This week in PR (19 July)
It happened this week
Profession and ethics
- Mandy Pearse: History of PR conference, Bournemouth (16 July)
‘I suggest we have three key challenges in telling the history of PR: Diversity – ensuring that the story of PR shows the evolution of our profession in other parts of the world outside USA and NW Europe and presents PR leaders who are female, from minorities and less privileged backgrounds. Data – retaining digital archives produced by PR associations of reports, blogs, case studies alongside academic studies and making them available to PR practitioners, Differentiation – creating a history of PR which is distinct from marketing, consultancy and general business entrepreneurship.’
- Catherine Arrow: Myth Busting on World PR Day (16 July)
‘In our age of AI, with news and search automated and information locked behind walls, those who consider practice as just media relations will soon be out of a job. Our role is to provide ethical counsel and direction for our organisations and build and maintain the critical relationships.’
Purpose, climate and ESG
SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNICATION DIPLOMA
- Douglas Johnson: Making Great Britain a clean energy superpower (18 July)
‘The return of a government which actually appears to want to deliver net zero marks a significant change from the lukewarm sentiment and delayed decisions of the Sunak years – and most of our conversations with clients this week have had a note of optimism we’ve not found for some time.’ - Stuart Thomson: Interview with Zoe Cohen, board level director, Master Coach and Activist [podcast] (15 July)
‘I am a concerned citizen who has taken action many times trying to support life. I’ve been arrested seven times, been to prison on remand once, and currently have two suspended sentences hanging over me.’
Consulting, skills and careers
- Ben Smith: H1 2024 PR Market Review with W Communications founder Warren Johnson [podcast] (18 July)
‘It’s been more of the same: a bit of a slog. The economy’s still pretty weak, there’s a lot of nervousness client-side. There’s a reluctance to commit big budgets. We’re looking for growth outside of consumer – and outside of the UK.’ - Ollie Manser: 10 things I learnt about public relations after my first year in the industry (15 July)
‘Now one year into my role at a PR agency, I’ve gained a clear understanding of the industry, learned valuable lessons and debunked several myths along the way. So, here are the top ten things I learnt from my first year working in PR.’ - Maja Pawinska Sims: Headliners: Rachel Friend (12 July)
‘Like everyone, I found Covid very difficult. It’s made me realise I’m at my best when I’m surrounded by people, so I relish the days when we all come together, whether at work or socially.’
Gender, diversity and wellbeing
Public and third sectors
Politics, public affairs and public sphere
- Sali Midjek-Conway: Martyn’s Law in King’s Speech: a tribute to Martyn Hett and his mum’s campaign (17 July)
‘Among the 22 people killed in the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing was one of our own – Martyn Hett, who worked for Rumpus PR, in Altrincham, Greater Manchester.’
- Sophie Richardson: How does a new Labour Government approach the second coming of President Trump and the rise of JD Vance? (16 July)
‘The fact that David Lammy held a meeting with J D Vance back in May reveals that the new Labour government has a close ear to the ground within Republican party circles – might we see the resurrection of the Blairite idea of the UK as ‘the bridge’ between Europe and America in the coming years?’
- Tim Rogers: First Minister of Wales resigns (16 July)
‘Mr Gething’s allies say it has been an orchestrated campaign from within. His opponents in Welsh Labour say he had too many awkward outstanding questions and too few convincing answers.’
Research, data, measurement and evaluation
- Daryl Wilcox: The real value in your business plan (16 July)
‘The real work of a journalist is not the writing, it is the research and analysis. The best journalists spend most of their time on this and the writing is ‘just the bit you do at the end,’ as I remember one of my college lecturers imploring time and again.’ - Dan Gold: The Power of Numbers in PR: Darryl Sparey on Metrics that Matter
(16 July)
‘The AMEC Integrated Evaluation Framework is the very best tool for doing just about anything. Start by asking what you actually want to achieve; that’s the way to approach any communications brief. Everything flows from this.’ - Sam Knowles: How can we make the world better and fairer for all? With Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen from the University of Cambridge and the Autism Research Centre [podcast] (16 July)
‘The Pattern Seekers was an opportunity to celebrate autistic people and their contribution to human progress and propose a new theory of human invention – our ability to invent generatively. Suddenly you see Homo Sapiens not only inventing simple tools, but jewellery, weapons, musical instruments. What seems to be special about us is we just can’t stop inventing. There’s a link between autism and the human capacity for invention.’
Crisis, risk and reputation
- Amanda Coleman: Rethinking the approach to missing people (17 July)
‘There are no easy answers but it feels as though law enforcement globally needs to take a long look at how missing people investigations are managed. The vile comments on social media need to be addressed and families who are faced with terrible events need to have support to help them through.’ - David Olajide: The Streisand Effect and Online Reputation Management (15 July)
‘The Streisand effect highlights a crucial aspect of online reputation management (ORM) in today’s digital age: information suppression rarely works. In fact, it can often have the opposite effect, amplifying negativity and damaging reputations.’ - Dan Slee: BAD REP: The new Labour government are coming for reputation management and this is no bad thing (14 July)
‘For me, the most significant of the 30 bills expected to be listed is the long awaited Hillsborough law. In short, this puts an expectation of candour on public officials and bodies at a public enquiry. In other words, to be honest and transparent when things go wrong.’
Internal communication
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION DIPLOMA
- Rachel Miller: How to create an IC strategy you love (16 July)
‘I know from conversations Team Teal and I have here at All Things IC that internal communicators struggle to create internal communication strategies.’
Media, digital and technology
- Mary Poliakova: Three reasons why AI Is not PR’s friend (no date)
‘I support any kind of technology that can automate and simplify life and work, nevertheless, at the current stage of AI development, I see some ethical and authorial content issues because of AI.’
Academic, education and training
