Finding and keeping an audience

How the media is winning back audiences in times of distrust

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

In times of distrust, how can the media win back and grow their audiences? And how can the PR industry help?

At this year’s Society of Editors Conference, Newsquest’s editorial development director Toby Granville, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s acting editor Mitali Mukherjee, 5 News editor Debbie Ramsay, and The Sun’s director of digital (editorial) Will Payne offered their insight and advice. Here’s what you need to know:

Understanding the audience

News outlets are more focused than ever on understanding who their audience is. This has been a focus for 5 News, whose audience is largely older, with an average age of 61. Debbie Ramsay explained the benefits:

‘The channel has been growing for the last six years and 5 News last year had its biggest audience for six years. Our focus is on growing the audience, keeping them, and telling the stories in the right way for that audience – guiding them through, not berating them or patronising them or criticising them in our tone’.

Audience at Society of Editors conference

Newsquest, which has over 250 news brands and 27 daily newspapers, has print readers at an average age of 65 to 70, as explained by Toby Granville. This drops to about 45 for the 120,000 paid digital subscribers they have. For all of them, the focus is on being a trusted local news outlet:

‘We’ve focused on better front pages, higher local story counts, and news that’s actually relevant to the older readers’.

The impact on PRs: Be attuned to who a publication’s audience is. Print titles and broadcast media usually have an older audience, whereas online is where the younger readers will be. News outlets won’t publish your press release or feature your expert unless they appeal directly to their intended audience.

How audiences are accessing the news

The ways in which audiences access the news has also shifted, as Mitali Mukherjee explained:

‘We have seen extremely high engagement for video. Platforms like TikTok are doing quite well for young audiences. Facebook is making a return and YouTube is very strong.’

She revealed that in a survey of 50 countries, a third of them are approaching the news via social media platforms. At 5 News, Debbie makes sure there is content on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok every day.

The Sun has found success on YouTube:

‘YouTube is the one which it feels like it’s the most viable business model because it is a revenue share and they need your content,’ said Will Payne. ‘It’s definitely our most highly prioritised video platform, but then on TikTok we have 9.2 million followers. We use that to reach younger audiences and try to drive to hero products’.

The impact on PRs: Pitching to news outlets isn’t just about having interesting or relevant information – it also needs to be in the right format. With publishers increasingly using vertical video to reach and grow their audience, make sure that your contribution is going to work for that medium. Telling journalists that you have material which can work across a variety of platforms is more likely to get you media coverage. They will often produce the same piece of content in different formats e.g. for the paper, for the website, and for video.

An emphasis on local and the personal touch

Newsquest is building trust with its audience by emphasising that the organisation is part of the community, Toby shared. Local newsrooms are open, with between 50 and 55 across the country in town centres.

Mitali explained why local stories are resonating with readers:

‘The small local stories about how a bunch of young people or an entire community got together and saved a local park or built biodiversity back give people the affirmation that they can take action. These sort of stories really resonate and this is across countries and across newsrooms’.

Newsquest has also freed up time to spend on local stories and campaigns by hiring around 30 ‘AI assisted reporters’ to turn press releases into stories, leaving the rest of the newsroom able to get out and find original content.

At The Sun, the focus has been on putting journalists at the centre of the coverage and forming more of a personal relationship with the audience. Will said ‘we want people to see the personalities behind the content we’re producing, and we also see that this does give us a USP against mass-produced AI generated content, which will be more prolific in the coming months and years’.

The impact on PRs: A number of publishers are using AI to streamline their work and it’s likely more will follow suit, dealing with press releases in this manner. Make sure your press releases are clearer and more accurate than ever before.

The move towards a more personalised approach should make journalists more receptive to personal case studies and give PRs a better chance to make a connection.

Want more about vertical video, and how the media and comms industries are utilising AI? Check out Vuelio reports ‘TikTok journalism: The platform’s impact on news audiences‘ and ‘AI in beauty: How it equals risk – and opportunity – for the PR & comms industry‘. 

Media trends for April

Media trends: How to get UK press coverage in April

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Want to spring into action and make the most of media opportunities at the start of the season? The ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service had a high percentage of requests interested in covering Spring during March.

Read on to find out what other topics proved popular last month and what you can do to help journalists with their content in April.

On the hunt for Easter info

The Easter weekend is fast approaching and has been a focus for journalists throughout March. Over 3% of the requests sent last month contained the word ‘Easter’ – a 19% increase compared to this time last year.

A large majority of the requests have been for Easter eggs and gift guide information. However, there has also been a number of enquiries looking for activities for the school holidays and travel destinations to jet off to. Both ‘activities’ and ‘holidays’ received around 2% of the total requests in March.

Going forward? While there is less than two weeks until Easter, journalists will continue to be looking for last minute products to review, so have these ready. Plus, expect more requests around ideas for days out during the two week break. If you’ve got a travel expert with comment,  they could get featured in The Sun Online, Daily Mail, or Sheerluxe.

The endless possibilities of Spring

Seasonal requests are always popular on the Journalist Enquiry Service and that was the case in March as ‘Spring’ appeared in over 5% of all requests. This is nearly double the amount that we received last year.

It could have been due to extra requests around the Spring Statement/budget as journalists at 5 News, The Times, and Daily Express all sent enquiries on this topic. However, there was a wide variety of areas covered mentioning Spring, like spring cleaning product reviews, must have travel gadgets for Spring break, and recipes and cocktails.

Going forward? Spring will remain a popular keyword on the service throughout April and we are likely to see more requests around beauty, fitness, fashion, food, drink, and healthy living. Journalists tend to look for expert comment to accompany these articles and you could get featured in outlets such as HELLO!, Yahoo! Life, Prima, PA Media, and The Telegraph.

Gardening requests in full bloom

With Spring now here, we have seen a big increase in the amount of gardening requests with just under 6% of the total in March being for ‘gardening’. This is a 34% rise from this time last year and 45% increase from last month.

Journalists at Ideal Home, Metro, Homes & Gardens, and woman & home all sent gardening requests last month. The majority of these were for expert comment on topics including pruning grape vines, the dos and don’ts of composting and how to grow blueberries.

Going forward? Gardening was the top performing keyword in April last year and is likely to be again this year. Expert advice is usually what journalists are in search of so if you have relevant experts, you could get featured in a consumer magazine or national press title.

Other opportunities for PRs in April and beyond

With the London Marathon taking place at the end of April (Sunday 27), expect to see requests around ‘running’ and looking for experts to give tips on taking up the sport or running longer distances/preparing for a marathon. This cropped up in nearly 2% of enquiries in April 2024.

2.5% of requests in April last year contained the word ‘outdoors’ as journalists looked to get information on activities and days out as the weather improves, and we would expect to see that again this year. Plus, journalists looking to get ahead with their content start asking for Father’s Day gift guide products and over 3% of the total requests last April were for this. If you have products ready to review, there is more chance of media coverage in national and consumer press.

For more about how the Journalist Enquiry Service can help you secure coverage in the media, check out this explainer.

SRM vs CRM

Stakeholder Relationship Management versus Customer Relationship Management – which one is right for you?

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Stakeholders – be they current or potential customers, your workforce, your suppliers, or contacts in the political sphere – all need to be managed. However, managing each requires different levels of service and support.

This is where Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Stakeholder Relationship Management (SRM) tools come in. But what exactly are the key differences between them, and which one is right for you and your organisation?

What is Customer Relationship Management (CRM)?

CRM can be used to oversee and support the customer, or service user, journey from start to finish. It can do the same for staff, who also enter into contracts where both sides have certain expectations to be managed.

This tool is often used to provide automation and transparency for commercial and service-driven functions. For example, service agreement management, sales pipelines, or connections with financial departments.

CRM will have a specific activity type; even where there are different personnel points in the process, the customer is viewed as one.

Some organisations use CRM to manage their stakeholders, as it provides oversight for each side of the relationship, clear organisation and structure for each part of the external or internal contact’s journey with an organisation. SRM, in comparison, goes deeper…

What is Stakeholder Relationship Management (SRM)?

SRM software, in comparison to CRM, is designed to focus on the influence an individual, organisation, or community has on your objectives, and will provide support and customisation for managing the stakeholder relationship from the beginning.

It’s not just for organising your relationships, or tracking them; it’s a communications tool to support relationship management, targeting stakeholders in a variety of ways depending on what is required for each project or campaign. Unlike CRM, it will evolve with your organisation, just as your relationship with stakeholders will grow and change.

Unlike a customer journey that can be tracked from start to finish, your stakeholders’ influence can change depending on the topic, or crisis at hand. The system required for this needs to be able to view stakeholders through a variety of lenses, providing vital intel on the strength of the relationship in different scenarios and objectives.

Stakeholders can wear many different hats, and there is rarely an end goal to these relationships – they have more peaks and troughs than those with customers.

The benefits of SRM: Why CRM isn’t enough for managing stakeholder relationships

The differences between customers and other stakeholders are clear, so why do so many organisations still use CRM software to manage their stakeholder relationships?

Customer Management software can do the basics, but SRM software has the specifics.

The link between a stakeholder’s influence and your objectives makes stakeholder management uniquely useful. It enables a team to analyse forward – an early warning system for potential impacts further down the line.

With the landscape we work in never staying static, the influence of stakeholders wax and wane, creating new opportunities for engagement and a need for flexibility. Why is Stakeholder Relationship Management a better choice than Customer Relationship Management software? It’s as flexible as your stakeholders are.

Want help with creating your own stakeholder strategy? Sign up for our 8 April Vuelio webinar ‘How to build a stakeholder playbook’ featuring speakers from British Transport Police, Local Government Information Unit, Cadent Gas, and JFG Communications. 

