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Beyond the front page: A playbook for agency PR in a fragmented media world

November 11, 2025/0 Comments/in Politics, PR, Marketing, Communications, Media, Public Affairs Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, Political Services, PR, Political Database, Press and Bloggers, Political Monitoring, Public Sector, Media Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

For agency professionals in public relations, communications, and public affairs, the old PR playbook is officially out, with the traditional, top-down method of disseminating information – pitching your press release to a national, getting a front-page splash, and watching your story spread – a thing of the past. Today, comms operates on a fragmented map with no clearly marked course forward.

This multi-platform media environment, defined by complex and unpredictable story journeys, is a fresh field of opportunity for comms professionals who understand its new rules. For agencies, it’s a time to update strategies, redefine what success means for clients, and integrate public affairs and media relations efforts more closely than ever before.

To help, here are key pointers for agencies:

1. Redefine ‘Success’: Niche is the new national

Despite the huge variety of platforms out there, plenty of clients continue to put pressure on agencies for a front-page splash. But a story doesn’t have to hit the front page of a national newspaper to reach a significant audience.

Analysing a specific story’s journey highlights the different routes available to agencies and their brands. Tracking coverage and conversation around the topic of ‘AI for Heart Health’, for example, shows that tabloid coverage shouldn’t be the ultimate aim for every campaign.

This story’s spread was rooted in organic, community-driven conversation, starting on forums, and moving to academic papers, journals, and websites, successfully reaching very specific, and highly valuable, stakeholder audiences.

A crucial distinction for agency client management – volume alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Reaching a small but highly-engaged audience of experts, academics, or policymakers can be far more valuable than a fleeting mention on a national broadcast.

This also applies to formats. While radio coverage volume might dwarf that of podcasts, for example, the latter has a dedicated audience of downloaders, much more likely to be engaged with the content. For our clients, landing that perfect niche podcast could be a more strategic win than a dozen scattered radio clips.

2. Manage the ‘pinball machine’ of politics

Public affairs and politics are now almost inseparable from PR, and should be considered as part of any campaign.

Vuelio’s Kelly Scott describes public interest stories as potential ‘pinballs’, that can ‘hit a political buffer, bouncing around further, racking up more coverage… potentially distorting the story if it becomes politicised for party gain.

‘If your media team and public affairs team are following stories separately, and using a siloed engagement plan… you are missing a huge opportunity,’ she warns.

Political and regulatory attention – like CMA investigations – can prolong a narrative’s lifecycle significantly, and land them in unexpected sectors. Reporting around the RAAC crisis, for example, received more coverage in Regional outlets than in the expected Construction & Property sector. The story of surge pricing received surprisingly little coverage in law-focused outlets, despite questions from online audiences about its legality.

For agencies, mapping stakeholders is a solid starting point, but so too is being prepared for a story to be picked up by actors with their own agendas.

When a story becomes politicised, agencies must be ready to:

– Correct misinformation at pace and offer good data.
– Engage directly with the media and political influencers involved.
– Motivate third-party stakeholder voices to add credibility and balance.

3. Find the connectors to break through the echo chamber

Despite all the interconnected platforms that make up the modern media landscape, it can still become severely siloed.

Coverage of surge pricing provides a clear example of this – broadsheets focused on issues around labour and fairness, alongside regulatory and market implications, while tabloids centred instead on drawbacks for the general public, with the price of concert tickets a recurring element.

Audiences for each largely stayed in their own echo chambers and weren’t exposed to diverse and different takes on the issue.

The value agencies can bring is bridging such silos by identifying the connectors. For the story of surge pricing, these are national broadcasters (which provide a shared space), specific interest publications (like LADBible or Sky Sports, that reach audiences across class lines), and influencers/experts (projecting a story across very different groups – Martin Lewis is just one example).

These connectors are a vital part of a modern media relations strategy, providing opportunities to break a story out of a single, self-reinforcing narrative.

4. Master the Two-Track Story

One of the curious parts of media fragmentation is how a single topic can spread in distinct ways that never intersect. AI for Heart Health coverage from the first half of 2025 did exactly this:

Track 1: The technical, medical story. This lived in academic or medical publications, and among niche communities and forums online. It reached a limited, but highly engaged, group of professionals, academics, and autodidacts.

Track 2: The mainstream story. When a specific angle of ‘smart pyjamas’ crossed over, it appeared in outlets including Daily Mail and The Mirror, but skipped spaces that ordinarily play host to more technical discussions.

Monitoring niche publications and social spaces to understand which stories have the capacity to break through into the mainstream is vital for agencies working with a variety of clients.

5. Ditch ‘Social First’

Still pitching ‘social first’ strategies? You could already be falling behind.

As Sean Allen-Moy, Head of Media Relations Strategy at Burson, puts it:

‘The concept of a ‘social first’ strategy is outdated. The reality is “social everywhere, always”.’

Tracking coverage of the zero hour contract ban in the UK bears this out. While the story was driven by personal experiences and work advocacy shared on social platforms, this fueled broadcast segments and column inches, which are always in need of case studies. Forget traditional media at your peril.

Monitoring and understanding the interplay between traditional coverage, social sharing, and forum-based discussion is a must – agencies must identify where audiences consume content and meet them there.

‘It’s endlessly fascinating how stories evolve, but it presents a real challenge for brands to fuel the fire – or put it out in some cases – across so many, constantly changing platforms and algorithms,’ says Brands2Life Exec Chair, Business & Technology André Labadie.

‘Using (increasingly AI-enhanced) listening and analytics tools to identify emerging trends through social is key so you can influence the narrative in its infancy. This is really changing how brands can take control of issues early and predict how they’re likely to evolve.

‘What definitely hasn’t changed is the need to add something new to the story, stay close to the media to develop new angles at the right time, and then use all the relevant platforms to amplify it.’

6. Follow the new PR playbook

This fragmented landscape demands a fluid strategy. As Amy Chappell, Head of Insights at Vuelio, puts it, a story is ‘no longer a fixed communication, but a fluid journey shaped by who picks it up and how it is retold’.

The agency playbook must be built on adaptability:

Think Ecosystem, Not Endpoint: Stop treating media coverage as the finish line. Instead, build responsive strategies that anticipate how stories will evolve across platforms.

Reframe Monitoring as Navigation: Tracking coverage isn’t about counting clips. It’s about understanding how narratives are reframed to know exactly when to step in, clarify, or amplify.

Embed Adaptability: Build flexibility into campaigns. This means having spokespeople and expert commentators ready to engage quickly to retain a degree of control in unpredictable times.

For agencies willing to embrace this complexity, the opportunities are immense. Moving from linear pitching to dynamic navigation can prove the indispensable value of agency support to clients and prospects.

Want more on navigating this new landscape? Check out the full story in Vuelio’s latest report ‘How news travels in today’s fragmented media environment’.

Health in focus: Run-up to the Budget

November 10, 2025/0 Comments/in Politics, Public Affairs Political Database, Political Monitoring, Public Sector, Political Services, PR Blog Posts /by Aidan Stansbury

As Labour continues to slide in most polls, tensions between Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting and the British Medical Association (BMA) continue to surge.

Most recently, the BMA rejected another pay offer from the Government which included covering the cost of exam fees and greater training capacity. Streeting has said the strikers are ‘unnecessary and irresponsible’, the state will not be held to ransom by the doctors and challenged the notion that a 28.9% increase in pay was not the ‘crumbs’ that was being described. With the NHS experiencing its highest demand over the summer and the inevitable winter crisis that looms in the near future, the importance of maintaining the supply of healthcare is paramount. The issue that looms for Streeting is that he must balance the ‘whip’ of the Treasury, who already is squeezed for cash, with the ambitious targets on elective waiting lists which become hampered by the strikes over pay.

To counter these waiting lists, the Labour Government is keen to stress the importance of innovation in the NHS, with what seems like daily press releases on a new technology or pilots that will improve access, speed up care, and cut down the waiting lists. Despite this, the constant recurring theme seems to stick to ‘money’. On the macro level, last year’s Budget saw a £29bn uplift to fund the inherited crisis and on the micro level, both the resident doctor strikes and the crisis in pharmaceutical investment, shows that innovative string to Streeting’s ‘bow’ can only go so far, and he inevitably ends up at the door of No. 11. Kemi Badenoch would likely tell you to ban the strikes to free up cash that could be sent to the pharmaceutical industry, a decision that could implode any state relationship with resident doctors and the BMA. This would likely harm productivity and efficient healthcare, but more widely for Labour, any worsening of tensions with the health workforce would strike a dark tone for the Government of disavowing the very labour it names itself after.

Elsewhere, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) appeared in front of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee to explain their involvement in life sciences investments. A key criticism of NICE has been on their QALY threshold, which has remained at £20,000-£30,000. CEO Dr. Sam Roberts specifically outlined that the QALY threshold is designed to model how the public see the health-to-cost ratio for the length and quality of life. The process of QALY’s, notably through the EQ-5D-5l assessments, was also criticised due to its subjectivity and limitations in assessing chronic illnesses. In PMQs last week, Jonathan Brash criticised NICE for not permitting omaveloxolone to treat Friedreich ataxia on the grounds that it couldn’t be classified as an ultra-rare disease. Fundamentally, NICE is being criticised by two sides of the same coin, one, to expand medicine provision to improve health outcomes, and the other, to expand provision to decrease life sciences disinvestment. In the committee, Dr. Sam Roberts noted that movement of the threshold is ultimately a Government decision and will either come at a cost to the public purse or will lead to cash being strapped from other areas in health or the wider economy.

In Parliament, two high-profile Bills have begun to make their way through committee stage, the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has drawn up a strong level of media attention and is now in the process of being scrutinised by the Lords. The Lords have held oral evidence sessions for the Bill, an uncommon process for Bill committees but one that highlights the desire to scrutinise the Bill further. This included a session with relevant stakeholders from New Zealand who previously implemented a similar Bill titled End of Life Choice Act in 2022. Members heard of the threat of the Bill’s expansion through bureaucracy and the challenges it brought to palliative care, as well as the benefits of gratitude and relief that the Bill brought to families. Notably, with a recent NAO report finding that nearly two thirds of adult hospices reported a financial deficit in 2023-24, any further burden placed on this sector through the administrative complexity and social consequences of assisted dying legislation could further jeopardise any stability left in the sector.

One of the most prominent recent Parliamentary debates was on baby loss, tabled by Andy MacNae as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week. The debate included powerful speeches from Members of Parliament, some of whom had personal experiences to share. The debate highlighted the failures of maternity care, which have prompted the national investigation into maternity and neonatal care. This included experiences of ‘overt racism’ and clear cases of avoidable harm and loss. In a written response to one of the debate’s contributors Bobby Dean, Streeting highlighted how families have often felt abandoned, ignored, and damaged by the health services they are supposed to rely on. He also took note to recognise the importance of mental health support for mothers and families on the ward. As well as the national investigation, Streeting also noted work undertaken by Tommy’s into a ‘graded model of care’ for miscarriage including in bereavement support, health advice and risk assessments.

