability to be aware of already – Trading Standards and International Standard ISO 14021, for example, Adam warned that ‘it’s only getting more onerous’.
‘The Green Claims Code was established in 2021; Autumn’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC) could mean great whacking fines – the pressure is on,’ said Adam.
‘The market is saying enough is enough. It’s unfair to claim you’re green and gain an economic advantage if you’re really not that green, or you’re being highly selective about it.
Why words matter
‘The reason I said that PRs are the worst offenders for greenwashing is because of the frequency of the stuff you’re putting out,’ explained Adam.
‘All brand marketers are looking for ways to make claims. But when you’re producing that many words, that frequently, things can slip out. It’s different with ads, which have to be ratified by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) – they’re going through a level of scrutiny before they go out.
‘With PR, you’ll see certain words everywhere – people pick journos up when we use these words, too.
‘“Ethical” is contentious, even words like “responsibility” come with difficulty. This also applies to images – leaves, skies, all these things that suggest a perfect world are under scrutiny.
‘Phrases like “saving the planet” – remember, the planet is going to be fine. It is lifeforms that are in danger from climate change. The planet will still be there, even if it’s a nuclear wasteland. We need to be careful with the words we use.’
Mistakes to avoid
On what not to do, Adam shared what the team see at The Grocer:
‘Setting targets, and then backtracking is incredibly embarrassing. You’ve traded on something you will do, rather than something you have done. That gives a halo that may not be warranted.’
‘Another issue is dressing up simply following rules and regulations, and putting out press releases about it.
‘Hyperbole isn’t good and neither is hypocrisy. Or glibness. But there are degrees of seriousness, and as much as I’ve been critical, there are worse things than trying to do something good, to reach for the stars and not be able to get there. There’s lying, there are cover-ups, and avoiding the truth – that is the worst form of PR, burying the truth.’
‘Sometimes brands get away with it, and sometimes they don’t.’
The difficulties of the Green Claims Code
‘While the principles of the code sound really simple, the truth is that practicing these principles is actually really difficult,’ said Adam.
‘There are those who don’t know where they’re going wrong. You have to avoid technical jargon while being clear and meaningful. It’s not that straightforward.’
What do journalists want from PRs on ‘green’ topics?
‘The first thing I’d say is honesty’ said Adam, highlighting an example of Abel & Cole rectifying a claim around recyclable packaging in an ad that ran in The Grocer.
‘This is where PR can disarm criticism – admitting that something you did was wrong’.
Abel & Cole went on to win a Grocer Gold Award for Sustainability Initiative of the Year.
‘There’s huge amounts of data needed, and PRs need access to toolkits, and business insights. Start with the data and then make your claim, not the other way around.’
‘Seemingly small things are interesting – we wrote about Quality Street changing their wrapping. We also wrote about British Snack Co working with Aquapak to produce recyclable packaging. You don’t have to make major claims.
‘There are marginal gains, little changes, that chime with the consumer.’
But be careful – as highlighted by Adam, even something as ‘small’ as teabags can come with greenwashing dangers. Moving from plastic? Claiming a teabag is sustainable also means double-checking the tea’s own lifecycle.
Reaching for the stars on ESG
‘I do have a concern for the future in terms of comms. And a concern for a lack of progress towards sustainable development goals. I worry that people will only change because of legislation,’ said Adam.
‘But I think there is a competitive advantage in reaching for the stars with comms. It requires you to do the work on transparency, on data, because without that you can’t take action.
‘If you stop communicating with shoppers, it makes it harder for them to know what’s more sustainable. Those who do the right thing, try to lessen their impact on the environment, and communicate what they’re doing clearly, honestly, and carefully, will be those that flourish.’
For more on PR’s part in ESG, download the Vuelio white paper ‘The perception of PR in sustainability communications: How to avoid greenwashing and be an advocate for change’.
Webinar – Navigating the Green Claims Code: How to avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing
As modern consumers have become more eco-conscious and ethically aware, journalists are prepared to uncover any misalignment between company claims and ESG credentials.
In this climate of increased accountability for company communications, how can PR teams ensure their sustainability messaging is compliant and that all claims are completely above-board?
Join our next webinar ‘Navigating the Green Claims Code: How to avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing‘ at 2pm on 17 July to hear The Grocer’s editor-in-chief Adam Leyland discuss this from the point of view of the media.