You can also find out more about Vuelio’s stakeholder management and engagement solutions here. 

International Women's Day 2025

International Women’s Day 2025 gives the PR industry an opportunity to reflect

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

With worrying shifts in political outlooks and policy across the world impacting marginalised communities, this weekend’s recognition of International Women’s Day is loaded with significance. But with different organisations and factions (with varying motives) claiming ownership of IWD, has this day of recognition, celebration, and reflection of progress lost its impact and import?

Googling 2025’s IWD theme will turn up the catchy phrase ‘Accelerate Action’ from the International Women’s Day website — one that has been highlighted by a significant portion of the media. However, the UN’s more unwieldy ‘For ALL women and girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment’ has been claimed by many as the ‘true’ theme for this year. Others, still, are following ‘March Forward’ as 2025’s theme. So which should the PR industry be observing on Saturday 8 March?

‘Accelerate Action’ is the unofficial theme promoted by the IWD website, which is run by a marketing company profiting from the awareness day,’ explains Advita Patel, Director of Comms Rebel.

‘Big corporations pay for polished, performative themes designed for mass appeal, but real change goes beyond a catchy slogan. The UN’s theme, #ForAllWomenAndGirls, may not be as neatly packaged, but it reflects a real commitment to advancing gender equality, not just creating a social media moment.’

While the UN aren’t the originators or owners of IWD, they are the body conferred with the most authority due to long association, and a demonstrable record for helping to bring about progress.

PRs will know better than anyone the importance of cutting through clever marketing to the true heart of a story – commitment to change is what’s needed here. This year, we asked women working across PR and comms to share their opinions on how the industry is changing, and where it needs to be better.

‘PR can play a massive role in turning this vision of progress into reality — because at its core, PR is about shaping narratives, influencing opinions, and mobilising action,’ believes Emma Heley, Co-Founder and MD, Thinking Hat Media.

‘When it comes to unlocking equal rights, power, and opportunities (especially for young women and girls), PR can affect real change.’

Sarah WaddingtonSarah Waddington, Director of Socially Mobile and Wadds Inc.

‘I don’t want to open with anything too depressing but well, here we are.

‘Back in 2006, as part of my MA in Marketing, I completed a dissertation on gender disparities within public relations. The research demonstrated that in a feminised profession, it was males who were occupying management positions. Nearly twenty years later, not that much has changed.

‘To coincide with International Women’s Day 2025, and in collaboration with the CIPR, Socially Mobile has published a Missing Women study. This refers to the staggering shortfall of 3,910 female public relations practitioners in England and Wales who have either left the industry mid-career or failed to advance to senior positions, leaving those behind in predominately junior roles.

‘What’s going on? There are three clear issues.

1) Cultural barriers persist through a ‘boys’ club’ mentality in leadership and the
devaluation of public relations as ‘soft’ work.
2) There are structural issues in that women encounter limited development pathways, poor maternity support, and inflexible working patterns.
3) Societally, women shoulder disproportionate parenting and caregiving expectations and are more likely to make career compromises to justify the cost of childcare.

‘So, what’s the solution? We outline a number of recommendations in the report but as a headline, meaningful progress requires a comprehensive and sustained approach rather than isolated initiatives.

‘We urgently need genuine cultural transformation that challenges deep-rooted assumptions about gender, work, and leadership in public relations – addressing the explicit barriers and implicit biases that influence how policies are interpreted and opportunities are allocated. Until we achieve that, nothing is going to change.’

Zoe Mumba BeardZoe Mumba Beard, Head of PR & Communications, Bitmovin

‘Women are not one homogenous group, and each woman’s experience in the industry will greatly depend on her background and identity. For example, I am a woman of colour, and I don’t think the PR industry has made enough progress regarding racial diversity. After the murder of George Floyd in 2020, the industry seemed willing and motivated to ensure it better represented the wider world. However, PRWeek’s most recent Pay Gaps report found that the ethnicity pay gap has increased to over 25%, with non-white PR professionals earning significantly less than white PR professionals. Overall, while there’s been some progress, the industry needs to recognise that not all women are the same and address the inequalities between women.

‘The way the industry can address these inequalities is by being more transparent about the ethnicity pay gap. Only 41 agencies submitted data for PRWeek’s Pay Gap project, dwarfing the amount that submitted their data for PRWeek’s Annual Top 150 Agencies. Beyond transparency, agencies and in-house teams need to invest more in diverse talent and engage with organisations like The Blueprint, the Taylor Bennett Foundation, and the UK Black Comms Network if they are serious about making real change in the industry.’

Advita Patel`Advita Patel, Director of Comms Rebel, co-host of CalmEdgedRebels and A Leader Like Me, President of the CIPR, and co-author of ‘Building a Culture of Inclusivity’

‘There have been some small shifts in the past 20 years, but unfortunately, the systemic barriers facing women still persist. Recent research (by Wadds Inc) found that over 4,000 women leave the profession after hitting a ceiling they can’t break through. While PR is a female-dominated industry at entry and mid-levels, the numbers flip dramatically in senior leadership roles. Progress is happening, but it’s far too slow.

‘Workplace structures in PR and comms still aren’t designed to support women’s success. Many policies remain outdated, failing to account for part-time roles or flexible working options.

‘Visibility is often equated with commitment, meaning those who work remotely or flexibly can be overlooked for promotions or key opportunities. If we truly want to retain and advance female talent, we need to rethink not just policies but also the workplace behaviours and biases that hold women back.’

Hayley KnightHayley Knight, Founder, BE YELLOW

‘The rise of female-founded agencies has challenged traditional hierarchies, proving that women can lead successful PR firms on their own terms. Additionally, conversations around gender pay gaps and workplace culture have pushed companies to be more transparent and accountable.

‘Despite progress, women still face barriers in reaching the highest leadership positions, with many top roles occupied by men. The gender pay gap persists, and issues like workplace bias, burnout, and a lack of mentorship opportunities disproportionately affect women. To tackle these challenges, we need more female-led leadership programs, stronger policies supporting working mothers, and a greater commitment to fair pay and career progression. Businesses must actively create pathways for women to move into senior roles and ensure they are heard and valued at every level.’

Hilary CollinsHilary Collins, Founder, Big Wave PR

‘Flexible working has opened up so many opportunities for women. The new ‘wfh’ era offers the chance for top female execs to continue their career, whilst juggling parenthood. Often top female talent would leave, to seek their own flexible working solution by going freelance. Now there’s more options available, which brings added job security and career development opportunities. However, there’s still a lot of work to be done to get more women into Director level positions; this must change.’

 

Angela YoreAngela Yore, CEO of SkyParlour

‘Since I joined the industry, we’ve seen a significant increase in female leadership roles, both within tech PR, paving the way for more diverse perspectives in financial communications. Additionally, there’s now much greater support through mentorship programs specifically tailored for women in tech-driven fields, helping them navigate this traditionally male-dominated landscape. That’s something I’m very passionate about. I’ve benefitted from strong mentorship and am now in a position to offer it through organisations like the European Women in Payments Network where I’m the Chair.

‘Women in comms, and particularly tech comms, still encounter challenges such as gender bias in a male-dominated industry and a lack of representation in key decision-making roles. To address these challenges, we need to implement initiatives that connect women with leaders and create inclusive environments that actively promote women’s contributions.’

Chloe NelkinChloé Nelkin, founder and Director, Chloé Nelkin Consulting

‘Comms in the arts is a female dominated industry but I speak to many women who still feel men hold a lot of the senior positions and don’t feel assured or listened to. I believe it is absolutely vital for women to have confidence in their own voices and to speak their truth – it isn’t always easy to speak up and present an idea or new strategy in a room full of people but others can only be guided by you if you trust your own judgement and truly believe in the decisions you are making.

‘We still have challenges to face and stereotypes to break down. Being strong and forthright as a woman isn’t always considered positively as it would be with a man. However, sometimes it can be – I overheard one of our clients in a toilet cubicle the other day describe me as a ‘badass’ – I hope I can help imbue that vibe across the industry through mentoring and supporting other women to ensure women are allowed to be assertive and speak up.’

Rachel RobertsRachel Roberts, CEO and Co-Founder of Leopard Co

‘Greater flexibility has been a gamechanger for women with juggling work and family responsibilities compared to 18 years ago when I first became a mum. While there is greater sharing now of parental responsibility, women still pick up the biggest share of family responsibility. Things are better, but it’s still pretty tough to keep all your clients happy, especially the ones at home!

‘We need to be honest that while there is greater equality, I personally still experience some misogyny. I hope that this will literally die out as we have a generational shift and those few senior males still left who have struggled to adapt will be replaced by the next generation who grew up surrounded by diverse influences.’

Sarah WoodhouseSarah Woodhouse, Director, AMBITIOUS

‘In the 2000s, it was rare to see mothers thriving in agency roles as many moved in-house, where benefits were better and schedules perceived as less gruelling, or they left PR altogether. Today, agencies offer much-improved maternity leave, flexible working policies, and a more mature, supportive environment for parents. This shift has allowed more women to remain and progress in agency-side roles while balancing their personal and professional lives.

‘Women in relationships still carry much of the burden of caring responsibilities, and this imbalance needs to be addressed. Real change requires action at a government level, with policies that better support women in the workplace. School hours need to align more closely with standard working hours, there must be greater support for affordable nursery places, and stronger incentives are needed for men to take on an equal share of parental and caring responsibilities. Without these structural changes how can anything much change?’