In October, Streeting also met with celebrity Vicky Pattison who has been a strong campaigner against medical misogyny following her experiences being diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). Streeting committed to involving Pattison in the upcoming Women’s Health Strategy and including medical misogyny as a fundamental aspect. With this coming alongside an announcement that menopause will be included in routine NHS Health Checks, and the confirmation that the Women’s Health Strategy will be published next year, the Department for Health and Social Care has used recent weeks as a ‘policy blitz’ for their mission to remedy women’s health care and health disparities more widely.

In total, the last month has shown us that even in the philanthropic nature of healthcare, cash is king. Recent reports running up to the Budget speculate that tax increases are likely in order to safeguard the £53bn of new funding for the NHS. If it wasn’t clear from commitments set out in the Spending Review, the Spring Statement and the last Autumn Budget, the NHS, and cutting its waiting lists, is a boundless priority. Nevertheless, Streeting will have to tackle the clamour for more funding from the different prongs of the healthcare sector. Most prominently, the strikes remain a threat to both his political credibility and public sector productivity.

AMEC Silver win Vuelio Insights and Marie Curie

AMEC Awards 2025: Vuelio wins alongside Marie Curie

November 6, 2025/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Insights, PR, Charity, Communications, Media Media Monitoring, PR, insights, Not-for-profit Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The Vuelio Insights team are proud to have been awarded Silver at the AMEC Awards 2025 in the Step Change Award category for best improvement of a measurement journey, recognising our work with end of life charity Marie Curie.

Last night’s AMEC Awards 2025 was its 23rd year of celebrating excellence across the comms and measurement industry, spotlighting the campaigns, teams, and ideas redefining communication measurement across the world.

To be recognised for this collaboration with Marie Curie on such an important project is something we’re very grateful for as a team. With the initial objective of demonstrating the value of PR to senior stakeholders, the Vuelio Insights team worked with Marie Curie to shift public perceptions around difficult subjects like death, dying, and palliative care through high-quality media coverage, securing key messaging in target audience media.

The introduction of simple yet strategic reporting at board-level, as well as new methodologies, put in place frameworks to guide planning, support behavioural change, and elevate performance conversations going forward.

From never missing a story, to evaluating contribution, we’re glad to see this step change have real impact for Marie Curie, and those it works to support.

‘We’re really pleased to be recognised by AMEC in the Step Change Award category – the collaboration between Vuelio and Marie Curie to create this new framework has made meaningful change across the organisation, which is so rewarding to see and be a part of.’

– Amy Chappell, Head of Insights, Vuelio

‘We’ve always known the importance of the stories we tell, but this framework has helped us articulate the value of our work in a much clearer and more meaningful way. It’s given our team the language and tools to evaluate what good looks like – not just in terms of media volume, but in the quality, relevance and resonance of the coverage we’re securing.

‘It’s helped us build confidence across the organisation. We’re now able to show how communications supports our wider mission, and report that narrative credibly at every level of the charity.’

– Marie Curie comms team

AMEC said: ‘This journey showcases the power of compassionate insight, proving that smart evaluation can amplify purpose-led communication with clarity and empathy’.

How to build agency resilience in the age of AI

November 5, 2025/0 Comments/in PR, Communications, Media Media Database, Media Monitoring, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

With the challenges of lower budgets, smaller teams, and extra crunches on clients, AI has been embraced by many across the PR industry as a potential cure-all. But with the very welcome efficiencies and shortcuts has come new challenges. What becomes of PR when content can be generated, and outreach and measurement automated?

Its vital function as moral guide; educator; builder and protector of reputation and knowledge. Read on for advice and insight on centring strategy and thought leadership while making the most of what AI brings to the table.

Steer AI in the right direction…

‘We need to remember that AI is a new tool that still requires human operation to be used successfully, creatively and ethically, so focusing on developing this expertise is key for PR teams moving forward,’ says Sheridan Okey, head of PR at Tribera.

‘PR teams should double down on deep storytelling and reputation management – areas where nuance, empathy, and emotional intelligence matter most. AI can generate words, but it cannot replicate the instinct to sense when a message will resonate or when it will backfire. This is where the industry’s energy should be concentrated: blending the efficiency of AI with the irreplaceable judgement of experienced professionals.’

Add value for journalists

The media is also battling with the pros and cons of artificial intelligence. What they don’t want? Servings of slop, says James Brockbank, managing director and founder at Digitaloft:

‘With AI, anyone can create content on anything they know nothing about, in seconds. And this means that, all of a sudden, too many journalists are finding themselves bombarded with ‘consensus’ comments from PRs who wrote them using AI.

‘That’s not adding value. A journalist could go and do that themselves if they wanted.

‘It’s more important than ever to focus on speaking with subject matter experts (who have genuine experience and expertise in the topic) to offer journalists value-adding comments, insights, and information to take their articles to the next level.

‘It sounds simple, but in a world where too many jump straight to ChatGPT, we’re losing the fact that genuine experts must be at the heart of everything we do.’

Colin Hallmark, founder and lead consultant at 3:nine Communications, also advocates for original case studies and expert comment:

‘There’s already a narrative emerging in the media around the proliferation of bland, generic soundbites via AI. Look no further than the recent controversy in the House of Commons, where MPs were criticised for using it in their speeches.

‘Journalists want credible, authentic voices and original commentary around busy news cycles – the growth of Substack and newsletters is proof of that . In media terms, it feels like we’re entering the age of the specialist. As more people use them as search engines, LLMs themselves are starting to rely heavily on contextual trust and authority drawn from a variety of third-party content, particularly in specialist and industry titles.

‘There’s a big role for PR professionals to work closely with clients to think creatively about how they can bring their expertise and frontline experience to these audiences.’

Continue to connect with people

‘AI will quickly become a delivery service to many brands and businesses,’ acknowledges Georgie Upton, managing director, Wild Card Public Relations.

‘But for us, AI is not the answer to people and brands living life in full colour; it lacks the deep understanding of human beings, the subtlety of connections, and nuances of knowing people – that quick glance, that inner-thought. Business thrives through people connections.

‘It is using AI in a combined approach that allows the survival of human-to-human businesses.’

Sarah Lloyd, podcaster and founder of ISPR, agrees with the importance of face-to-face, in-person, interactions:

‘The industry itself should focus on the human connection. Actually meeting with real people, and creating real relationships through sharing stories. In the age of automation and bringing it all online, we have lost the skill set that had us all working in PR in the first place.

‘AI can complement it – but can never replace it.

‘The value that individuals bring to the table for clients is relationship. Relationship with them, with the press and with agency staff. PR agencies are hired on results AND ALSO chemistry. Results and process is possible via AI, but chemistry is the soft skills that humans require so they can trust the team and agency who is representing them. People buy people at the end of the day.’

Add empathy back into the equation

‘The ability to connect with empathy, is what sets us apart,’ believes Anthony Cooper, company director, Clarient Global Limited.

‘Humans respond emotionally to ideas and events, and it is this ability that allows PR professionals to deliver maximum impact. Large language models can generate content, but they cannot recognise or interpret emotional currents in the way people can. To deliver lasting value, agencies should lean into their biggest assets, which are their people, while embracing AI as a tool that frees us to focus on what we do best.’

Step into the strategist role

‘If your relationship with clients is transactional and more reporting and press office-based, it will be diluted by AI,’ warns Laura Lear, managing director, AMBITIOUS.

‘PR teams will therefore need to be laser-focused on value and strategic consultancy. Our value lies in strategy and clarity, cutting through noise and challenging inaccuracies, and shaping insights and guidance that is tailored for each client.’

Natalie Sutton, tech comms board advisor, agrees:

‘We need to shift from being content factories to being strategic architects. The future belongs to agencies that can navigate complex stakeholder dynamics, predict reputational ripples, and craft nuanced positioning that resonates with human emotion, not just algorithms.

‘Stop competing with machines on their turf. Double down on what makes us irreplaceably human: cultural intuition, ethical judgement, and the ability to build genuine trust. AI can write a press release, but it can’t look a CEO in the eye and tell them their strategy is fundamentally flawed.’

Ask the questions LLMs won’t

‘Right now, we need to demonstrate our value and our worth,’ says Amy Dawson, owner of Gatekeeper Communications.

‘We are the ones who can respectfully challenge and push back, being the voice to remind our clients, “Is this the right thing to do?” or “What could be the fallout from this?” or “How can we change this conversation?” or “Could this quick win impact our long-term reputation?” An AI tool will only ever do what the prompt is asking it to do, so our value has to show that we are taking the right steps to build trust and authority, and that we are contributing towards positive behaviours.’

Echo chambers can be an unfortunate consequence of an over-reliance on LLMs, warns Marco Fiori, MD of Bamboo PR:

‘Fewer companies are looking over the horizon and considering the future impact of their public communication now. This risk is intensified by AI.

‘PRs already play a critical role in setting nuanced positioning, which will become even more sought-after in the coming years.’

Become brand guardians

‘If PR teams aren’t helping brands stand out if they lean on AI simply to churn out content,’ says David Clare, Head of Fusion, Fire on the Hill.

‘PR professionals need to reframe their perspective on AI. It isn’t just a productivity tool; it’s an ecosystem PR can actively influence to help brands tell their story.

‘Generative AI Engine Optimisation (GEO) is ripe for the picking for PRs. LLMs cite coverage, analyst reports, and community content – all areas our industry excels in. But to marry our traditional expertise with the new world of AI demands rigour, digital literacy, and ongoing analysis.

‘PR has always promised to build authority and trust. Today, delivering on that promise means moving beyond clever branding to evidence-based results that genuinely shift visibility and credibility for clients. The AI opportunity is not a productivity boost, it is our ability to create meaningful content that influences AI and sees LLMs do the brand storytelling for us.’

Rebuild your team’s skillset

Karen Idorn, digital PR director at SEOMG!, sees a need for some serious upskilling across the industry to make the most of these new opportunities opened up by the adoption of AI:

‘PR has always been about more than coverage. It’s about guiding organisations through complex, often sensitive conversations. As society becomes more polarised and every brand decision is scrutinised, our role as trusted advisors is more valuable than ever.

‘To really embrace this, PR teams need to invest in deeper industry knowledge, ethical training, and the confidence to challenge clients when necessary. It’s about moving from being just storytellers to being strategic partners who help organisations do the right thing, not just say the right thing.’

Be the voice of reason

How can agencies remain resilient in the age of AI?