The session will cover:
– Current and incoming regulations from groups including the CMA that comms teams need to know about
– How to avoid greenwashing and greenhushing missteps
– Ways to highlight company ESG profiles in the media and with audiences
Can’t join us live? Register here and we’ll send you the recording.
Want more on the responsibilities of PR and comms when it comes to sustainability messaging? Download our Vuelio white paper ‘The perception of PR in sustainability communications: How to avoid greenwashing and be an advocate for change‘.
Political commentators, destination experts, and sports professionals: What the media are looking for in July
Want to get your clients featured in the media in July? While the General Election has been the media’s focus for the last six weeks – and will be a priority for a while yet – there are plenty of other opportunities for coverage, and the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service is a good gauge for what is trending. Here is what journalists have been requesting throughout June, and what we predict their focus will be in July.
General Election fallout
Unsurprisingly, ‘election’ became a popular keyword on the Journalist Enquiry Service, appearing in 2% of all enquiries in May, growing to 2.5% in June.
Journalists focused on gathering interviews, and the viewpoints of CEOs and leaders from different sectors, including technology, retail, and business. There have also been requests for information on tactical voting, analysis of the manifestos, and for an expert to comment on election marketing and advertising.
Going forward? Journalists will most likely be looking for expert comment on what to expect from the new Government, the impact on the public, and the economy. The Times, The Independent, Reuters, and ITV News all sent requests concerning the election in June, giving an opportunity to feature you or your client in the national news now.
Summer holidays and gardening remain popular
‘Summer’ was the top keyword on the Journalist Enquiry Service for a second month in a row, as it featured in 9.5% of all requests. This is also an 8% increase compared to this time last year, maybe a sign that we’re in for some better weather as well? ‘Holidays’ cropped up in just over 3% of the enquiries in June this year. ‘Gardening’ proved even more popular as it appeared in 5.5%, and this is a 51% increase compared to June 2023.
Requests around ‘summer’ varied widely last month with everything from fashion to health to skincare to food and drink. The enquiries about ‘holidays’ tended to look more for travel experts and information on places or activities for the school summer holidays. Journalists sending requests about ‘gardening’ were primarily looking for experts to give tips and advice.
Going forward? Journalists will be looking for gardening experts and travel experts/information on destinations, so have these clients ready to engage with these media coverage opportunities.The nature of summer requests are harder to predict, but fashion experts could be needed to comment on the best clothing to wear and health advice/information on what to do to stay cool during warmer temperatures. Journalists from The Guardian, The Sun, The Daily Telegraph, Homes & Gardens, and Woman’s Own all sent requests on these three topics last month.
Other opportunities for PRs in July and beyond
It’s just a couple of weeks until the Olympics starts in Paris and in June, just under 1% of all enquiries featured ‘Olympics’. This will receive a lot more traction this month as we approach the games, with journalists looking for former athletes and sports professionals to interview. ‘Euro’s’ has also featured as a keyword and if England continue to progress in the tournament, journalists will likely look for information on the best places to watch the matches, as well as the impact it could have on the economy. Both of these events, plus Wimbledon as well, means sports spokespeople will be in high demand from journalists.
There are several food and drink related days this month including World Chocolate Day (7 July), National Hot Dog Day (19 July) and the whole of July is National Ice Cream Month. Journalists could be looking for food experts to give related recipes and advice. Finally, while school will only just be finishing, the media will begin in July to look for information on back to school items. This could be for uniform, stationery, lunch boxes, and more. This will gain in popularity throughout July and into August, so have the information you need prepared to send to journalists and get media coverage in both national press and consumer media.
To connect with the media on these topics, and much more, check out the Journalist Enquiry Service and the Vuelio Media Database.
Find out more how Vuelio can help you gain and track your coverage in the media here.
How the General Election 2024 conversation evolved from the announcement to voting week
By Phoebe-Jane Boyd, Michael Kane, and Dahye Lee.
Despite the General Election announcement by the Government on a rain-soaked Wednesday evening coming as a complete surprise, the themes and dividing lines that have defined the Conservatives and Labour’s campaigns have not.
While the Conservatives have faced ridicule for their 14-year record, fueling significant anti-Conservative rhetoric across the country, Labour have consistently been questioned on their alleged opaque plans for Government, and what they envision for the future of the country should they take power.
But how has the wider online conversation and press coverage evolved since the first week of campaigning to today? What topics captured the interest of political reporters and the voting public, and which media platforms shaped the narratives?