Emma HeleyEmma Heley, Co-Founder and MD, Thinking Hat Media

‘Women still struggle with confidence and feel like they don’t deserve a seat at the table—but we absolutely do. We have to learn to be comfortable with who we are and try not to compare ourselves with others, which can be hard.

‘Confidence (or the perception of it) plays such a huge role in leadership, especially in PR where visibility, storytelling, and influence are key to the job. For women in PR, there’s often this internal tug-of-war: knowing you’re capable but still second-guessing whether you’re really good enough.

‘We have to own our areas of expertise and stop apologising for being who we are. Authenticity is a superpower!

‘It’s also important to surround yourself with like-minded women in leadership positions – or supportive allies – who get it. I’m proud that our senior leadership team is 75% female and I couldn’t do my job without them. Their support is fundamental to the agency’s success.’

Media trends: How to get UK press coverage in March

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Looking to get featured in consumer or national press? Over 60% of the journalists that used the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service in February just happened to be working for consumer magazines, or national newspapers. 

Find out below what topics and areas the media were looking to cover last month, and how you can assist with features and articles for March and beyond.

Mum’s the word

Mother’s Day was already gaining traction in January, but last month saw a real jump in the amount of journalists sending requests around it with over 3% of the total centring on the annual celebration as it draws closer.

A lot of the enquiries are focused on gift guides or products to review, covering everything from food & drink items to beauty products. However, a few looked to cover different angles with one request for retail experts on ways to buy Mother’s Day presents on a budget, and another looking for the best places to take mums in and around Wiltshire and Somerset.

Going forward? With Mother’s Day not taking place until the end of March in the UK, journalists will still be sending in last minute requests for gift ideas and experiences. Make sure you have gift guides ready and samples you can send, and you could feature in the Daily Mirror, The Sun, Good Homes, or Stylist Loves.

Money worries

The cost-of-living crisis doesn’t get the same media attention it did a couple of years ago, but money remains a big concern for many and journalists are still keen to cover it. Last month, over 3% of the total enquiries contained the word ‘money’. Plus, with energy prices set to rise in April, ‘energy’ featured in over 2% of the requests.

Enquiries included asks for money saving experts to discuss how to escape the pay day cycle, information on practical tips for families to save money, and for a case study of a single mum struggling with the energy rise. Journalists at The i paper, The Daily Express, Metro and Money Marketing all sent money related requests in February.

Going forward? The personal finance category on the Journalist Enquiry Service was up by 10% last month, compared to February 2024, and with the Spring statement set to be announced on 26 March,it will get even more interest this month. Journalists tend to want comment from money experts but case studies around the budget’s potential impact could also help you to gain media coverage.

Interest in beauty experts and gardening gurus grows

Perhaps surprisingly, ‘beauty’ generated the most interest in February with over 5% of the enquiries containing the word. Many of these were looking for launching products as we head into Spring, as well as specific requests for Ramadan beauty products, beauty treatments, and data around the teen beauty market.

Gardening always gains in popularity as we head into the Spring and Summer months and 3.5% of the requests last month centred around this topic. The Home & Garden category is also up by 9% compared to this time last year. Requests included the best vegetable plants to sow in the garden during March, how to design an accessible garden, and gardening experts to comment on the different ways to reuse old soil.

Going forward? ‘Gardening’ featured as a keyword in 4.5% of requests in March 2024 and we would expect to see a similar volume of enquiries this year. You could get your gardening experts featured in Homes & Gardens, The Guardian, or Ideal Home. New beauty products are likely to remain in demand too, as well as topics like skincare. Get samples ready to send and gain potential coverage in Cosmetics Business, PA Media, and Marie Claire.

Other opportunities for PRs in March and beyond

Easter is already getting attention with just over 2% of enquiries last month. This will increase throughout March with requests mainly for eggs and other gifts. Plus family days out and potential last-minute trips on holiday to go on during the break from school.

World Sleep Day (15 March) is approaching and journalists will look for expert commentary and advice on this topic. Any events or celebrations for St Patrick’s Day (17 March), could get you media coverage, and at the end of the month there is both World Poetry Day (21 March), and World Theatre Day (27 March), which could see a boost for the Arts & Entertainment category.

For more about how the Journalist Enquiry Service can help you secure coverage in the media, check out this explainer.

Media trends for February

Media trends: How to get UK press coverage in February

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

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.

Which journalists are sending enquries

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.

What are journalists asking for?

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 under pressure

CEOs in the news: What the era of increased accountability means for comms teams and their c-suites

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

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

Chart showing conversation on CEO controversies on X

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.

X post on Tim Davie

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.

X post regarding Harrods

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.

X post regarding Nigel Farage

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.

X post regarding JK Rowling

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. 

Sarah Waddington

Kicking off a transformational era for the PRCA – Sarah Waddington on making change in PR

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

‘The next few months are really exciting,’ says industry stalwart Sarah Waddington, Wadds Inc. and Socially Mobile co-founder, and now interim CEO at the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).

For the next six months, Sarah will provide support to PR’s largest professional body as its interim chief executive, working with the board to advocate for the industry across the world.

In a period of change for the PRCA, and public relations as a whole, we caught up with Sarah to find out what she’s looking forward to getting stuck into in the role, what’s ahead for PR, and why organisations like the PRCA are so important.

What were your main reasons for taking on this additional role alongside Wadds Inc., Socially Mobile, and your agency work?

The PRCA is a well-respected and important global body for professionals in public affairs, public relations and communications. It champions the adoption of standards, drives knowledge and innovation, and elevates the reputation of our community; all things I care deeply about and have built my career around.

When the board asked if I would consider providing short-term interim support, the opportunity to work with the PRCA’s talented team and various dedicated boards, groups and committees was too good to turn down. Engaging with everyone to cement the PRCA’s position as the home of the industry of the future is a real privilege.

What will your priorities be over the next six months?

The next few months are really exciting. We’ve entered an era of transformation and, as you’d expect, the one overarching objective is the delivery of member value across the regions, nations and internationally. Outside of this our strategic goals are to promote and uphold professionalism and ethics; become inclusive by default; advocate at the highest levels to increase understanding, trust and investment; and to ensure the PRCA itself is a financially stable, lean and future-focused operation. My sleeves are rolled up!

How will you balance your work with Wadds Inc. and Socially Mobile?

This interim role is also a part-time one so I’m fortunate to be able to continue working with my wonderful agency portfolio as a non-executive director and to ensure the ongoing delivery of our passion project, Socially Mobile, with my husband and co-director, Stephen. All our work is aimed at driving the industry forward so it’s a complementary fit.

What are the main challenges ahead for the PR industry that PRCA will be able to help with?

It’s a volatile world out there but the good news is we are here to help members manage challenges and seize opportunity. From market trends and insight to world-class professional development, networking and our Communications Management Standard accreditation, we equip members to innovate and thrive in today’s dynamic global marketplace. This includes providing support with talent attraction and retention and with emerging tech, policy and regulation. We also have our Matchmaker service to support members with pitching and new business, which is always a priority and key to the health of the industry.

Why are organisations like the PRCA so vital?

I can answer that in one word. Representation. As the industry’s voice, the PRCA ensures government, policymakers and business leaders recognise public affairs’, PR and comms’ vital economic impact. A lot of our work centres around making sure member voices are heard in the corridors of power. We will continue to strengthen trust and enhance member value, making PRCA the natural home for ambitious practitioners and agencies seeking growth and excellence.

For more on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for PR and comms – and insight from Sarah Waddington – check out these 25 PR and communications trends for 2025.

Media trends for January

Media trends: How to get UK press coverage in January

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

What are journalists looking for as 2025 begins? The new year may have only just started but hundreds of requests have already been sent out via the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service.

Read onto see what journalists were looking for in December for this month’s features and how to get media coverage in January and beyond.

New year, same trends

Apart from last minute Christmas content, journalists spent December looking ahead to the new year. ‘2025’ appeared in 26% of the total requests last month and ‘new year’ in just under 9% of them.

A lot of journalists are looking for ‘trends’, which cropped up in 18% of the enquiries they sent. Subjects varied greatly, with requests for nutrition/health trends, wedding trends, interior design experts to comment on office trends, and a dating expert to dish on relationship trends for 2025.

Going forward? The new year content and trends pieces remain a focus for the media throughout January – now is your time to get in touch with them. Topics like health, fashion, beauty, travel, and home/interiors are of particular interest, especially for top tier media outlets such as Sky News, Metro, PA Media, and The Independent. Have experts ready to talk to the media, and trend forecasts and predictions prepared to share, to secure national press coverage now.

Healthy living a priority

January features two health-oriented initiatives – Dry January and Veganuary. Both have been popular with media professionals sending enquiries for PRs  (featuring in around 2% and 3% of them, respectively) and more general words like ‘fitness’, ‘wellness’ and ‘healthy’ also crop up more frequently around this time of year. ‘Fitness’ reached nearly 8% in December, ‘wellness’ appeared in 6% of enquiries, and ‘healthy’ featured in 5%.

‘Fitness’ requests tend to focus on getting expert opinion, while ‘wellness’ and ‘healthy’ are for more general information. Journalists at the Express.co.uk, Fabulous magazine, The Daily Mail, Prima and Women’s Fitness all sent enquiries last month.

Going forward? The focus on a healthy lifestyle will remain popular this month, judging by last year’s figures, where over 10% of requests contained the word ‘healthy’. Journalists will tend to focus on getting expert quotes from people such as personal trainers, running coaches, nutritionists, doctors, and GPs – so have them prepared to provide comments.

What do journalists need from PRs in January?