‘The role of PR professionals will remain in the capacity of appreciated advisors, says Stephanie Mullins-Wiles, COO of BlueSky Education.

‘Provide moral guidance and be a voice of reason in a world increasingly impacted by AI.’

For Chris Norton, founder and managing director at Prohibition PR, PR remains vital – and should be at the top of the table:

‘The real opportunity for PR is to be seen as a trusted advisor at board level. We should be helping clients make not just communications decisions, but reputational ones: what they stand for, how they act, even where they draw the line ethically. Then, we devise a plan for how that is communicated to the world.

‘That’s a big responsibility, but it’s also what makes the role so valuable. To get there, agencies need to invest in their people – teaching younger professionals to think critically, speak with confidence, and not just ‘do PR’ but advise with authority to ultimately become consultants.

‘It’s this shift that will make our industry more resilient, ensure we’re adapting alongside AI, and that will future-proof the value of agencies.’

For how Vuelio can help agencies with their work, check out our Media Database, Media Monitoring, and Insights solutions.

‘AI has made it so that anyone can pose as an expert’ – Media interview with Jacob Granger, community editor at Journalism.co.uk

October 21, 2025/0 Comments/in PR, Communications, Media Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Andrew Strutt

What sort of relationship do journalists want with PRs now? In an ever-changing media landscape, it can be difficult to know the best ways to make connections and understand what publishers want and need from you. Someone that is seeing these changes take place first-hand is Jacob Granger, who works as community editor at Journalism.co.uk.

Below, he shares some of the ways that the relationship between journalists and PRs can be improved, explains how the industry has changed during his nearly ten years covering it, and discusses the impact that AI has had for both sides.

What are some of the main changes that you have seen during your time covering the media industry, and do you think these have been positive or negative developments?

The buzzword at the moment is the ‘user needs model’. This was developed by a journalist called Dmitry Shishkin when he was at the BBC, and it’s since been expanded from six user needs up to eight. I think this has been transformative for our industry, because it has confirmed something for journalists and editors – people want more from the news than just an update. Maybe they want help connecting, or they want help being distracted, or they want to be illuminated by something. There’s more to the news experience than just updates.

The traditional model has long peddled this view that the metrics of success for journalism is measured by page views and eyeballs and scoops and scandals and the rest of it. This is still valid, but I think something else has emerged. An important metric for success now is value and habitual use and loyalty, and the user need model complements this so much, because it takes away the incentive of visibility. It says, what do the analysis articles do for our publication model? What do lists of ‘top ten experts to follow’ do for our business model? What’s emerged from this is the realisation that we’ve over-commissioned on one type of story.

The penny has dropped for a lot of publishers and they have realised what’s missing in our model. Many publishers have run with it, including The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, The Conversation, Vogue, Berlingske Media in Denmark. There’s so many great adopters of this strategy now, and it’s really feeding directly into newer business models that maybe have different KPIs around subscriptions or memberships. That’s the big change. I’m really enthusiastic about it, and it’s been a really wonderful framework for our industry.

In terms of negatives, we’ve seen a lot of job layoffs in recent years in the news industry. When you talk to young journalists, this is a really big concern for them. Is there a place in the industry for me now? The jobs are so fiercely competitive, but also so fragile in terms of their job security. I worry about this being a really big deterrent for young journalists coming through the industry. We can’t just keep cutting jobs to cost save. We have to figure this out and get our business models in order.

Why is the relationship between journalists and PRs such a key one in the media industry? And how do you think it can be improved further (from both sides)?

I think it’s always good for journalists to have new story leads that they wouldn’t otherwise have considered. It’s always good for them to be introduced to sources that may not otherwise come into their world. The problem with this is that PRs tend to come to journalists and newsrooms with ulterior motives. They’re wanting publicity or wanting something in exchange.

Some of the best PRs I’ve worked with, you go back to them and say, this isn’t a story for now, but let’s come back in three to six months when we’ve got some results to show. They say, okay cool, let’s schedule a call in that space of time. At that point, I’m saying that there is a story we could publish, but who does it serve beyond just your publicity? Our job as a journalist is not to give publicity to PRs, it’s to serve our audience. Where there is that clear value exchange, and they’ve thought about the audience, and there’s some exclusive data or access to an expert, that’s legitimate and fine as far as I’m concerned. But there has to be that negotiation between both sides, and there has to be some way of meeting in the middle.

I’ve met some PRs who are very insistent on their marketing lines, and they sit in on interviews, and they interject, and they do all the things that journalists hate. You just end up canceling the interview. My advice is to go into these interviews with some curiosity and be open to the possibilities from the interview. Don’t be afraid to try and change the angle. I’ve got an interview to do tomorrow and this is the second time I’ve spoken to them. It came to me through a PR agency, but the main angle that they approached me with when I had a scoping call with them, I could see it doesn’t really do much beyond trumpet your own cause. I’ve gone back and said there’s a better angle to this conversation. This is one that I think will serve our audience. How do you feel about this? And I’ve got a green light. I think that’s the way to handle these things.

AI and its use in the media has been a hot topic for the last year or two now, what are the main ways that journalists and publishers are using it? And what impact does this have on the PR industry?

I think it’s useful for doing the things that journalists either can’t do or they spend too long doing. I’ve sat there, like any journalist, and transcribed an interview manually. It’s awful and it’s a waste of time. Put it through an AI and it will give you a good transcription. You can also use AI to crawl through a data set to try and find some meaningful data points and statistics. It would take you, as the journalist, ages to do that. There’s no need to waste so much time doing that if you can reliably use a trustworthy AI and corroborate the findings afterwards.

If you’re lazily using it to turn out AI slop, then it is probably not the best idea in the world. I think you could train an AI model to write quite closely for your publication. Train it on a user needs model and your own previous writing, and get it to emulate that fairly closely. You have a first draft, and then you can go in and work from that sort of standpoint and that’s all right in my view. Plus, it’s good for translation, particularly for very niche languages. You know, we did a piece last year about a publisher who was using it to transcribe Greenlandic. You might be able to get some translators, but if you’ve got a reliable AI to do this, then it will save you a lot of hard work in the long run.

In terms of the PR side, the arrival of AI has made it so that anyone can pose as an expert. I think journalists now, with a lot of the scandals that have emerged from journalists being hoodwinked and deceived by sources that are just using AI, probably have their guards up. If you’re a PR, just be aware of this. There would probably be extra credentials needed to prove that you’ve got a legitimate source to speak to, so be prepared to show your credentials and the qualifications of your expert. That’s one impact I think AI has had on the PR world.

Journalism.co.uk offers courses and training not just for journalists but also for people in comms and PR. What are the main skills that a media professional needs nowadays when communicating with the press?

The main skill is to be digitally literate and realise that not all journalists want to have a text interview. Perhaps they want to do a podcast or maybe they want to do a live video, or just do something a little bit outside of the realms of possibility. If you’re a little bit more digital savvy, you can clip it up for social afterwards. It’s good to have those production values in mind about what’s going to look good visually and what’s going to sound good. That’s another thing, get yourself a good mic. A lot of times I’ve been set up with interviews and they’re using iPhone microphones or whatever and that just doesn’t do the business. So being aware of the production values and the different platforms that journalists want to be across, is a very good skill set to have.

I would also be remiss not to give my colleague, Ophelia Birch, a huge shout out for the work she’s doing on revamping our training across the board. I saw one the other day that I thought was really cool, which was about interviewing advice for panel podcasts and about how to do an interview for different scenarios. It’s good to be upskilled in that area I’d say as well.

For more on the modern media landscape and how it’s changing, download our Vuelio report ‘How news travels in today’s fragmented media landscape‘.

The impact of regulation on reputation: Why comms teams can’t ignore politics

October 8, 2025/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media Political Monitoring, Media Database, Media Monitoring, Political Services, PR, Political Database, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The Online Safety Bill, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, upcoming HFSS legislation changes, and Net Zero targets – did you factor these legislation updates into comms strategies for your business, and clients?

As made clear by the impacts of these regulations on the UK business landscape, staying out of politics is not a viable option for comms teams. Being aware of what’s happening in Westminster isn’t just a bonus skill – it’s a core competency that’s essential for risk management, opportunity spotting, and strategic counsel.

For practical advice for staying ahead in these politically-charged times, check out this round-up of advice from those in the industry successfully weaving political know-how into their brand and client strategies.

How politics permeates PR

Politics influences and intersects with every aspect of our daily lives, and this is no different for organisations.

Kerry Parkin, founder of the Remarkables, believes the issue is two-fold for comms:

‘1) Politics drives the agenda. The geopolitical world is moving faster than ever, often dictating the speed and direction of media and stakeholder conversations. Take tariffs as an example: a major political decision, well signposted in advance, can suddenly make or break something as straightforward as a tequila launch. If your product, business or brand is touched by political or geopolitical events, it must be factored into your mindset, planned for, and executed around, even through, the disruption.

2) Timing is everything. If you are pitching stories on the very day a budget lands, you can kiss goodbye to any meaningful coverage. Without political awareness, teams risk wasting opportunities and undermining credibility by being out of sync with the national conversation.’

In fact, a lack of political know-how can be poison for public relations, as Anton Greindl, director, public affairs, at the Tilton Consultancy explains:

‘Without a working grasp of the political agenda, agencies can drift away from their clients’ real priorities. If you don’t track policy and regulation, you mistime launches, miss stakeholder expectations, and risk using messages that are about to become politically toxic or legally constrained.

‘You also lose earned opportunities, such as select committee calls for evidence, regulator consultations, media windows, because you’re reacting after the fact. Policy literacy is the difference between PR being a noticeboard and PR being a strategic lever for revenue, risk, and reputation.’

Reputation could be the first casualty of a lack of awareness:

‘Without political awareness of the now and what’s upcoming, PR teams risk aligning their clients with narratives that are outdated, or even damaging,’ says Claire Crompton, commercial director at TAL Agency.

‘Politically and socially, society evolves daily – the political sphere is continuously shifting. Managing a brand must be timely in the wider context of society, without anticipating what’s ahead, PR teams are essentially navigating blindfolded.’

The role of political monitoring

While it’s impossible to be present for every PMQs, there are tools to help you keep on top of what’s happening in politics.

Laura Moss, managing partner, Parisi explains what political monitoring can do:

‘A good example of monitoring in practice came when we picked up on emerging Home Office policy proposals to ban critical national infrastructure (CNI) owners and operators from making ransomware payments.

‘We immediately flagged this to a client, the cybersecurity specialist team at a global law firm, and worked with them to provide rapid legal and policy analysis. Within hours, we were able to take their expert commentary to targeted media outlets, ensuring they were among the first voices shaping the debate. This not only positioned the client as a go-to authority on ransomware policy but also strengthened their relationships with journalists covering cyber and national security.’