We analysed the UK General Election 2024 conversation across online and print news, TV, radio, and podcasts as well as X, Threads, Facebook, blogs, and forums, from 23 May – 1 July to examine these fluctuations as we head towards an historic decision for the UK.
Which topics have preoccupied the press and public, now and then?
When laying out the top-mentioned topics during this last week against that of 23 – 29 May, conversation around the top ranked has intensified, while the remaining topics have not experienced dramatic changes since the initial General Election announcement.
NHS/Health remains a key consideration, making up 12.6% of discussion over the last week. Natural, perhaps, following major party pledges and public concerns surrounding the state of healthcare following the election.
A topic that started off top of the agenda in the press and on social media and has since fallen out of conversation drastically? Sunak’s National Service idea, which fell by 60%. Controversy has stayed with Sunak, however, with mentions of Sleaze jumping by 80% due to recent gambling scandals. This scandal has also spread to Labour.
While the first leadership debate, hosted by ITV on the 4 June, saw Sunak consistently stressing the ambiguity in Labour’s plans for tax, the junior doctors strikes, and curbing illegal immigration, Starmer focused on a need for Sunak to be ‘ashamed of the last 14 years.’
Flash forward to the last leadership debate hosted by the BBC just last week and the underlying messages remained the same. Sunak ramped up the rhetoric as he urged voters to ‘not surrender’ their pensions, taxes, or borders to Labour. Starmer, again, sought to associate Sunak with the last 14 years of Conservative Government, condemning him as ‘Liz Truss Mark II.’
Labour has managed to hold its lead over the Conservatives in polling, at around 20%, showing the party’s defensive strategy has paid off.
What topics are Labour and the Conservatives each associated with?
Each party’s associations are shaped by their core political priorities, as shown in the above breakdown of conversation by Conservative and Labour. Conservatives prioritise National Service and Foreign Affairs, consistently scoring above 70, which is partly weighted by public criticism.
Labour has seen an uptick when it comes to housing, with mentions coming from a mixture of audiences – Labour candidates, and supporters of other parties. Yet, these mentions are still less than those from anti-Tory audiences.
Have the media and public been aligned on what matters?
Social and news data breakdown signals how the public and media (mis)aligned on what matters to them.
News coverage has focused on Tax, NHS, and immigration – issues that highlight contentious aspects of major party pledges, from Sunak’s proposed tax hike, to Reform UK’s immigration policies, and Labour’s latest NHS plans.
In contrast, the public’s interest, shown on social media, has focused on Foreign Affairs, Sleaze and the NHS, featuring speculation on Sunak’s early election call, and the growing calls for action from the Government.
Online conversations on the General Election today continue to lean towards news and political events. Channel 4’s TikTok dominance, particularly among young people, highlights its influence.
With UK party leaders showing less visibility on TikTok compared to figures like France’s Jordan Bardella – who boasts 1.7M followers – it could be argued that there is less emphasis on populist styles of leadership for the majority of UK political parties.
Where this is markedly different – Reform UK. The party’s burgeoning impact in TikTok dialogues has challenged the traditional discourse dominated by major parties.
In fact, the return of Nigel Farage as leader of Reform UK, alongside Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey’s campaign stunts and serious focus on social care, has squeezed the incumbent Conservatives from both the left and the right throughout the 2024 General Election campaign.
This has the potential to redraw political boundaries as Farage may finally be elected as an MP in Clacton and the Liberal Democrats may return to become the third largest party in the Commons, removing many Conservatives from the blue wall.
Personality-focused campaigns can project messaging further into new audiences, providing beneficial, and unforeseen, impacts (if not on votes, as Farage has found in previous years, with no election to office).
Which outlets are leading the conversation and coverage now?
The Guardian and the Mirror emerge as the top-shared media sources among the public – both left-leaning outlets. Notably, people frequently share articles from The Guardian to substantiate their opinions, often using them as evidence in debates.
The most engaged articles focus on questions around the timing of the General Election, and scrutinisation of Sunak’s representation throughout his campaign.
Meanwhile, right-leaning publications such as The Telegraph and GB News, previously outside the top ranks, have also emerged among the top credible sources. This is largely due to the growing social sharing by ex-Tories and Brexiteers who are keenly watching Reform UK’s rising influence.