Money and heating concerns

The concerns around winter fuel payments have been well-documented in the media, and money and heating remained a key topic for journalists to cover last month. 10% of the requests in December contained ‘money’ as a keyword, while over 6% were for heating.

Journalists at The Sun, Yahoo! News, and The I Paper sent enquiries looking for heating experts and the cheapest ways to heat your home. Journalists at The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, and Saga looked for money-saving experts and case studies of people’s financial situation.

Going forward? January and February are two of the coldest months of the year so journalists will continue to seek heating experts to provide advice on staying warm for less. Personal finance and money experts are often in demand too, especially during the first few months of the year as journalists share expertise on saving money after the expenses of Christmas.

Other opportunities for PRs in January and beyond

Valentine’s Day is now just over a month away and the media will be busy compiling lists of products and gifts, as well as date night ideas. 6% of requests in January 2024 were for Valentine’s, and some journalists were looking further ahead with 2% around Mother’s Day.

More events to have experts ready for in January are National Obesity Awareness week (10-16 January), Blue Monday (20 January), and National Cheese Lover’s Day, and don’t forget Chinese Lunar New Year (29 January).

Happy New Year, and happy pitching!

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.

The best and PR and comms campaigns of 2024

Elmo’s check in, Domino’s take off, and CALM’s calls to action: The best PR and comms campaigns of 2024

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

In a busy and high-pressure year for PR, the industry stepped up with creative comms for brand and awareness campaigns alike.

We asked PR experts to share their favourite PR and comms campaigns of 2024 – here are shout outs for great work from McDonald’s, Led By Donkeys, the UK Black Comms Network, and Sesame Street (to name just a few)…

Much love for Elmo

Estelle Boon, group managing director – brand, social & influence, Ketchum

‘For me it’s a person. Elmo. Yes, Elmo. Yes, he’s a person.

Elmo X post

‘In January, he (okay, Sesame Street’s social team) posted on X, asking how everybody was doing. As of December that post has had more than 360k active engagements. While we know the virality of a social media post cannot be predicted, the simplicity of this human-first approach that stayed true to “brand Elmo” and his fandom, gave it a running start.’

The Migration Museum’s take on the England football team

Gorki Duhra, press manager, Royal National Institute of Blind People RNIB

‘With immigration a General Election issue, and the widespread abuse suffered by black players at Euro 2020 fresh in the mind, a poster for the Migration Museum that pondered what the England team would look like without immigration was simple and powerful. Only Pickford, Stones and Foden remain in the starting 11, while the names of stars such as Bellingham, Saka, Walker and Kane are all struck out.’

Leading comms from Led By Donkeys

Stephen and Sarah Waddington, directors of Wadds Inc. and founders of Socially Mobile

‘Led by Donkeys is well-known for its political activist campaigns. The National Covid Memorial Wall of hearts is a lasting legacy for the people who died during the pandemic. In February, it laid out more than 11,000 sets of children’s clothing on Bournemouth beach in protest at the war in Gaza. The clothing stretched for five kilometres and was a powerful visual representation of the children killed on both sides of the conflict since 7 October 2023.’

UK Black Comms Networks pushing industry inclusion further forward

Ronke Lawal, PR and communications consultant, Ariatu Communications

‘As Chair of The Women’s Group for UK Black Comms Network I am biased, but the ‘One Step Forward Two Steps Black’ report in collaboration with Opinium was a powerful and meaningful campaign that the industry at large should continue to pay attention to. We cannot continue to allow such huge disparities to prevail if we wish to nurture talent from across diverse communities.’

McDonald’s raised smiles (and important issues)

Jonathan Curtis, chief commercial officer, Grayling Global

‘For me the standout was the McDonald’s ‘The Meal’.

‘The campaign removed the iconic Happy Meal smile to help children understand it’s okay not to be happy. As a Dad of two kids going through the trials and tribulations of schools and friendships this was particularly pertinent and was executed with a simple but brilliant bit of creative thinking that only McDonalds could do.’

A cheeky collab for Budgy Smugglers and Transport for London

Gareth Hoyle, managing director, Coveragely

‘Back in July, Budgy Smugglers and Transport for London partnered for a fun, but cheeky, campaign (pardon the pun). The swimwear brand got together with the country’s most talked about travel network and launched a new collection of swimming trunks featuring some of London transport’s most iconic moquette seat designs. And it worked. Unsurprisingly, the media and social media lapped up this news and the brands were able to secure plenty of coverage in a variety of titles, such as the Evening Standard, Retail Times, TrendHunter and Famous Campaigns.

‘It was able to generate a buzz on social media, the quirky campaign came with some interesting pictures of models looking freezing on the tube and in front of various famous London locations and it had a great regional angle.’

Gaming for good, from the British Heart Foundation

Rachel Humphreys, PR lead, Digital Hub, Motorpoint

‘One of my favourite campaigns of the year was British Heart Foundation’s ‘Streams of (un)consciousness’. The campaign targeted Gen Zers through gaming and streaming platforms to educate them on CPR, as there was a significant lack of CPR knowledge specifically in this age group. This is a great example of how digital campaigns can have a real-world impact, raise awareness and educate.’

Purpose-driven comms from The Woodland Trust and Clean Creatives were very welcome

Alice Regester, CEO and co-founder, 33Seconds

‘There have been some great purpose driven campaigns so far this year, encouraging consumers to live more sustainably, spend time in nature and appreciate our planet. The Woodland Trust and Adam Buxton partnering up to encourage us to plant more trees and The National Trust’s ‘Space to Feel’ campaign are a couple that spring to mind.

‘As well as this, there have been some great industry-led campaigns to encourage communications professionals to be more ethical. This has included the Clean Creatives pledge against working with fossil fuel companies – over 1,000 agencies and practitioners have signed up so far already.‘

A call to action from CALM

Rachel Irvine, founder and CEO, Irvine Partners

‘A notable mention is CALM’s ‘Missed Birthdays‘ campaign, which aimed to raise awareness for youth suicide in the UK.

‘The initiative included call to actions, kits, and resources to help those in need, and personal stories through screens and audio in the exhibit and online. It took something celebratory (a balloon) and spun it on its head to show the opposite, which resulted in a creative, poignant and memorable campaign.’

Ryanair flying high

Pippa Brindley, managing director, The Comms Collective

‘Ryanair is just so good at keeping everyone talking. Their no-filter, daring approach to marketing makes them impossible to ignore. Their online presence shows that they know exactly how to grab attention without taking themselves too seriously. They’ve built a hilarious, self-aware personality that works because it feels authentic. Even if you don’t fly Ryanair, you’re probably following their socials because they’re just that entertaining.’

Domino’s took flight, too

Jane Hunt, co-founder and CEO, JBH The Digital PR Agency

‘Over the summer, Domino’s capitalised on their iconic garlic and herb sauce by bottling it in a travel-sized format. This playful product innovation captured consumers’ imaginations, creating buzz and reinforcing brand loyalty. It was a brilliant mix of product PR and a light-hearted nod to customer demand.’

St John Ambulance kept it simple and effective

Kelly Pepworth, managing director, Speed Communications

‘My favourite was the CPR Bra for St John Ambulance. The campaign was based on a simple gender disparity insight that one in three people are afraid to give CPR to a woman.

‘Great execution with the creation of an educational bra, sharing insight on what action to take when dealing with a cardiac emergency. It was worn and endorsed by key female influencers from the world of football, music and broadcast creating great visuals as well as reach. Simple but very effective.’

Premier Inn checks out

Ed Sheldon, account director, Tank

‘The PR campaign that got the Tank team talking the most this year is a recent one. Premier Inn’s What’s Occur Inn campaign to rename its Barry Island hotel ahead of the Gavin and Stacey finale was inspired. It’s a great example of a reactive campaign that puts a brand at the heart of wider cultural conversations.’

Thank you to O2’s AI Granny

Jo Preston, group board director, Teamspirit

‘O2’s AI Granny was a genuine phenomenon this year – created to keep scammers on the phone and waste their time, it really tapped into the zeitgeist.

‘You know you’ve done something right when you’re mentioned on ‘Have I got News for You’ and Chrissy Teigen’s Instagram!’

Specsavers stood out

Nick Owens, founder, Magnify PR

‘Specsavers’ campaign in Edinburgh stands out. The creators made it look like one of their vehicles had smashed into a bollard with their now iconic “Should Have Gone to Specsavers” slogan alongside it. Funny, simple and clever – three of the things campaigns often fail to be.’

Dove keeping it real

Riley Gardiner, founder, No Strings Public Relations

‘In 2024, Dove’s extension of its “Real Beauty” ethos stood out. Featuring women from diverse backgrounds, including Michaela Coel’s powerful portrayal of unfiltered skin, it challenged beauty norms.

‘This wasn’t just an ad—it became a movement, driven by its commitment to inclusivity and sincerity, tapping into deeper social currents.’

Gold for Channel 4’s Paralympics coverage

Fiona Scott, managing director, Scott Media

‘I loved the Paralympics (I do declare an interest, as I work with Paralympian), Channel 4 did a great job of making it exciting, funny, engaging and didn’t focus on disability, but focussed on elite athletes.’

Inclusivity wasn’t impossible for Adidas

Joseph Hagan, founder, Streamline PR

‘Another highlight was Adidas’ “Impossible is Nothing” campaign, which told inspiring stories while embracing inclusivity.’

Horror film campaigns had real substance

Damon Culbert, digital PR manager, Add People

‘I’m a horror movie fan and there has been some real success stories in terms of marketing and PR through 2024. ‘The Substance’ has put a lot of effort into promotion on social media and taken advantage of user-generated content to keep conversations around the film going long after its release.