Monitoring can provide the warning signs for potential crises on the horizon, believes Kerry:

‘It allows PR teams to anticipate rather than react. I saw this first-hand during my time at Costa, when Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall launched his campaign against paper cups. At the time, we treated it as purely a media issue. What we did not realise was that the subject had been raised at Prime Minister’s Questions a month earlier.

‘Political monitoring would have flagged that in advance and given us the chance to prepare the business and the narrative more effectively.’

Another example with huge ramifications for comms and wider industries – the uncertainty around TikTok’s continuing availability in the United States earlier this year:
‘In one fell swoop, this would have disenfranchised millions of young Americans from a channel that they could identify with, and would have cost the platform and its advertising partners, and brands that rely on it, millions in revenue,’ explains Yasper founder Julian Pearce.

‘Businesses from all corners need to be aware of the threats, and the potential fragility of their relationships.’

Political awareness is needed globally, nationally, but also locally, adds Katie Nelson, director and head of construction at Cartwright:

‘Recent months and years demonstrate this perfectly with a power change in Number 10, new housing targets and national infrastructure strategies, and changing cabinets. By being tapped into that political space, we’re able to work with clients on how best to navigate changes from a communications perspective – which as PR pros, we know the role comms has to play.’

Moving from passive observation to proactive strategy

What comms teams do with the information is what makes the difference – reacting to what’s happening in the political sphere, but also taking a proactive stance:

‘On its own, data is useful,’ says Laura. ‘But the real value comes from PR consultants interpreting it and adding their knowledge and insights on the potential business impact, then advising clients on how they may or may not wish to respond. By turning monitoring into actionable insight, PR teams can help clients shape communications strategies and identify opportunities for engagement with policymakers or industry bodies.’

Anton agrees:

‘Too many consultancies follow the same pre-packaged newsletters from a narrow set of public affairs – specific outlets, which limits scope and insight. While these are extremely useful in our day to day, every practitioner should skim the key national and international papers each morning, plus at least one business title, one sector trade and the relevant regulator feeds. Go to the source, such as government portals, consultations, committees and statistical releases, rather than relying solely on pre-focused summaries. And I believe we should close the loop weekly with a short, internal, client-specific briefing that covers what changed, why it matters, and the recommended actions.’

In summary, ignore what’s happening in Parliament at your peril…

Your stakeholders will care, so should you, says Jan Christoph Bohnerth, CEO of Life Size.

‘Communications teams can and should go beyond simply tracking when a new bill or regulation is introduced. It’s now also about anticipating how different stakeholders are likely to move, and communications has an important role to play in influencing and shaping public discourse. Done well, this gives PR teams the intelligence to stay ahead, guide strategy and achieve the best possible outcomes for their clients or organisations.’

‘Those that fall short tend to be the ones cutting back in political and communications engagement,’ warns Kerry.

‘In today’s environment, that is short sighted. Now is the time to be investing in these capabilities, not retreating from them, because the political and media landscape is only becoming more complex and uncertain.’

‘The takeaway for PR is simple,’ adds Anton. ‘When politics moves, lead with substance, consistency and implementation detail.

‘Treat policy milestones like a content calendar, make your spokespeople useful to the debate, and ensure every message is anchored to actions the organisation is taking next.’

Tap into what’s happening in politics with Vuelio Political Monitoring and our Political Database. Want help with stakeholder management? Check out Vuelio Stakeholder Relationship Management.

Gift guides, keeping warm & half-term holidays: How to get UK press coverage in October

October 7, 2025/0 Comments/in PR, Communications, Media Press and Bloggers, Media Database, Media Analysis, PR Blog Posts /by Andrew Strutt

Deciding how to get coverage in the media in October? Halloween may be the immediate focus but there are plenty of other trending topics and issues that you can tie campaigns and experts into. Find out below what has been popular in September on the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service and what this will mean for the rest of this month.

Gift guides in demand

Christmas is approaching quickly and journalists have been keen to get their gift guide features compiled in the last month. Over 7% of the total requests in September contained the words ‘gift guide’. This has resulted in some big increases for some of our more consumer-related categories with Men’s Interest rising by 60% compared to August, a 44% increase for Women’s Interest & Beauty and a massive 88% increase for Children & Teenagers.

Journalists at The Sun, Cosmopolitan, Health & Wellbeing, The Guardian, Saga, and GLAMOUR have all sent gift guide-related enquiries in the last month. These have been ‘for him’ and ‘for her’, as well for children, for pets, food & drink products, beauty items, wellness and much more.

Going forward? Gift guide requests will remain frequent throughout October and November as we build up to Christmas. In October 2024, nearly 10% of the total requests was for ‘gift guides’ so expect an increase in journalists from national press and major consumer magazines asking for product samples to test and feature in their reviews.

Staying warm is hot stuff

October marks the beginning of the colder months of the year and journalists have been keen to find out ways that people can stay warm during the Autumn and Winter. ‘Heat’ has appeared as a keyword in just over 1% of all requests in September and ‘warm’ in just under 2%. This also ties into the topical issue of concerns over energy bills and how this might impact people’s personal finance and budgets – with ‘budget’ also appearing as a keyword in nearly 3% of enquiries.

Requests have included looking for expert insights on how UK households are staying warm and cutting energy costs; a heating expert to share expertise on the best time of the day to put the heating on and the best electric blankets to help keep warm this Winter.

Going forward? With temperatures set to drop in October, then there will be more requests around ways that people can stay warm for less. This will increasingly link into the finance side of things as ‘budget’ appeared in over 4% of requests last October. Get heating and finance experts ready and you could be featured in outlets such as GB News, Ideal Home, or Homebuilding & Renovating.

Travel back in fashion

June and July are usually peak season for both the Travel category and ‘travel’ as a keyword but September has seen its popularity rise again. ‘Travel’ cropped up in over 6% of all enquiries last month and the Travel category as a whole increased by 35% compared to August.

This is in part due to journalists looking to get recommendations on where families can head to for the October half-term. However, there have been other topics too with requests for unusual travel experiences, staycations with a twist and trade-friendly tour operators that specialise in adventure travel. These have been sent by outlets such as PA Media, Selling Travel, National Geographic Traveller, and The Wall Street Journal.

Going forward? There will be requests for last-minute travel packages for the school break plus journalists will be looking further ahead with other Autumnal getaway destinations and information on Winter holidays, too. Be prepared with information on different escapes and travel experts to offer comment and there is potential for coverage in a national press title.

Other opportunities for PRs in October and beyond

While we aren’t that far into Autumn, ‘Winter’ becomes more popular on the Journalist Enquiry Service from this point onwards. Last year it appeared in over 4% of requests during October and we would expect to see a similar level of interest this year. This can vary in topic from gardening jobs to do during this period to looking to get information on the fashion and beauty trends for the Wintertime.

It doesn’t receive masses of requests but journalists spend this month gathering information on the best places to see firework displays to celebrate Bonfire Night. Around 1% of all enquiries in October 2024 were centred around this topic, so if you’ve got information on different locations putting on events to celebrate this occasion then have them ready if you want to get press coverage.

Want to get the most out of the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service? Find out how here.

Communicating in a world redefined by AI

October 2, 2025/0 Comments/in Event, Communications PR, Comms, Crisis Comms Blog Posts /by Sal Morton

Artificial intelligence has quickly moved from futuristic promise to present-day reality, reshaping how we work, connect and communicate. That shift was at the centre of Vuelio’s recent event, Communicating in a world redefined by AI, which brought together comms leaders to explore the opportunities and risks of this new era.

The discussion highlighted the dual narratives currently shaping AI: on one side, optimism about its role as the driver of a new industrial revolution, fuelling productivity and growth; on the other, scepticism about its potential to erode trust, creativity and even democracy.

We interviewed André Labadie Exec Chair, Business & Technology for Brands2Life and Vuelio’s Head of Insights Amy Chappell after the event to unpack their perspectives further.

The narratives defining AI today

The event began by asking a simple but pressing question: how is AI being framed in our conversations right now?

According to André, two narratives dominate. On one side, there is enormous enthusiasm: AI as the driver of the next industrial revolution, promising growth, productivity and creativity at scale. “It’s the idea that AI is going to power the next industrial revolution, a major engine of productivity, creativity and economic growth. Technology firms, consultancies, governments all want to push that message, and there’s real substance behind it.”

On the other, there is caution that recognises that these technologies also come with risks to trust, creativity, and even democratic processes. “We’ve moved on from the Robocop-style stories of killer robots,” André explained, “but there are still concerns. Whether around misinformation, ethical use, or how reliant on automation we should allow ourselves to become.”

This tension of optimism versus scepticism is playing out across media coverage, political debate, and popular culture. Communicators now face the challenge of addressing both sides with honesty and balance.

Where media and public diverge

The event also explored where media and public opinion align on AI, and where they diverge.

At a macro level, both groups are aligned on jobs and ethics: whether roles will be displaced or reshaped by AI, and whether its applications are ethical. But beyond that, priorities differ.

“From a media lens, there’s a preoccupation with big-picture risks,” André says. “But the public, as employees or consumers, are more concerned with pragmatic and personal issues — can my child use AI safely for homework? Can I trust the reviews I’m reading online?”

This divergence matters for communicators. Messaging that plays well in the press may not resonate with employees or customers. Equally, public anxieties that appear small-scale can quickly become reputational flashpoints.

AI as solution as well as risk

Amy added an important counterpoint: AI may cause problems, but it can also be part of the solution. “It’s almost ironic, isn’t it — using AI to fix AI problems,” she reflected. “But AI can help detect misinformation, catch fake quotes, and verify sources. We’ve seen misquotes in the media around medical advice, and being able to use AI to spot and correct those quickly is vital.”

She also pointed to AI’s ability to process vast volumes of data: “From an analyst perspective, it can help us act quicker. If there’s a narrative playing out in the media, AI can help us understand what’s going on and deal with issues before they escalate.”

This dual role — both a risk factor and a potential safeguard — is central to how communicators should frame AI internally and externally.

Key challenges for communicators

For communicators trying to find their footing, André outlined three key challenges:

Avoiding sensationalism. The hype cycle means every brand feels pressure to make statements on AI. “There are a lot of so-called thought leaders with strong opinions,” André noted. “The challenge is cutting through with something grounded and valuable.”
Adding substance. Research shows most major companies now reference AI in their annual reports, but few explain how it has genuinely improved their operations. That gap between rhetoric and reality risks hollowing out trust.
Maintaining credibility. Brands that present themselves as human-first but secretly rely on automation risk being caught out. Transparency, he argued, is the safest strategy.