It was only October 2022 that Sunak promised to deliver ‘integrity, professionalism and accountability’ in Government while Starmer has consistently emphasised the importance of returning politics to the ‘service’ of working people. Whether these aspirations materialise after the election is a different question but no one can doubt the importance of this with the last few weeks, and years, in mind.
For regular updates on what is happening in UK politics and public affairs, sign up to our weekly Point of Order newsletter, going out every Friday morning.
The scandals of General Election 2024: How the D-Day and gambling controversies spread among audiences
By Phoebe-Jane Boyd, Dahye Lee, and Ingrid Marin.
While political experts predict a lack of enthusiasm from the public when it comes to voting on 4 July, there has been growing interest in the scandals of the UK 2024 General Election across the press and social media.
The big two controversies providing catalysts for column inches and social snarking? Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s early departure from this year’s D-Day celebrations, and the numerous political figures currently under investigation for gambling on the election date.
With no two scandals quite the same, we explore how each story reached audiences on different platforms and grew, analysing the UK General Election 2024 conversation across online and print news, TV, radio, and podcasts as well as X, Threads, Facebook, blogs, and forums, from 27 May – 27 June.
A disastrous D-Day for Sunak
Right at the beginning of the General Election campaign, Sunak walked out of D-Day celebrations in France to appear on ITV News. Despite the apology from the PM, this story hasn’t gone away, earning another mention during last night’s final Sunak vs Starmer BBC debate. But how did the story originally grasp the attention of reporters and potential voters?
Breaking down the D-Day conversation across different platforms shows that it was reporting from broadcast media that initially sparked interest in the D-Day scandal, with social media picking up the story and amplifying it to new audiences. Early broadcast clips proved perfect fodder for panels criticising Sunak, and for people to share on their social channels.
While the D-Day scandal went quiet from 11 June across broadcast, press, and social media, it made a comeback on 21 June, propelled by Byline Times’ decision to circle back to the issue as part of its reporting on the use of veteran ID cards for voting.
Given the prominence issues like defence and security have had so far in this election campaign, Sunak’s mistake has ultimately been a gift to his rivals, leaving the stage clear for Keir Starmer to show leadership and patriotism.
However, Starmer has not been immune from scandal…
Bad bets placed by politicians
The betting scandal has dominated election campaigns as the run-up to the General Election rumbles into its final week.
Some quick context to the latest controversy: reporting started prior to last weekend, with parliamentary candidates Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, an unnamed Metropolitan police officer, and the Conservatives’ Director of Campaigns Tony Lee first implicated in the betting crisis. Nick Mason, the Conservative’s Chief Data Officer, was subsequently revealed to be under investigation by the Gambling Commission. According to a BBC report, 15 Conservative candidates and officials are now being investigated by the commission.
Nevertheless, the betting scandal is not contained to the Conservative party, as Labour revealed the suspension of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Kevin Craig following his admittance of betting against himself.
In contrast to the D-Day scandal, the spread of this story shows the crucial role of social media in shaping a scandal’s narrative from its early stages, well before it gains mainstream attention.
Behind the early social peak on 12 June – a Channel 4 TikTok video breaking the news of the MP Craig Williams inquiry going viral (102k views to date).
On June 19, social media swiftly circulated news of Williams’ alleged arrest on betting allegations, which was then backed by BBC coverage.
The revelations of additional Conservatives’ betting activities, coupled with Craig’s suspension from Labour on 25 June, furthered the narrative – gaining the attention of political journalists, and propelling the story into mainstream media outlets.
Over time, the scandal has captured the attention of both press news outlets and broadcast channels, both mirroring the narrative arc of the discourse happening on social media.
A lesson for the comms teams for each of the political parties vying for power at the 2024 General Election, perhaps: in the modern climate of interconnected media, crisis management has to start early in the cycle of a story, and across all platforms, before a scandal can spread.
Sunak and Starmer’s latest responses to the scandals
Last night, Sunak and Starmer drew the curtain on five weeks of intense campaigning in their final head-to-head television debate.
The D-Day and gambling scandals got early mentions, but weren’t the only controversies to feature in the latest clash.
Both Partygate and ‘Covid contracts’ were brought back into debate by Starmer – showing that while scandals can fall out of the public eye and press columns for a time, there’s always the possibility they will be weaponised at the most inopportune moments for those involved or implicated.
For regular updates on what is happening in UK politics and public affairs, sign up to our weekly Point of Order newsletter, going out every Friday morning.