‘The best campaign I saw, however, was for ‘Longlegs’. Its promotion was definitely behind its box office success and releasing news about lead actress Maika Monroe’s heart rate when she saw the antagonist for the first time was an interesting and unique use of a tried and tested format.’

Want to make a start on your own winning PR and comms campaigns for the year ahead? Check out these 25 PR and communications trends for 2025.

Political overview of 2024

Key developments from UK policy and politics in 2024

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

As we step into Christmas and the New Year, the Vuelio Political Team have been thinking and writing about the key developments that pervaded UK policy and politics in 2024. Here is our overview…

Treating the NHS

Helen Stott, Policy Researcher

Wes Streeting’s first act as Health Secretary was to make a speech declaring the NHS ‘broken’ and to commission Lord Darzi to conduct an investigation into its current state. Darzi’s review was published a few months later and, perhaps unsurprisingly, he laid the blame for the NHS’s decline squarely at the fault of previous Conservative governments. Darzi claims that although the health service is still suffering the effects of COVID-19, it was severely weakened going into the pandemic as a result of years of underfunding. He was also critical of the reforms introduced by former Health Secretary Andrew Lansley in 2012.

Having diagnosed the problem, the Government is now tasked with delivering the treatment. Prior to the election, Labour made it clear that their plans for the health service would rely on three key shifts; firstly a shift away from hospitals and to delivering more care in community settings such as general practice, local pharmacies, and community mental health services. Moving ‘downstream’ is crucial to Labour’s second goal, which is to shift towards a more ‘preventative’ model. The argument is that as the UK faces an aging population with more complex health needs, the only way to stop health costs from spiralling out of control is to get better at early intervention or even preventing ill health from occurring in the first place. This ties in with the Government’s public health ambitions, and their intentions to introduce stricter regulations on junk food. Finally, the first two goals will be underpinned by a shift towards digital, with an ambition to properly digitise the NHS and create electronic patient records, which will allow for proper coordination between different parts of the health and social care system.

The Government is currently in the process of consulting on their 10 Year Health Plan which is due to be published in spring 2025. There are still big questions about how much extra funding the NHS can expect to receive in order to deliver the plan, and about what the Government’s ambition to create a National Care Service will entail.

Planning reform goes top of the priority list

Ellie Farrow, Junior Policy Researcher

Last week, the Government published an 82-page National Planning Policy Framework report outlining its plan to ‘overhaul planning rules’ in order to fix the so-called housing crisis and enable the building of 1.5 million new homes by the end of the next Parliament. The revised framework reintroduces mandatory targets for councils, prioritises brownfield sites, introduces ‘golden rules’ for development on the green belt, and offers additional funding to local authorities’ to aid this transition.

Following this, the ONS released figures showing that the economy had shrunk in October; notably the figures revealed zero growth in the services sector, with manufacturing and construction declining at a pace of 0.6% and 0.4% respectively. This perhaps comes as no surprise to some who have repeatedly expressed concerns for the labour shortages in the sector, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has consistently argued that there is a growing gap between the demand for infrastructure development and the available workforce.

In addition to these concerns, under the new plans, councils in England will no longer have the power to contest developments. Instead, planning is to be centralised – or ‘regionalised’ – leading to a disempowerment of local planning offices and committees. These changes, however, came just days before the Government’s much-anticipated English Devolution White Paper. As of this week, the Government has published their English Devolution White Paper which promises to deliver a ‘permanent shift of power away from Whitehall and into the hands of those who know their communities best’. Whether this tallies with centralising planning laws is yet to be seen.

The devolution ‘revolution’

Jennifer Prescott, Political Services Team Lead

In the first week after Labour’s election victory, Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner met with England’s 12 metro mayors to confirm their longstanding intention to expand devolution, promising to ‘deliver the most ambitious programme of devolution this country has ever seen’. The devolution agenda is the first of Labour’s five missions to kickstart economic growth and has been set out in their English Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December. The paper pledges a ‘devolution by default’ approach and outlines its ambition to establish ‘strategic authorities’ (of 500,000 or more residents) covering the whole of the country, meaning that borough and district councils will be abolished. Chair of the District Councils’ Network Sam Chapman-Allen called the move the ‘opposite of devolution, taking powers away from local communities’. Similarly, one council leader in Sussex – an area that has recently submitted an expression of interest in devolved power – called it a ‘death knell for local democracy’. However, the Government’s intention behind the plan to favour larger, combined authorities is to give cities and regions ‘a bigger voice’.

Mayoral strategic authorities will receive consolidated funding pots for housing and planning, transport, skills, and employment support, with the Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, North East, South Yorkshire, West Midlands, and West Yorkshire combined authorities being the first. While the Local Government Association welcomes the transfer of powers and money to local leaders, it said it ‘cannot distract from the severe funding pressures that are pushing local services to the brink’. Given the proximity, it’s unclear how pivotal yesterday’s Local Government Finance Settlement will be for the viability of local authorities.

The Government will shortly set out its Devolution Priority Programme aiming to deliver inaugural mayoral elections in May 2026. Discussions have been had with places including Cheshire and Warrington, and Norfolk and Suffolk, and places on the Priority Programme will be confirmed in January.

The post-16 education and skills landscape

Michael Kane, Policy Researcher

A 2023 report by the Education Committee demonstrated the complex nature of the post-16 education and skills landscape – significantly, this simply reiterated the same point that had been made before by the Independent Panel on Technical Education in 2016 and the Wolf Review in 2011. 2024 saw the continuation of this complexity. At the start of the year, then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was pursuing his plans for an ‘Advanced British Standard’, a plan to, in essence, combine A Levels and T Levels, see every student study ‘some form of maths and English to age 18’, and defund alternative qualifications such as BTECs.

Labour’s election complicated matters: Sunak’s Advanced British Standard was scrapped and derided as unfunded by the Chancellor, and less than month into Government, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announced a ‘short review of post-16 qualification reforms at level 3 and below’. The culmination of this review in December saw the Government largely renege on the previous Government’s plans for widespread defunding as they announced that 70% of courses previously earmarked for defunding would stay. Considering the importance of getting post-16 qualifications right for addressing ameliorating skills gaps and productivity levels in the UK economy, the Government may choose to buck the trend of complexity and give the education sector certainty in 2025. With this in mind, the Government’s manifesto promise to publish a long-term strategy for post-16 education is one to look out for.

Clean energy by 2030, not 2035

Laura Fitzgerald, Policy Researcher

Labour’s election brought with it promises of change for the UK’s energy landscape. Both in the lead-up to – and post – election, Labour have been vocal in Labour’s ambitions to make the UK a ‘clean energy superpower’ and target of clean power by 2030. This target, five years earlier than their Conservative predecessors, will be no small feat, but one that the Government insists is achievable. Last week saw Labour publish its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan detailing the steps to build a clean energy system, and one that benefits both the consumer and environment alike. It includes reforms to the grid connection and renewable auction processes, and pledges to ‘unlock billions of investment’ a year.

Energy UK’s CEO Dhara Vyas welcomed the changes to accelerate the planning process and enable the development of critical infrastructure, as did Friends of the Earth who said that the plan will be instrumental in creating green jobs, lowering bills and protecting the planet. The plan is not without its sceptics however. The Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho, who has largely defended the net-zero scepticism of the previous Government, expressed concerns about whether a clean energy system would lower household energy bills. Speaking in an interview with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband, Nick Robinson also shared some public concern that a clean energy system may lead to blackouts with renewable energy sources often subject to some variability. With 2030 just under four years away, both sides can agree that the scale of the task is significant and will require bold action if the clean energy target is to be met.

2025 and beyond

Given the holistic nature of policy, the key developments that pervaded 2024 will likely feed into 2025. With this in mind, if we are to comprehend the issues that may grasp the machinery of Government in 2025, we have to understand – were they were conclusively grasped before?

For regular updates on what is happening in UK politics and public affairs, sign up to our fortnightly Point of Order newsletter, going out every other Thursday.

25 PR and communications trends for 2025

25 PR and communications trends for 2025

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

In a year where AI seemed to be taking over, social media turned into the wild west, and global political unrest can make many jobs seem somewhat trivial, PR and comms has been under extra pressure to get attention on the right stories, and keeping the public informed.

What lies ahead for the communications industry in 2025? Here are predictions and pointers from 34 PR experts readying for what is to come – take note of these PR trends for 2025…

1) Social media platforms held to account

‘We are already seeing major organisations like The Guardian and CIPR move away from platforms for ethical reasons. However, I think we need to be cautious about how we embrace this. It’s important to use these platforms objectively, otherwise we should look at the ethical practices of all platforms equally. Pausing activity on a platform is symbolic but isn’t necessarily disruptive particularly in an era when clear, fact based comms is crucial. We should be leaning into remaining on these platforms and objectively sharing updates which speak truth to power.’

– Ronke Lawal, PR and communications consultant, Ariatu Communications

2) Conflicting comforts

‘Brand communications will need to be more agile in 2025 as we enter an age of the contrarian consumer. A mindset that cuts through socio-demographics, centred on people’s comfort in being conflicted across their wants, needs and influences.

‘Examples include: the rise of the phygital retail experience; micro communities being Gen Z’s biggest force of influence; shoppers flipping from “quiet luxury” to “underconsumption core”; and the “everyday hacktivists” that are driven by purpose…but simply cannot resist a good deal.’

– Estelle Boon, group managing director – brand, social & influence, Ketchum

3) A return to long-form

‘Tortoise Media’s acquisition of The Observer feels significant. We’re growing exhausted of short-form media. The future for organisational reputation lies in earned and owned media strategies that slowly yet sustainably build credibility and foster long-term engagement.’