André highlights Puma, the sportswear brand, faced criticism for releasing an AI-generated campaign despite its identity being rooted in human performance. Outsourcing to automation felt discordant and undermined credibility. By contrast, LinkedIn rolled out AI-generated job descriptions and career advice with clear labelling and careful positioning. “They presented it as a co-pilot rather than a replacement,” André says. “Consumers knew it was AI-driven, they understood its limitations, and they were more forgiving when mistakes occurred.”

The rise of new comms channels

As AI changes not just messaging but also the information ecosystem, the question of channels is increasingly pressing.

For André, executive communications remain key for signalling authenticity. Employees, too, are crucial — often the first to amplify or critique how AI is used internally.

And interactive forums matter more than ever. “Reddit AMAs, Q&As — those have a double benefit,” he explained. “Not only do they engage audiences directly, but AI-powered search engines and large language models are increasingly over-indexing on content from those spaces.”

This led to wider discussion on phenomena like “Google Zero”, where AI-driven summaries reduce traffic to news websites. As André pointed out, this is a business model crisis for publishers — but also a challenge for communicators, who must ensure brand content surfaces in the discursive spaces where AI is now sourcing information.

Keeping humans in the loop

Both panellists stressed the importance of human oversight.

Amy highlighted the need for governance and scepticism when working with vendors: “Don’t use AI outputs as the finished article. Keep humans involved in verification, and don’t overtrust vendors who overpromise.”

She also emphasised the role of human spokespeople: “If you have a person quoted in an article or broadcast, you maintain a level of trust that an AI output alone can’t offer.”

André echoed this, pointing to the risk of “slop” — AI-generated work that looks polished but lacks depth. “The differentiator is still judgment,” he argued. “What makes communication stand out is originality, cultural awareness and human connection.”

The future of junior comms roles

The conversation turned to how AI will reshape entry-level and mid-level roles. André was clear: junior communicators must still be trained in the fundamentals. “Graduates are tomorrow’s middle managers. If we don’t train them properly now, we’ll face a crisis later,” he warned.

He also predicted new skillsets: “We’ll all become orchestrators of agents. Rather than going to a colleague for help, you’ll go to AI agents. So junior staff will need to understand how to stitch technologies together and manage processes as well as people.”

Amy agreed, emphasising the need for critical thinking: “If we don’t train graduates, they won’t know how to interrogate AI outputs. Critical thinking and strategic oversight are going to be essential skills.”

Pitfalls to avoid

Over-reliance was a recurring theme. Amy warned against being dazzled by tools that overpromise: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. No tool can do everything — so don’t integrate anything you can’t fully trust.”

André added that organisations often try to move too fast: “Don’t boil the ocean. Start with a subset of workflows, experiment, and build from there.”

Both panellists agreed that while AI can streamline workflows, it cannot replace human creativity, judgment and accountability.

Experiment boldly, communicate authentically

The overarching takeaway from the event is that AI is here to stay — but its impact will be defined by how organisations choose to use it.

Experimentation is important, but so are transparency and authenticity. As Amy noted, combining AI-driven monitoring with human oversight is key to managing fast-moving narratives. As André stressed, an “okay” AI-generated pitch won’t win new business — originality and distinctiveness still matter most.

Artificial intelligence may be redefining the landscape, but it is human judgment that will continue to shape the stories worth telling.

Future of Media Technology Conference 2025

How the UK media are making use of technology to bring audiences back

September 23, 2025/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Marketing, Communications, Media Media Database, Media Monitoring, PR, Press and Bloggers /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The evolution of AI has forced the comms industry to completely rethink its role in the media ecosystem, and journalism is facing the same conundrum.

For the challenges being faced in the media industry now, check out insight shared at this year’s Future of Media Technology Conference from Press Gazette, featuring speakers from PA Media, the Daily Mail, The Times, PinkNews, Bauer Media, and more…

A big problem for brands: AI’s impact on GEO and SEO

Many speakers throughout the conference referred to the devastating impact of LLMs on traffic previously picked up from Google Search. And Google was the focus of much consternation:

‘I’ve worked on the publisher side for about 20 years, before joining PA Media, and during that time, it was mostly seen that Google were the “good guys” among the frenemies that were out there, in the sense that our objectives were aligned,’ said Martin Ashplant, product development and operations director for PA Media.

‘Publishers wanted to get really good quality content out there. Google wanted really good quality content on the web, so that people came to the open web and didn’t go into closed systems. That’s clearly changed, and I think that’s been clearer and clearer over the last few years. And this isn’t just about AI. This is about how the Google interface has changed, and there is no longer that ability to rely on getting the click.’

Carly Steven, director of SEO and editorial e-commerce for the Daily Mail, explained the impact being seen at the brand:

‘There is obviously a huge period of disruption right now, massive changes related to AI overviews rolling out. Like a lot of publishers, we’re seeing the impact of that.

‘The reality is that when there are AI overviews for our keywords, the click-through rate goes down. I think we all know that nobody really clicks when there’s an AI overview present, and that impacts on traffic.

‘But, by the time an AI overview appears, that story has moved on and our readers aren’t searching for it anymore – its impacts are negligible. That doesn’t mean to say that it doesn’t matter. It absolutely does. But our brand is in a very fortunate position in that a significant portion of our traffic is direct, from branded searches. That makes us quite resilient in the face of these changes.’

Anna Sbuttoni, deputy head of digital for The Times and The Sunday Times, believes the early upheaval is finally settling down for publishers:

‘We have seen that Google Search referrals were fluctuating, but it is relatively steady right now.’

In fact, the benefits of SEO and GEO have been in flux for a while already, as Bauer Media’s Stuart Forrest, global audience director, explained:

‘Zero Click Search has been an issue for publishers for a long time. There was a website years ago called Celebrityheights.com, for example, that would tell you that Tom Cruise is five foot six. That site went out of business because you didn’t need to go there once Google would provide the answer. AI is just the next step of that.’

Caroline Fenner, chief revenue officer for PinkNews, agreed that this is just the latest step in a long-standing issue:

‘Everyone’s been reluctant to rely heavily on Google Search for a very long time now, because of the algorithm changes and how unreliable it’s been.

‘PinkNews is fortunate in that we get a lot of our traffic via socials. But, speaking to other publishers, it is a concern, and you need to look at other ways to generate traffic now. “Google zero” seems to be the new phrase being used. In case that happens, we’re constantly looking at new ways to drive traffic to our website. Likes, comments, shares, all sorts of stuff on social, the comments, dwell time, repeat users – we’re looking at ways to keep people within our ecosystem. That lends itself to WhatsApp groups, Facebook communities, and subreddits – it’s making sure there’s a safe space for the community to feel like they belong.’

Helping audiences find their community are platforms like Reddit:

‘Forums feed the algorithm in terms of SEO and AI results as well,’ said Tom Rolfe, director of publisher development at OpenWeb. ‘It’s going to be a great place for UGC [user generated content], but it’s not going to touch your content on site. It will be its own thing, almost like a subdomain for publishers. We’re really happy that forums like Reddit are being favored by Google and AI, because it’s providing an opportunity.’

For what else Google is ‘favouring’ these days, Daily Mail’s Carly asked for more transparency:

‘I think the biggest plea that we have to Google as publishers is to be able to see the data. We can’t track it properly, and we don’t get that information in our analytics tools. If we did, we could properly attribute the impact of AI on traffic. But right now that’s very, very difficult to see.’

Where in the ‘funnel’ can audiences be found now?

Where ‘top of funnel’ traffic – referrals from Google Search – has reduced drastically for many smaller publishers that won’t rack up ‘branded searches’ from audiences searching for the title or brand in question, Tom advocated a pivot to ‘mid-funnel’-focused strategies:

‘For a long time, publishers were very focused on “top of funnel” traffic – what we’d call ‘free traffic’. It’s a bit like a drug, you know, all this coming from nowhere. Now we’re having to shift that publisher mindset to ‘mid-funnel’ engagement. When the user hits the site, it’s figuring out what’s the value exchange for them? That’s something you can offer with community features – commenting, reaction tools, really focusing on keeping them there for as long as possible.’

The Times’ Anna spoke about their equivalent of the ‘mid-funnel’ – The Times app:

‘Commenting on our site is very much a subscriber privilege, and it’s being part of The Times’ community.’

Her fellow panelists admitted to reading the comments before the article when consuming news – a rising trend among wider audiences, too. In the same way PinkNews encourages community, The Times has grown this via their app – where commentary and feedback from readers is encouraged to continue engagement.

What can’t be replicated by AI?

Publishers are faced with the reality that much of their content can now be produced by AI, and potential readers are being directed to AI summaries instead of the content they’ve been trained on. Panelists spoke of the need to rethink priorities, and what journalists can do that AI can’t:

‘The Times has a 240-year history, and it’s something that we need to protect – the legacy and the authority that we have,’ said Anna.

‘It’s something that we talk about and enforce in the newsroom every day. When we’re talking about live coverage or story packages, we’re always thinking, what’s the exclusive? What have we got that’s original, that’s distinctively The Times that no one else has? How can we contribute to this conversation? How can people read, watch, or listen and understand what’s going on?

‘The next step for us is really putting our reporters at the core of what we do. How can we show our workings more, show that it is humans creating the content, and the hours, months, or years that can go into an investigation?

‘That’s something we’re exploring. Showing what we do as a way to bring people back, keep people in. For them to know that they can come to us’.

Martin at PA Media believes original content must in incentivised, for the good of publishers and LLMs: :

‘The worst case end point is we get to a place where there is no value in creating original content, because everything is being summarised. My call would be to invest in producing high quality journalism, original content, going out there and getting the stuff that isn’t yet there to be scraped. Because if you lose that, you lose the reason for people to go out and be creative.’

How the media is making use of data and metrics

Sheena Peirse, chief customer officer at Mediahuis Ireland, was firm on the importance of continual testing and improvement for publishers in the current landscape:

‘‘What you really see across the board – my team, the customer, subscriptions, the marketing team – is development, iterating. Test, learn, iterate. Use your data. Find out what works. Make it work. Move on.”

But which metrics can actually be trusted? David Goddard, SVP of business development, measurement and publisher solutions for DoubleVerify, highlighted the inherent issues with data-led strategies:

‘The problem with any metric is that they can be gamed. Thinking about attention, for example – is it engaged attention? Is it just a video playing at the corner of the screen? Is it somebody who’s actually watching the content? It’s really difficult to say for sure.’

Maintaining brand safety

Should alignment with ‘hard’ news be a big no-no for brands? No necessarily, believes Imogen Fox, global chief advertising officer for The Guardian:

‘We know that 96% of people read their news online in some form. So why on earth would you not want to put your brand near them? If you are – and I hate using this word – brave, you advertise next to the news. You do see good results.

‘People used to think that The Guardian is more famous for the advertising we don’t take than the advertising we do. It’s been our job as an ads team to say, actually, what we’re really good at is connecting brands with culture.’

But is the term ‘brand safety’ itself a blocker? David at DoubleVerify defined the issue in a different way:

‘I think the terms “brand safety” and “brand suitability” can be confused and intertwined. We can say in this room, news is 100% brand safe. There’s no brand safety issues with news. There are sensitivities to particular content, and publishers need to utilise tools to ensure that advertisers are avoiding the sensitive parts of news. There will be particular news subject matter that some brands will insist on avoiding. The rest of the news can be highly performant for advertisers.’

Should AI bots be blocked to ‘protect’ publishing?

Dan Rua, CEO of Admiral, The Visitor Relationship Management Company, believes AI bots should be blocked from training on content from publishers. He shared a clear message that the media industry should work together, using his experiences at Napster as an example:

‘AI is a scary disruption. But if navigated well, there’s opportunity. Copyright sets the guardrails of what is okay and what is not okay. Figuring out the value exchange that works for users is key. In the case of music copyright, there was an industry solidarity – music labels were on the same page of what needed to happen. They weren’t really bickering with each other about how to tackle it – ultimately, they got together and made a difference.

‘I think step one here is blocking the bots. Doesn’t mean in the future you might not find more creative ways to work in the whole ecosystem.’

Carly disagreed – referring to the Daily Mail’s collaboration with AI companies, and other publishers’ deals to allow AI training:

‘I don’t think it’s helpful to malign the bots, because if you do, that leads to a kind of arms race of evasion and detection, where publishers are constantly spending on protection, bots are constantly spending to improve evasion, and actually, the only people who win that scenario are the tech companies.’

Martin at PA Media was also open to the possibilities AI could provide to publishing and big brands:

‘Despite the kind of negativity that we’ve been talking about today, I’m actually really bullish about AI – I think it presents a real opportunity.

‘We will start to see a premium placed on human-generated content as it becomes harder and harder to wade through “AI slop”. Having humans involved will become the big point of difference.’

Director of FT Strategies Adriana Whiteley offered practical advice to all content creators seeking audiences now:

‘Focus on niche content that directly meets your user needs, and do that while you have an audience. After you’ve lost your audience, it’s going to be much harder to take it back. We have a window of opportunity to work on those areas and understand what people want. Create a specific product. Make the products richer – increase that stickiness in what you offer.’

For more on how the media industry is connecting with audiences now, check out insight shared during our Seeking Audiences: Journalism in the Platform Era event with speakers from BBC News, ITV, LSE, and more.

How to get press coverage in September 2025

Christmas content, money issues and fitness fanatics: How to get UK press coverage in September

September 8, 2025/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media Media Database, Media Monitoring, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Andrew Strutt

Wondering how you can get expert comment into the press in September? With the kids heading back to school and a new season beginning, there is plenty of new topics and issues for journalists to cover. Find out below what they have been looking for in August from requests sent via the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service and how this will impact what they are looking for this month and beyond.

Holidays are coming

Whether you’re a fan of Christmas or not, journalists are already looking to get ahead with their gift guides. In July, ‘Christmas’ appeared in just over 2% of enquiries and this figure more than doubled to just under 7% of requests in August.

It’s not all been gift guide requests, though. There have been enquiries for festive/winter feature ideas and celeb interviews, historic houses decorated for Christmas, and winter books. Journalists at The Telegraph, The Independent, House Beautiful, and Bella all sent requests in August.

Going forward? September is likely to see the amount of Christmas requests double again. Last year, 14% of enquiries in September were for Christmas, with about 9% for gift guide products and 4% for advent calendars. Be prepared with samples to send out for review, and you could be featured in the national press.

Money issues a concern again

Both energy bills and food prices are set to rise over Autumn and Winter meaning that money concerns are once again high on the news agenda. This was seen on the Journalist Enquiry Service in August, with just over 3% of the total requests featuring ‘money’.

Outlets such as Raconteur, Sifted, Saga Money, Money Marketing, and The Sunday Times all sent enquiries around this topic last month. Many of these were looking for case studies, with asks for single people to chat about managing finances, a business owner who is worried about business rates, and for someone who has inherited a decent amount of cash because of IHT reasons.

Going forward? Journalists are likely to be writing advice pieces over the coming weeks and months about how people can save money during Autumn/Winter. We will see a lot of requests for money and personal finance experts. Plus, the Autumn Budget isn’t too far away, so journalists will need experts to explain any changes that will affect household budgets, and possibly case studies of people that will be impacted.

Fitness in fashion

The peak time for fitness is usually in early January, which we saw earlier this year with nearly 4% of requests containing the word ‘fitness’. However, we have seen another spike in August, with 2.5% of enquiries looking to cover this topic.

Outlets such as Men’s Fitness, Fabulous, The London Standard, and Cosmopolitan all sent requests last month. The majority were looking for fitness experts to share their advice and opinions but we also had enquiries looking for fitness bootcamps, home gym equipment, and fitness etiquette.

Going forward? National Fitness Day is coming up on 24 September, so we are likely to see more requests for experts and information on different exercises and classes that people can take up to get fit. Have comments ready to send out and you could get featured in a consumer magazine.

Other opportunities for PRs in September and beyond

Party conference season is nearly upon us and journalists have been looking to get ahead of this with 2.5% of requests containing ‘government’ and 1% for ‘Labour’. Enquiries are likely to focus on getting expert opinion on new policy announcements, and speeches, and conventions from the major party conferences. You can also keep up with the developments from the party conferences by subscribing to our newsletter.

Peak holiday season may now have passed but the media are already looking to get ahead and cover Autumn and Winter travel ideas and holidays. ‘Travel’ appeared in 5% of the total enquiries in August with the majority looking for experts to share their tips and advice on places to go. This is likely to continue throughout September with journalists seeking information on half-term holiday suggestions.

Want to get the most out of the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service? Check out this explainer.

‘Cyber crisis is a completely different animal’: Advice on planning a cyber secure comms strategy

September 4, 2025/0 Comments/in PR, Communications, Media Stakeholder Management, Media Database, Media Monitoring, Stakeholder Engagement, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

‘The thing to remember: it’s not a normal crisis’ – that’s Joanne Gill’s advice for comms teams. And Joanne would know: her organisation Cyber Crisis Readiness & Response is geared towards helping comms teams who are faced with cyber security crises.

And in today’s climate, every comms team is at risk. Any organisation with an internet connection could be subject to a cyber attack, a data leak, or a deep fake of their c-suite in today’s climate of increased danger. According to Panorama report ‘Fighting Cyber Criminals’, there were an estimated 19,000 ransomware attacks on UK businesses in 2024, and that number is only set to grow.

‘You have to have a separate part of your crisis comms plan, a separate process, a separate mind map. Don’t fall back on your usual muscle memory, because it’s not going to work for you,’ adds Joanne, who equips organisations across the UK with the confidence to withstand and recover from the dangers of a cyberattack.

Read on for what to learn from recent crises that hit the headlines; practical steps for getting started on your plan; and where comms can get particularly complicated…

Lessons to learn from the 2025 summer of cyberattacks

‘All comms teams need to be prepared for something like this to happen to them, and other organisations in their sector. Identify stakeholders, have statements that are ready to go,’ advises Joanne.

‘The key thing that’s different with a cyber crisis is, how do you actually distribute that? If all of your systems are down (for example, M&S had to revert to pen and paper), how do you distribute your statement to journalists?

‘There’s that added complication of having a distribution list that is not attached to a system which might go down. Ask yourself – do I know how I’m going to contact people? Where am I keeping that information? If I’ve got a crisis communication plan, do I have a paper copy of that? Do the people who are involved in that have a paper copy of it? And how are we going to communicate and actually do our jobs, get approvals for things that we put out when our systems are all down?’

Cyber crisis versus crisis

‘The additional element with a cyber crisis is that you need to be a good corporate citizen. With a cyber crisis, you’re not the sole victim. Your suppliers are potentially victims – it’s going to cost them money, one way or another.

‘All the usual things that you would do in a crisis need to be considered – how do we shore up the reputation of the company? How do we reassure people? How do we say sorry? But you also need to also look at how to be a good corporate citizen, preventing further harm to all of the people who are in your business ecosystem.

‘That is about communicating with CISOs (Chief Information Security Officers), telling them what the solution is to this problem, and how they can prevent contagion to their own systems. You’ve got a whole load of communication that has to happen before anybody even thinks about what to say to the media.

‘The media isn’t going to drive how a company recovers. That’s going to be how you deal with your stakeholders – the media is just a route to communicate with those stakeholders.

‘A cyber crisis is a different animal to other crises.’

Practical steps for planning your response

‘Ensure that you have those stakeholder distribution lists and that you’ve done some analysis in advance about who you need to communicate with, and what to do if all your systems are down.

‘Make sure that you’ve got all of the suppliers, all of your ecosystems, chief executive security officer details so that you can contact them, so your technical people can write to them. And that’s very different messaging to that of reassuring your customers.

‘It’s about segmenting, making sure that you’ve got that information available outside of your usual systems.’

CEO statements: Always a solid comms strategy?

‘As a comms team, you know whether your chief exec is somebody that you want to put forward – it’s what companies traditionally do for crisis comms. You do the media training, emphasing the need to be apologetic, to be empathetic.

‘But I don’t know… the other element with cyber issues is that the more content you have of your senior team in the public domain, the more opportunity there is for criminals to use AI deep fake tech. To do some social engineering, and then use that to get access to your systems. Nobody is going to argue with the CEO if they call a help desk in the middle of the night and say “reset my password”.’

Extra complications to consider

‘It’s so complicated because you’ve got things like GDPR, there are potential fines coming further down the line. Cyber crisis is a multi-layered, complicated thing.

‘Comms teams who come into this thinking that it’s going to be like a regular crisis will come unstuck very quickly.’

For more on planning your strategy, watch Vuelio’s webinar ‘Cyberattack Crisis Comms’, or read our overview of the key points covered here.

Why cyber security is non-negotiable in today’s digital world

August 12, 2025/0 Comments/in Politics, PR, Marketing, Communications, Media, Public Affairs PR Blog Posts /by Adam Palmer

In an era defined by digital transformation, the threat of cybercrime looms larger than ever. For businesses of all sizes, understanding and mitigating these risks isn’t just good practice – it’s essential for survival and growth.

The Evolving Threat

The landscape of cyber threats is shifting at an alarming pace. Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, leveraging advanced technologies to their advantage.

Artificial intelligence is empowering malicious actors to generate highly convincing phishing emails, develop new malware variants at an unprecedented rate, and rapidly identify vulnerabilities in systems. AI can also facilitate the swift and cost-effective creation of spoof websites and automate the connection of exploit kits to discovered weaknesses.