– Stephen and Sarah Waddington, directors of Wadds Inc. and founders of Socially Mobile

4) Stronger bonds between PRs and journalists

‘When Connectively/HARO announced they were shuttering the site, some suggested that an influx of AI-generated comments and experts were behind the deterioration of the site. Journalists having to battle ever-increasing amounts of generic AI content is likely to mean strong relationships between journalists and PRs will become more valuable.

‘Engaging with journalists in different ways and demonstrating trust and value in your interactions could mean expert comment outreach looks different next year.’

– Damon Culbert, digital PR manager, Add People

5) Assistance from AI…

‘Artificial intelligence will be a game-changer for B2B PR by 2025, especially in science and engineering. AI will streamline processes like drafting technical press releases, creating thought leadership content, and tailoring pitches to specific industry journalists or analysts.’

– Richard Stone, founder and managing director, Stone Junction

‘Next year’s big trend will be AI-driven personalisation. Demographic segmentation is a thing of the past – now, technology allows us to tailor communications to each consumer. Agencies that embrace this while respecting privacy will see unmatched engagement. But authenticity is key. Brands that give a voice to marginalised groups, like Richie Shazam’s work with Levi’s, demonstrate how real stories resonate and push past traditional marketing tactics.’

– Riley Gardiner, founder, No Strings Public Relations

6) …while maintaining trust with a human touch

‘We’re going retro. In a media landscape increasingly cluttered by AI slop, automated messaging and disinformation, savvy practitioners will use their expertise to forge authentic human connections and maintain trust-based relationships.’

– Stephen and Sarah Waddington

‘Consumers are increasingly discerning. Trusted content is valued more than ever, driven by younger generations shaping the media landscape. PR teams must embrace AI and data-driven insights while maintaining a human touch.’

– Jonathan Curtis, chief commercial officer, Grayling Global

7) Moving past purpose washing

‘We are finally turning our backs on purpose-washing, and the stage is now clear for the brands with purpose at their core to have the spotlight. I expect to see purpose-led brands finding new ways to tell stories and drive fame in a way that entertains, educates, and inspires the masses to consume differently.’

– Kamiqua Lake, founder and CEO, Coldr

‘2025 will be the year of accountability for brands – especially when it comes to sustainability commitments. We want to see brands that follow through – proof of what they HAVE done, not just what they say they’re going to do. And, are these sustainability values genuinely carried out across all layers of the guest experience, or selectively applied where it suits? For example – as much as smashed avocado is a widely popular and healthy breakfast dish, why am I seeing it on hotel menus across the world during months when they are not in season?’

– Pippa Brindley, managing director, The Comms Collective

8) Experts needed

‘Short-term tactics no longer suffice; users seek reliable and trustworthy information, aligning with Google’s mission to think like a user. As a result, PR efforts will have to increasingly focus on enhancing the reputation of key experts and spokespeople within organisations, with a strong emphasis on specialist and trustworthy content.’

– Daisy Wolfenden, managing director, Wolfenden

9) TikTok and LinkedIn will continue to grow

‘TikTok will continue to grow and remain an important marketing tool for brands to take advantage of a highly engaged, young audience. LinkedIn will also remain important with more than 700 million reported users across the globe. We’ll see more thought leadership pieces on this platform and in 2025, it will continue to be a powerful tool for brands looking to position themselves as industry leaders.’

– Gareth Hoyle, managing director at Coveragely

10) And Substack will get more subs

‘Many journalists are launching their own newsletters and building strong niche audiences there – from restaurant reviewers to wellness gurus. I’m already seeing this pop up in journo requests.’

– Lucy Sambrook, PR specialist, Seed

11) Podcast infiltration

‘Podcasts are nothing new in the world of PR, but the power of them was proven in the US election this year. The global podcast audience has more than doubled in the last five years, with over 460M podcast listeners globally by 2024, and expected to rise even more in 2025.

‘I think for 2025, we’ll see podcasts infiltrating all our other mediums even further. Rather than just a way for us to listen to peoples experiences and point of views, they will be used as propaganda tools for maximum impact as they can achieve even more significant reach.’

– Jasmine Wicks-Stephens, founder, Known

12) Bigger brand personalities

‘Clarity in branding will be more important than ever – the average person now consumes around 74 GB of information daily, an equivalent to watching 16 movies or spending seven hours online. Having a clear narrative and consistent messaging is crucial to cut through the noise and capture attention.’

– Sarah Woodhouse, director, strategic communications agency, AMBITIOUS

13) Increased client and consumer interaction

‘Consumers are hungrier than ever to get to know a brand deeply – to enter the brand universe via creative, welcoming and exciting activity. This could be in real life interactions via pop-ups and consumer events or simply from receiving extra gifts, online experiences when shopping or surprise and delight moments for loyal customers.’

– Rachel Humphrey, founder and director, Brand Building Co.

14) More metrics

‘How PR agencies and professionals measure campaigns and prove ROI will continue to evolve. As marketing budgets remain squeezed, intelligent measurement will be critical to both understanding what worked and why, as well as informing the strategy of future projects.

‘As solutions become ever more sophisticated, affordable and user friendly, this will democratise measurement even further – meaning boutique agencies and freelancers will have the same opportunities as larger brands to provide clients with bespoke metrics that reflect objectives.’

– Alice Regester, CEO and co-founder, 33Seconds

15) Comms for causes

‘I think some of the most successful campaigns next year will have a societal cause – tackling a social issue, helping to raise awareness or offering a solution at a local or national level. We’re already seeing brands much more focused on living their values and willing to step outside of traditional media comms.’

– Rachel Humphreys, PR lead, Digital Hub, Motorpoint

‘Agencies must guide brands in taking authentic stands on societal issues, as consumers increasingly demand alignment between values and actions.’

– Bethanie Durham, associate director, NORTH

16) Greater inclusion

‘Diversity, equity, and inclusion will continue to shape campaigns. Audiences are demanding action, not just performative gestures, and brands will be held accountable.’

– Joseph Hagan, founder, Streamline PR

17) Accessible content

‘Content creation will continue to be key when many media platforms are struggling with their budgets. The content doesn’t need to be polished or expensive – just accessible to wide audiences, so the continued use of Alt description and Audio Description and subtitling will make messages and content not just accessible for people with sensory loss – but will reach wider audiences anyway especially through smartphone and tablet devices.’

– Gorki Duhra, press manager, Royal National Institute of Blind People RNIB

18) Comebacks for real world experiences

‘While digital remains crucial, the pendulum is swinging back to real-world experiences. I think we’ll see a peak in small, face-to-face activations as well as large-scale events starting to become more important, as audiences crave authentic, in-person connection.’

– Rachel Irvine, founder and CEO, Irvine Partners

19) The pivot to video continues

‘2025 will also see an ever-growing demand for great video content. Whereas a strong set of pictures was once the minimum requirement for any press campaign or release, a clip that works online and across socials is now an absolute must. Agencies who don’t deliver on that are likely to struggle to find a home for their content.’

– Nick Owens, founder, Magnify PR

20) Evolution out of owned/earned/paid

‘Many clients still operate in silos but that is changing, and needs to change. It’s all about how best to reach an audience that now consumes media in a very different way. Content has always been the key to a successful PR campaign, but the industry needs to work hard to convince clients to look beyond traditional channels to help that content reach their audience.’

– Jo Preston, group board director, Teamspirit

‘The changing face of the media, more subscriptions, more paywalls, more ‘charging’ for stories through ‘admin fees’ or similar so advertorial campaigns will become more important as media outlets find other ways to make money. So the snobbery around ‘earned’ content and paid-for content will have to gradually dissipate as media outlets look for other income streams. The media tends not to care about whether content is earned or not (PRs are obsessed with this), the media cares about the value of a story which fits their agenda at any given time.

‘Also terrible press releases are still terrible so that won’t lead to them being used just because money may change hands.’

– Fiona Scott, managing director, Scott Media

21) A revolution for reactive PR

‘With the speed of news cycles and social media, the days of ‘waiting and seeing’ during a crisis or opportunity are over. Next year, the brands that will win are those that master the art of being nimble. Whether it’s jumping on a cultural moment, like a viral meme or breaking news, or responding to public criticism, reactive PR needs to feel authentic, fast, and smart. But – and this is key – it can’t feel like a stunt. Consumers are incredibly savvy now, so reactive moves need to show you genuinely understand the context and the audience.’

– Sheridan Okey, head of digital PR, Tribera

22) Nano and news influencers to take over

‘The focus will shift away from big-name influencers to micro and nano influencers – those with smaller, highly engaged followings. It’s no longer all about the size of the following, but about the quality of those followers and their level of engagement.

‘By carefully selecting smaller but more relevant influencers and nurturing genuine, long-term relationships, the authenticity of the relationship will shine through and brands will gain access to a goldmine of engaged individuals.’

– Fay Clarkson, operations and account director, Honest Communications

‘Alternative methods of consuming media will continue to rise, and ‘newsfluencers’ will play a key role in shaping how we consume information. ‘Newsfluencers’ are individuals who have a significant following through non-traditional media channels such as podcasts, Substack newsletters, YouTube, or social media.

‘They have unique and loyal audiences that are difficult to reach through traditional media, and activating them in PR and comms campaigns will become far more common in the next year. These alternative media forms are becoming far more popular, with 71% of Gen-Z using social media to obtain news, so failing to incorporate this trend could cause companies to fall behind and appear out of touch.’