The impact of a data breach extends far beyond operational disruption. Regulatory bodies, such as the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK under GDPR, can levy substantial fines. Beyond financial penalties, breaches can severely damage reputation, erode customer trust, and lead to significant business losses.

Demystifying the Solution

Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) perceive cybersecurity as a complex challenge due to confusing standards, high costs and a lack of internal expertise. However, robust cybersecurity doesn’t have to be out of reach.

A pragmatic approach begins with foundational principles. The NCSC’s 10 Steps to Cyber Security provides an excellent framework for organisations to build their defences.

At its core, a cybersecurity program involves implementing “controls” – safeguards designed to reduce risk. Consider these accessible starting points:

Asset Management: Knowing what you need to protect is paramount. Maintain a comprehensive inventory of all devices, systems, and data, assigning clear ownership. Ensure these assets are regularly updated, equipped with anti-virus software, encrypted, and password-protected.

Access Management: Control who can access what, and at what level. Regularly review user permissions to ensure they align with current roles and responsibilities. Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all users and, crucially, extend this security measure to your third-party suppliers where possible.

Risk Management: Proactively identify the internal and external risk to your business. Assess each risk by scoring the Likelihood and Impact of the risk out of 5. Multiply the Likelihood score by the Impact score to get the overall Risk Score. Develop strategies to reduce these risks, focusing on the highest risks first.

Staff Training: Your people are your strongest defence. Regular security awareness training, even as simple as familiarising staff with the NCSC’s 10 Steps, is vital. Tailor content to address your organisation’s highest identified risks, such as spotting phishing emails or securing remote working environments.

Being hacked often just means that someone else has logged in as you. Logging in with your password may not be as hard as you think. Passwords often contain data which is easily collected from social media, e.g. family or pet names, sports teams, birthdays etc. Enabling MFA for all of your user accounts significantly reduces this risk.

Vuelio’s Proactive Approach to Security

At Vuelio, part of the Pulsar Group, we take a holistic and proactive stance on cybersecurity, integrating these principles into our comprehensive Information Security Management System (ISMS). Our ISMS safeguards information offline and online, consistently achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 certification. This international standard demonstrates our unwavering commitment to applying the most rigorous risk management models to protect data for both Pulsar Group and our valued clients.

Our ISMS encompasses:

Asset Management: Maintains a comprehensive inventory of all assets, with dedicated owners ensuring their confidentiality, integrity, and availability. All company laptops are secured with hard drive encryption, user lockout policies, strong password rules, Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) software, anti-virus, VPN, and disabled removable media, restricting standard users from installing software. URL and email scanning, along with regular patching, further strengthen our device security.

Supplier Management: We meticulously review new suppliers to ensure their security and privacy postures align with Pulsar Group’s Information Security Policy, conducting annual reviews post-onboarding.

Access Control: We adhere to the principle of least privilege, providing users with only the minimum access required for their roles. Our Vuelio product includes standard password complexity rules, and clients can enhance their security further by enabling:

MFA – this will apply to all users and will involve them being sent a SMS/TOTP code to their mobile phone when they login

SSO – enables clients to apply their own authentication policies and user control to the products (supporting OAuth via Microsoft Entra ID/AAD)

Workforce Commitment: Every member of the Pulsar Group team is dedicated to the security and privacy of information. All colleagues understand their responsibilities, are bound by confidentiality agreements, and participate in ongoing training programmes covering topics like phishing detection, secure remote working, GDPR compliance, and incident reporting.

Physical Security: Our London-based offices benefit from robust physical security measures, including CCTV, 24-hour security guards, secure lifts, an occupied reception desk for visitor sign-in and lanyards, and staff access card systems.

Network Security: All data transferred to Vuelio is encrypted with TLS 1.2 or higher, and client data stored within Vuelio is encrypted with AES 256.

Product Development: Our engineers are trained in common vulnerabilities (e.g., XSS, SQL injection) and regularly consult the OWASP Top 10 and guidance from NCSC and other security experts. All source code changes undergo multi-stage peer review by developers and product managers before deployment.

Vulnerability Management: Our online products undergo regular vulnerability scans and annual penetration tests. Findings are categorised by severity and swiftly mitigated within agreed timeframes (e.g., critical vulnerabilities within 14 days).

Patch Management: We maintain a rigorous patch management process, ensuring all devices are updated with the latest security patches from vendors and the wider tech community. Obsolete devices no longer receiving security updates are promptly replaced.

Backups: We implement robust backup strategies for products and critical business data, with regular restoration testing. Backups are stored on separate, immutable, encrypted systems with privileged, MFA-protected access, safeguarding them from ransomware. Vuelio maintains point-in-time backups for 7 days, weekly backups for a month, replicated to an alternative Azure UK-West region and retained for 30 days.

Logs and Monitoring: We utilise third-party tools for enhanced monitoring, and cloud hosting provides built-in monitoring for access and changes.

Business Resilience: In the event of a suspected or actual security incident, our Incident Response Team is immediately alerted. We maintain comprehensive documentation for incident management, disaster recovery, and business continuity, with plans tested annually. Clients receive incident notifications via email within 24 hours, followed by a full report within 5 days.

Key Takeaways for Your Organisation:

Cybersecurity is achievable and vital: It doesn’t have to be complex or expensive.

Start with the basics: If you’re an SME, begin by reviewing the UK government’s NCSC 10 Steps to Cyber Security.

Build incrementally: Document your security controls for each step and review them regularly. This consistent effort forms the foundation of a strong cybersecurity program.

Vuelio clients, enhance your security: If you haven’t yet configured MFA or SSO for your Vuelio users, contact our support team. We’re here to help you strengthen your security posture immediately.

For more on the rising risk of cyberthreats, and what PR, comms, and public affairs need to know to prepare for the event of a crisis, watch Vuelio webinar ‘Cyberattack Crisis Comms‘.

What are journalists writing about in August

Wellness, AI and gardening: How to get UK press coverage in August

August 6, 2025/0 Comments/in PR, Communications, Media Media Database, Media Analysis, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Andrew Strutt

Looking to get featured in the media during August? The final month of the summer still presents plenty of opportunities to get expert comments, case studies and more out into the press. Below we provide insight into what journalists could be looking for based on trending words and themes from the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service in July, and what that means they will be looking for this month.

Wellness is well-in

August is National Wellness Month and journalists have been looking to get ahead as just under 2% of all requests last month contained the word ‘wellness’.

Enquiries have included looking to speak with business leaders about their top wellness tips, wellness retreats and spas to visit in the UK, and looking for high-profile health and wellness experts. These requests have come from outlets such as PA Media, SheerLuxe, MailOnline, City A.M. and Top Santé.

Going forward? Journalists will still be sending last-minute National Wellness Month requests – have experts and info ready and you could get yourself or your PR client featured in national press or a major consumer media title.

AI and new tech’s impact

Technology journalists have had a lot to cover in the last few years with the rise of artificial intelligence, and more recent news around cyber attacks and online safety. ‘AI’ continues to prove popular on the Journalist Enquiry Service, with just under 6% of requests in July. ‘Cyber’ has also been getting a lot of interest too with just under 2% of all enquiries last month.

Requests have been looking to cover how AI is impacting many different sectors including case studies on retailers trialling agentic AI and how it’s transforming the banking sector. Plus enquiries covering more general points such as how the UK’s AI action plan compares to Trump’s. While requests around cyber have been more focused on cyber security and also getting perspective on who handled the cyber attacks better – M&S or the Co-op.

Going forward? The amount of enquiries around AI were 35% higher in July this year compared to last, which is in line with what we have seen across the year. Journalists are constantly on the lookout for case studies and experts that can shed more light on the sector they cover. If you’ve got AI or cyber-related information then you could appear in IT Pro, the AI Journal, Retail Week, The Grocer, or Sifted – as they all sent requests last month.

Gardening continues to grow strong

The Spring and Summer season are the peak time for gardening requests and July saw another strong indicator of that as just under 5% of the total requests contained the keyword ‘garden’ or ‘gardening’.

Enquiries were sent from journalists at titles such as The Independent, GB News, Homes & Gardens, and Country Living. They ranged from covering topical issues such as how to keep your garden alive during a hosepipe ban, to looking for an expert to comment on building a patio on a sloping garden and the latest and best products and gadgets for the garden.

Going forward? August is probably the final month of the year where gardening is one of the more popular keywords on the service, with around 4% of the total requests in August 2024. Journalists will be looking for information on the on-going hosepipe ban in certain areas of the country, as well as looking for experts to share advice as we approach a change in season.

Other opportunities for PRs in August and beyond

In August 2024, ‘Autumn’ took over from ‘Summer’ as journalists sought to get ahead with content for the upcoming season. New fashion and beauty trends often tie in with these requests, as well as recommendations for Autumnal activities, Autumn decor, and places to visit during the fall as well.

This month sees the end of festival season with big music festivals like Reading & Leeds and Creamfields still to come over the Bank Holiday weekend. The Edinburgh Fringe festival is also currently taking place and the final few summer carnivals are also happening, with the most famous one being Notting Hill, still on the horizon. If you have information surrounding these events or tips on what festival goers should be taking with them, then you could get featured in a national press title.

Want to get the most out of the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service? Check out this explainer.

Cyberattack Crisis Comms

August 1, 2025/in PR, Comms, Brand, Stakeholder Management /by Yi Chen Lin

In today’s digital-first landscape, cybersecurity isn’t just an IT concern — it’s a PR crisis waiting to happen.

How comms teams respond to a data breach, phishing scam, or ransomware attack can make or break a reputation.

Vuelio’s Head of Insights Amy Chappell and Comms & Content Manager P-J Boyd shared insight on recent cyber crises faced by organisations across sectors, as well as advice on drawing up a comms battle plan for what may lie ahead.

This webinar explores:

Analysis of cyberattack crisis comms in action
Press and public reaction to recent breaches
Common pitfalls and pressure points to factor into your crisis strategy

Media monitoring what makes Vuelio different

Media monitoring platforms for PR and comms – what makes Vuelio different?

July 23, 2025/0 Comments/in PR, Marketing, Communications, Media Media Database, Media Monitoring, PR Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

With a number of media monitoring platforms boasting AI-optimised integration and constant streams of real-time coverage, how can you tell which one will actually meet the practical needs of your team on a day-to-day basis?

For those in PR, comms, public affairs, politics, or marketing, here’s how the Vuelio platform provides straightforward support with media outreach, brand building, scanning (and planning) for potential trouble, stakeholder management, and much more.