– David Clare, director, Fire on the Hill

23) PRs navigating a less (cyber)secure world

‘While misinformation is not a new phenomenon, it has been amplified by the advent of the digital age – the wide adoption of LLMs has also exacerbated the issue. Platforms like ChatGPT act as human amplifiers and therefore only as good as the data which feeds into them leaving them prone to biases and inaccuracies.

‘This wave of change could have a significant impact on businesses affected, decimating consumer trust and potentially wiping out a company overnight.’

– Becca Williams, CEO, Antidote Communications

‘With rising concerns over data breaches and ransomware attacks, PR professionals need to focus on crisis management and proactive communication strategies. The integration of AI tools like ChatGPT is enhancing real-time threat analysis and enabling faster, more accurate responses to security incidents. Transparency will also be critical—brands must effectively communicate how they’re safeguarding data to maintain trust. Another emerging trend is the use of immersive storytelling, such as VR and AR, to educate audiences about cybersecurity threats in an engaging way.’

– Rose Ross, CEO, Omarketing

24) Extra opportunities for freelancers

‘The national insurance hikes will almost certainly have a considerable impact on the way that PR and comms teams operate throughout 2025. This could limit opportunities for businesses to grow and scale their in-house teams, but this offers a welcome opportunity for the thriving freelance sector.

‘For PR agencies (as well as in-house teams), the ability to rely on experienced freelance PRs to support specific campaigns (or provide longer term, retained support) offers a streamlined, yet flexible solution that will give businesses more breathing room to adapt to financial, technological and societal changes.

– Amy Dawson, owner, Gatekeeper Communications

25) PR trends 2025 – an industry back at the head of the table

‘2025 will also be the year when the PR industry take its place as the conductor, rather than part of the band. Earned, owned and paid channels are blurring. Digital PR’s stock is rising. Successful campaigns will centre on great insight-led creative thinking that is cleverly executed across multiple channels to deliver measurable impact. Our innate ability to identify a story that will cut through, willingness to lean into new content forms and channels, teamed with increased ability to provide awareness & engagement metrics, means PR is primed to take a bigger slice of the marketing pie.’

– Kelly Pepworth, managing director, Speed Communications

‘Strategic consultation is going to be increasingly important for PR and comms teams next year. After fighting for a seat at the table, PR teams have become a much more valued asset for C-suites to provide trusted counsel.’

– Ed Sheldon, account director, Tank

‘PR is poised to evolve into a revenue-driving powerhouse. Historically, PR’s value was often seen in softer metrics, but the landscape is shifting. With Google’s increased emphasis on brand strength and measurable impact, PR professionals now have the tools to quantify the results of their efforts. This shift is particularly critical in light of economic challenges, where budgets are under greater scrutiny. Both traditional and digital PR practitioners will need to prove their worth, showcasing the tangible outcomes their campaigns deliver. Measurement, transparency, and a clear connection to ROI will no longer be optional – they’ll be essential.’

– Jane Hunt, co-founder and CEO, JBH The Digital PR Agency

Want more 2025 PR trends? For more on the growing influence of social media channels like TikTok, download our reports ‘Tiktok journalism: The platform’s impact on news audiences‘ and ‘Hold the homepage! How scoops circulate through the modern media landscape‘. 

How to get press coverage in December 2024

Media trends: How to get UK press coverage in December

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

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.

What are journalists asking for?

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.

Which journalists are sending requests?

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.

Dan Jolin

‘You want to build good relationships with people’ – Media Interview with Dan Jolin, freelance film journalist and editor of Senet magazine

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Interested in finding out how to catch the eye of a film journalist? Dan Jolin, freelance film journalist and editor of Senet magazine, has been working in the industry for over two decades, with stints as  reviews and features editor at both Total Film and Empire magazine. 

Read on for his thoughts on the relationship between film PRs and journalists, some of the best recent film campaigns, and the most likely ways to get coverage.

 

How do you balance your freelance work with editing and overseeing the quarterly Senet magazine?

As Senet has grown and become more successful, it’s necessarily taken up more and more of my time, but I now manage to keep a balance of about 50/50 between my Senet responsibilities and maintaining my freelance work (including the book writing). It requires a lot of plate-spinning, but it keeps me on my toes! 

Essentially it’s scheduling and trying to keep to it. For example, with the books I’m writing at the moment, I set myself deadlines within the overall deadlines. Knowing I have to get this chapter written by this point, and that chapter written by that point, gives me a useful structure.

 

When working with PRs, what are the most useful ways that they can assist you and what are some of your pet peeves?

When I was still at Empire, so much of the job involved working with PRs, and I enjoyed all the fun negotiations that you have around that, and the genuinely fun interactions. Since going freelance, my interactions with PRs have lessened, while (being editor of the quarterly board-game magazine Senet) in the board-game world, I’m primarily dealing with marketing departments of the publishing companies, and the creative talent directly.

Any journalist would probably say there’s a lot of emails that just go in the bin because they’re not relevant. In terms of calibrating your approach, so that you’re not being irrelevant to a journalist or wasting your time, make sure you have some knowledge of what the publication covers. For example, in Senet magazine, we don’t cover jigsaw puzzles. A puzzle is not a game. We cover games that contain puzzles, but a jigsaw puzzle is not something we would cover, and that would be obvious from reading the magazine.

 

How does the relationship work with film PRs and getting access to screenings and interviews with actors – how could it be improved?

When you’re dealing with people at the upper levels in Hollywood, for example, then it can be quite daunting. I worry about ignoring emails from PRs but frankly, I have been ignored by a lot of PRs over the years. You do have to follow up, get on the phone, talk to them and don’t be scared of them.

I think there’s a degree of appreciation between journalists and film PRs and publicists. You have your guidelines of what you need to get out of an interview, and they have theirs, and you just have to be honest about it. This is what we want the coverage to be, this is what we need from them, this is the amount of time that we need to do it, and this is the sort of access that is required. You might compromise a little but if it’s not aligning, then it’s not going to work.

You want to build good relationships with people. Getting face to face with them whenever possible, if you’ve got the budget and depending on where they are, is preferable. Connecting as one human being to another human being really helps when it comes to having those more difficult conversations.

 

What are some of the best recent film campaigns you’ve seen? Which ones missed the mark, in your opinion? 

What did a really good job was ‘Longlegs’. It was really enticing and creepy and weird. I didn’t have any idea what the film was about but I wanted to know more. I wanted to see what was happening here. It had a really good, powerful vibe and I think they used TikTok very well. I say this because my 15-year-old, who was then 14 years old, came up and said ‘I’ve got to see this film’. Unfortunately, he was too young to go and see it! I also say it’s really good because when I finally saw the film, I was disappointed! Overall though, a very impressive campaign.

 

When is it best for PRs to contact you and what way do you prefer?

Email is absolutely fine. That’s in my work-brain space. I am on social media in a professional capacity, but I’m much more likely to miss DMs or communications like that, because I’m not really engaging with it in my work brain-space.

I don’t like getting work emails during the weekend, especially from PRs. I guess the logic is because then on Monday morning it will be at the top of my inbox. But actually it’s going to be halfway down my inbox due to all the other emails that I’ve got.

Back in the day, I had a work phone and I would say, ‘Ring me anytime,’ because I knew it would be a work call and during work hours. However, I’m less inclined to say to people to call me now as some people still consider evenings to be work hours, but these days I don’t and I’m usually done before then.

In terms of timing, then probably not Monday morning as everyone is getting in contact then. I would say drip feed emails during the week so they’re there in the morning when I do my little daily check. If it’s a personally directed email, then I always try to respond within 24 hours.

Five reasons to use the Journalist Enquiry Service

Five reasons to use the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service for your media outreach

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Trawling social media posts from journalists for requests, taking a chance on emailing, or even cold calling – media outreach doesn’t have to be this difficult. The ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service has been connecting PRs with journalists since its launch back in 1998 and is relied upon by the UK media industry every day.

Media professionals sending requests to PRs via the service span leading national and regional press, broadcast, magazines, podcasts, and much more.

Looking for media coverage? Tap into the Journalist Enquiry Service’s huge network to connect with journalists and broadcasters directly with what they need. Here are just five reasons to dip back into the service ( or try it for the first time!) to secure coverage in the press…

1) Journalist requests are relevant to you

Rather than receiving a deluge of potentially irrelevant asks from the UK media to slowly sift through, PRs signing up for the Journalist Enquiry Service have 25 categories to pick from and filter requests with – what you get is what you need.

Categories span from Entertainment & Arts to sector-specific subjects like Medical & Pharmaceutical, and journalists using the service to source PR contributions choose the most relevant categories for their requests.

The Journalist Enquiry Service is also powered by a dedicated team of researchers who ensure each journalist request is clear and is being sent to the right categories.

2) Journalist asks come to you directly

Cutting out the need for extra outreach almost entirely, the Journalist Enquiry Service shares requests from the media directly to PR inboxes. You can choose how often these come through to you depending on your workload and preferred way of splitting up your day.

Sign up for a daily digest of useful requests for review products, case studies, expert comment, statistics and survey results, new research, or filming locations to peruse when you’re ready, or receive each request as and when they’re submitted by media professionals in need of your help, skillset, and contacts.

3) Deadline, topic, format – All the details you need are included

Each request you receive will include the elements you need to ensure your reply is of use for the journalist. Alongside a short enquiry summary, the submitter will include a longer description of what they need in the dedicated Query box – these can include links to previous pieces in a series they’re working on, or extra context for the story the enquiry concerns.

A set deadline is included, as well as a link to more information on the outlet they are writing/filming/recording for. Enquiries drop off from the system once the deadline is passed to prevent any accidental sends for news or features that have already been filed for publication or release.

4) Journalists at the leading UK media organisations use the service to source information

With a quarter of a decade-long track record of trust built with the UK media, the Journalist Enquiry Service is utilised by media professionals across the country’s biggest publishing organisations to source information.

Alongside staffers in newsrooms and on editorial teams across the country, freelancers who work for a variety of top publications rely on the service for the extra information they need for their commissions. And the interaction between a journalist and the public relations professional who offers help with their enquiry doesn’t have to end there. While interactions are managed within the platform for each request, many long-term PR and journalist working relationships have started with contact via the Journalist Enquiry Service.

5) It’s fully secure

The Journalist Enquiry Service platform exists as a place for the media and PR industries to share useful information and build relationships – a neutral meeting space with benefits for both.

A journalist sending a request via the service genuinely wants to hear back from PRs with relevant contributions, removing the need to source contact details, or reaching out without knowing for sure if your offering will be useful or even well-received. Contact begins through the internal network, with email replies coming via a generic address until both sides are ready to share their contact details directly.

Ready to start receiving requests from the UK media? Sign up for a trial. 


Featured image for Seeking Audiences event

How do journalists find audiences in the platform era?

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , /by

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.

Seeking Audiences panel

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.

Second panel for Seeking Audiences

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.

Charlotte Tobitt

‘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!

Charlie Beckett and Siham Ali

‘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.

Siham Ali

‘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).

Panel for Seeking Audiences

‘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.’

Tom Wainwright

‘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.

Kamilah McInnis and Tini Sevak

‘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.’

Tini Sevak

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’.

How to get media coverage in November

Media trends: How to get UK press coverage in November

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

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.

What are UK journalists asking for?

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.

Budget 2024

Key Takeaways From Rachel Reeves’ Budget: ‘Fixing the Foundations to Deliver Change’

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

Written by Michael Kane and Laura Fitzgerald. 

Nearly four months on from the 2024 General Election and the UK’s first female Chancellor Rachel Reeves finally delivered the Government’s Budget. The hefty 170-page document, and Reeves’ accompanying statement to the Commons, goes some way to provide further clarity on the Government’s priorities. In this sense, it feels like a particularly significant Budget given the accusations that Labour attempted a ‘Ming vase strategy‘ of avoiding difficult decisions in the election, and the relative ambiguity about priorities after their first 100 days.

Whether the Budget provides complete clarity on the above is yet to be seen. Nonetheless, it certainly provides some takeaways to be explored.

The return of tax and spend?

Just as the Budget was enormous in terms of its significance, the announcements on taxation, borrowing, and spending were equally as huge. In contrast with Reeves’ relatively steady approach before the election, with only minor tweaks to taxes and spending mentioned in Labour’s manifesto, yesterday saw the Chancellor in a markedly different light.

From the announcement of record tax rises by £40bn, to one of the largest increases in spending since the 2000 spending review at almost £70bn, the Autumn 2024 Budget was nothing short of historic. The majority of the £40bn worth of tax rises will come from a £25bn increase in employers’ National Insurance contributions – a tax take which reportedly places the UK at almost level with the Netherlands, and seen by some as Labour’s move towards a more ‘European-style economy.’ Increases in borrowing were also announced yesterday, facilitated by Reeves’ choice to change the UK’s fiscal rules which loosened the constraints around borrowing to invest.

These decisions, while drastic, are hoped to precipitate economic growth and prosperity in the long-term – ‘no pain, no gain’. However, the fiscal forecast from the Office for Budget Responsibility does seem to augur such an explosion of growth. It finds that, while GDP will increase to 1.1 percent this year and to 2.0 percent next year, the rate will then fall to 1.8 percent in 2026 and to 1.5 percent thereafter. Will Reeves’ gamble pay off? Or will the Budget fall short of the investment needed to truly ‘fix the foundations’?

The Government’s farming predicament

The lead-up to the Budget saw Reeves repeatedly warn of the ‘tough decisions’ that need to be made to fill the blackhole in public finances, and this was certainly true for the UK’s farming community. Farmers were among those dealt the most devastating blow yesterday, leaving many to fear for their livelihoods and legacy of their life’s work alike.

The reform in question includes a limit on inheritance tax relief for farms to £1m, a move which farmers claim will make inheriting family farms unviable, and a policy which the National Farmers’ Union has called ‘disastrous‘. Concerns have also been raised regarding the impact of the tax relief cap on food security and the ability of future generations to grow British produce. This would have implications for both businesses and consumers, making the UK more heavily reliant on imports, affecting sustainable food production and undermining commitments to protect the environment.

Broadcasters Jeremy Clarkson and Rachel Johnson are among the critics of the reform, taking to X to express their anger towards the announcement. Clarkson, presenter of the programme ‘Clarkson’s Farm’, urged farmers not to despair and to ‘look after [themselves] for five short years’ by which time ‘this shower will be gone’, while Johnson blasted the Government’s decision in order to raise ‘a measly £500m’.

With details on the Government’s new deal for farmers yet to be published, the Government’s promises to enhance rural economic growth and food security could seem something of a distant reality. The Government did allocate £500mn in Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network to enhance broadband provision in underserved rural areas, but whether rural communities feel sufficiently supported is another matter.

Local Government finance

Coming into the Budget, the challenges facing Local Government were stark: among the council Chief Executives who responded to a pre-budget survey from the Local Government Association, over half said they were likely to declare financial bankruptcy in the next five years. Therefore, addressing the challenges facing Local Government is vital on a practical level, given the role Local Government plays as first point of contact for many citizens in the delivery of vital services such as social care, SEND provision, and housing. Additionally, the sentiment in Labour’s pre-election manifesto illustrates the Government’s intention to further devolution across England – self-evidently, this is only feasible with sustainable funding.

The Budget attempted to grapple with the significance of the situation by promising an additional £1.3bn of new grant funding for local authority services. Most notably, this included £600m for social care and an additional £233m spending in 2025-26 on homelessness prevention. This may go some distance to provide an immediate sticking plaster over funding gaps, however questions remain about the long-term sustainability of this approach. Firstly, this is not enough to address the £2.3bn funding shortfall, as noted by the think tank Reform. Secondly, a more fundamental rethink about the funding and organisation of Local Government may prove to be a more successful strategy – perhaps revaluing council tax could be a starting point. However, the Budget revealed that the proposed devolution legislation will involve ‘working with councils to move to simpler structures that make sense for their local areas’ – this is something to keep an eye on given the demand to reorganise local government in England.

Looking beyond the headlines

There were aspects of the Budget that did not grasp the prevailing headlines and soundbites that the Government briefed – this includes proposals that were hidden and the shortcomings of some of the announcements. First, the Government revealed that they will consult next year on proposals to bring remote gambling (gambling offered over the internet, telephone, TV and radio) into a single tax. Preceding this, the Social Market Foundation and the Institute for Public Policy Research had both suggested increasing tax on remote gambling. Curiously, the Government’s announcement did not make it into Reeves’ speech or the main text in the document – instead it was to be found in the policy announcements section towards the end of the document. Significantly, this speaks to Labour’s prior ambiguity on gambling regulation with their manifesto simply suggesting that they would ‘reform gambling protections’ and that they are ‘committed to reducing gambling-related harm’. Given the centrality of prevention to the Government’s agenda for health policy, this is something to keep an eye on, even if the Government does not shout about it.

Moreover, when interrogating the details of the Budget, we can see some apparent shortcomings. For example, the Government committed to continuing the freeze on fuel duty in a bid to appease concerns from drivers. However, the visuals of freezing fuel duty while increasing the cap on bus fares, and the news that rail fares will increase by 4.6% next year may seem counter-intuitive – especially considering the impending net-zero transition.

Interestingly, the New Economics Foundation also detailed that updating the fuel duty could fund the £2 bus fare cap ten times over. Finally, when doing the media rounds this morning, Reeves noted that increasing taxes on businesses may have detrimental effects on pay increases for workers. Meanwhile, the Institute for Fiscal Studies explained that this Budget will only increase real household disposable income by 0.4%, if projected to the whole parliament. This feeds into arguments that a windfall tax on banks or a wealth tax may prove a better means to redistribute wealth.

Looking forward

Reeves’ Budget has proved relatively decisive on some of the key questions facing the Government. To some degree, this was inevitable with the UK economy facing a practical reckoning given the myriad of crosscutting challenges. Whether this be the highest tax burden since the Second World War, the highest level of national debt since the 1960s, the annual GDP growth slowing to 1.5% since the 2008 financial crash, or the decline in living standards over the last Parliament.

Knowing all this, Labour have still made the promise to make the UK the fastest growing economy in the G7. Therefore, something had to give to level with this promise and the UK’s wider economic predicament. Specifically, Reeves chose to focus on taxing business and tweaking the fiscal rules to allow for greater borrowing in an attempt to drive growth. With Reeves set to appear in front of the Treasury Select Committee next week, that session will provide a further read into how the Government grapples with the economic predicament.

For regular updates on what is happening in UK politics and public affairs, sign up to our fortnightly Point of Order newsletter, going out every other Thursday.

How podcasts shared the story of water pollution

Listen up: News podcasts share the story of water pollution in the UK

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

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.

The News Agents X post

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.

X post about BBC Indepth on water pollution

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

Lifelines for local journalism: How the media is reconnecting with communities

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

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?

Local journalism trends in UK and US

 

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:

X post

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:

 

X post supporting local journalism

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.

X post about local journalism

 

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

X post about Manchester Mill

 

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.

Influential voices in Manchester local news

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.

Themes in Suffolk news engagement

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.

News themes in Suffolk journalism

 

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.