1) A fully integrated communication suite

With no need to click out of the platform, Vuelio offers the ability to access your news on journalist and outlet profiles, alongside their wider coverage. Track your company mentions, coverage about competitors, your industry, or the wider trends you’re watching.

You can also click straight through to contact profiles from your news records to interrogate the related coverage, quickly. Vuelio’s Media Database is fully integrated with its monitoring solutions, meaning it’s really simple to create targeted lists based on news coverage.

2) Automatically link coverage to your press releases

Leverage Vuelio’s ability to link coverage directly to your releases, making it simple to see which of them have been most successful when it comes to engaging your stakeholders – whether it be the press, the public, or high-profile people and organisations in your industry. Uncover who has opened them (with specific time and date stamps), and where your story has shaped coverage and conversation.

3) Create target media lists to reach the right audience

With Vuelio’s Media Database, not only can you create bespoke target media lists, you can also overlay them onto dashboards to gauge your share-of-voice versus that of your competitors’ within your key publications.

Vuelio empowers you to proactively measure the impact that you’re having with key publications, allowing you to replicate what’s working, or make adjustments before your next release; leveraging insights based on what is working within key target media.

4) Make use of automatic unlimited tagging in-platform

Vuelio will surface bespoke tags within your coverage, ensuring you’re able to identify and understand the narrative and related themes across your coverage.
These tags will be current and tailored to your company and campaigns – comprising brands, products, categories, spokespeople, issues, topics, and much more.

5) Unlimited bespoke analytics

Uniquely, Vuelio offers the ability to analyse bespoke and filtered datasets. What this means in practice: filtering down by keyword or by any of our flexible filters (Date, Reach, Outlet, Target Media List, Tags, Competitors, for example) and gaining insight on what matters most, all in real-time.

6) Going beyond traditional media

Vuelio’s Media Database includes voices from across the widening media landscape – not just newspapers, magazines, and trade titles, or broadcasters in television and radio. It also includes podcasters, TikTokers, and more – influencers across social platforms and new media that can help you connect with audiences outside of ‘traditional’ media.

With news avoidance on the up, audiences are getting their information and entertainment from a wide variety of sources, which Vuelio monitors, and offers a way in to.

7) AMEC-accredited media insights

The Vuelio Insights team have experience and deep knowledge of the industries they work with, and conduct in-depth research to highlight media opportunities, potential risks, and performance trends via bespoke and easily-digested reports.

Featuring clear analysis, tailored recommendations, and actionable next steps, these reports are human-curated – not AI generated – ensuring unparalleled levels of nuance and personalised contextualisation. They are also delivered on a basis that works for you and your team – not spat out from the platform, but regularly scheduled, or delivered on a campaign or ad-hoc basis.

8) Hands-on support from the Vuelio team

From day one of using the Vuelio platform, whether mixing a number of services from its fully-integrated suite or just one of our solutions, you’ll receive dedicated support from both a Customer Success and an Account Manager, ensuring smooth setup, and real-time training from our wider expert team.

Quick turnaround support is available from your dedicated Account Manager, who is on hand to help you. Regularly upskilled with training, Vuelio’s in-house team are embedded within specific sectors to build a fluency and depth of knowledge. This allows the team to not only provide generalised platform knowledge, but also to answer the questions you care most about. Not sure how to put a boolean string together, or how to utilise an LLM to brainstorm a campaign email? The Vuelio team, as well as its platform, is ready to help.

Find out more about Vuelio Media Monitoring here.

Why email is an effective part of comms strategy

Why PRs should be making the most of email in an AI-driven world

July 9, 2025/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Marketing, Communications, Media, Influencers Stakeholder Engagement, PR, Press and Bloggers, Stakeholder Management, Media Database, Media Monitoring /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Is email outreach as outdated as the 90s-era posted PR press mailer? With the comms industry rushing to integrate AI tools into their tech stack, the email blast could be seen as just another tactic of PR’s past. But think again…

‘At the start of my career fax and phone were the only way of reaching journalists,’ says Anne Cantelo, founder and managing director of Onyx Media and Communications Ltd.

‘Younger generations of PR hate the phone even more than the generations before them, and most journalists seem to feel the same. At the same time, journalists have confessed to me that they have thousands of unopened emails in their inboxes…’

Phone calls are out, and unread emails are piling up – the rush to integrate AI across the industry could signal that electronic mail will go the way of its franked counterpart. But the lessening of 1-2-1 engagement that comes with AI automation makes email even more valuable – especially when it’s powered-up by artificial intelligence.

Here is advice from comms professionals already evolving their email strategies to boost engagement.

1. Cutting through with quality content

Stakeholders are overwhelmed by constant messaging even outside of their inbox – how can you catch their eye?

‘The rise of AI presents both a challenge and an opportunity,’ says Liz Churchman, deputy managing director at B2B tech PR agency EC-PR.

‘With inbox filtering becoming more intelligent, relevance is no longer optional; it’s critical. Yet, AI also empowers us to create what I call a ‘one-to-one feel as one-to-many scale.’ Using tools like ChatGPT, we build custom GPTs aligned to buyer personas, underpinned by deep audience insight; motivations, fears, frustrations, so that our emails feel crafted with intent, not churned by automation.

‘Clean, segmented lists and emotionally intelligent messaging make the difference between delete and engage.’

Formatting is also important – short and relevant copy, interactive elements including video embeds and html features, and making sure it’s mobile-first for people on the go, or trapped in long meetings without access to their laptop…

2. Email as part of a wider strategy

‘Comms pros need to be where the audience is and adapt our methods and routes to communication,’ says Leopard Co CEO and co-founder Rachel Roberts, whose team utilises email as just one way to communicate with stakeholders.

‘It’s been a while since I faxed through a press release but meanwhile, we have embraced new routes to engage with audiences including WhatsApp messages, social media DMs, programmatic emails, remarketing and calling campaigns.’

Email is no longer in a silo, and should be used in conjunction with private messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Slack, and Discord; microsites and press rooms; personalised landing pages for campaigns; and follow-ups after in-person networking.

Sycamore Communications’ PR manager Danielle Windecker-Hilton advocates for email as a ‘connecting’ tool:

‘We treat email as a connector, driving recipients to deeper content or prompting direct engagement with the people and brands we represent. It supports our clients’ goals and can be a good initial touchpoint with journalists and publications.’

‘Attending to emails can be viewed by some as a bit of a negative, burdensome chore,’ admits Rachel. ‘Indeed, we have a client who only wants to communicate with us on WhatsApp.

‘But with email carrying weight from a legal perspective – eyeballs are there, and so is the marketing opportunity.’

Just remember to be careful…

‘Automation and AI does make email marketing more accessible, but it means more people with less expertise can be spamming people,’ warns Rachel. ‘There is no quicker way to break a brand than to spam and annoy your customers. Press send with care.’

3. Personalisation

Does bringing artificial intelligence into email strategy make the messaging impersonal and robotic? Used properly, AI can actually bring personalisation back into your email strategy.

‘AI helps us go beyond just inserting someone’s name,’ shares Ed Hopkins, managing director of Ed Hopkins PR.

‘AI can tailor emails based on behaviour, preferences, or timing. This leads to more relevant content and stronger engagement. People are more likely to respond when they feel a message is meant for them.’

4. Optimisation

Writing eye-catching subject lines that are just the right length; segmenting your contact lists, selecting the right sending times; and predicting the levels of engagement – AI can help with all this.

But before you get stuck into prompting on ChatGPT or Gemini, here is some extra help from Riley Gardiner, founder of No Strings Public Relations:

‘To stand out in busy inboxes you’ll need to focus on concise, relevant subject lines and genuine, value-driven content. Avoiding generic language and adding a human touch helps cut through noise.

‘Email offers a direct, personal channel for stakeholder communication that social or mass media can’t replicate. It supports ongoing dialogue, builds trust, and allows for nuanced messaging in ways that other tactics struggle to match.’

5. Complying with regulation, not dicing with dodgy data

GDPR, CCPA, and incoming abbreviated regulations for the use of data means that opt-in emails are non-negotiable for comms professionals.

Your media database of choice can help with this (like the Vuelio Media Database, for example…) and so can AI.

‘AI can be a great help in staying GDPR-compliant by automating consent management and ensuring data is handled correctly, reducing human error,’ says Riley Gardiner.

Just make sure your lists are maintained and kept up-to-date…

‘AI can help identify potential compliance risks, streamline workflows, and ensure that personalisation is based on compliant, permissioned data,’ says Gerard Boon, Financial Times contributor and managing director of Boon Brokers.

‘But it’s important to remember that AI is only as effective as the framework it is given. Human oversight must remain a non-negotiable part of the process – experts in their field need to be vigilant and ready to amend, review, or flag potential issues as they arise.’

6. Making more of metrics

Open rates are less reliable with the increased use of email protection and privacy tools, but there are other metrics to make the most of – including clicks, replies, and conversions. Some tools also offer bespoke insights, like time spent reading an email. Additionally, it’s important to keep an eye on factors like send times to optimise delivery.

‘While open rates still provide some value, I think it’s important to remember the fundamental principles behind comms is to establish a relationship and communication,’ says Gerard.

‘Focusing on click-through rates (CTR), time spent on linked content, and conversion actions (such as booking a call or completing a contact form) are actually better measuring metrics to establish how close your branding and messaging is with your specific target audience.

‘Reply rates and engagement with follow-up emails are now more important than ever, putting in place a stronger bond of genuine interest and intent.’

7. Human to human connection

Journalist and stakeholder inboxes fill up with generic pitches throughout the day. Effective email strategy in comparison goes further, focusing on relationship building rather than blasting out a message.

‘Email still allows for direct, personal communication that can be tailored to your ideal client,’ says Sarah Lloyd, founder of ISPR.

‘I still believe that email can create a more intimate and focused experience, allowing for thoughtful and deeper conversations. Emails can be segmented and targeted, and you can track, document and enjoy focused interactions without the noise of social media.’

Email can be a personalised check-in with a client, an invitation to an upcoming event, or the sharing of a piece of content relevant to their industry. It should be a continuing conversation – not a series of non-sequitur statements littering an already busy inbox.

‘In today’s crowded inboxes, success comes from speaking to your audience’s problems, not your solutions,’ adds Liz Churchman.

‘If your subject line and first line don’t address what keeps your audience up at night, they’ll be gone in two seconds. Relevance, empathy and creativity must drive every word.’

Evergreen email

‘Email remains one of the most direct and controlled forms of communication,’ believes Gerard Boon.

‘Unlike social media or paid ads, it allows us to be incredibly specific on our outreach, tailoring a wide-variety of content for nuanced and context-rich messaging. There are no character limits as such and less platform restrictions.

‘While innovations in technology have boomed in recent years, there is a lot of focus on social media influencers, podcasts, and hyper attentive alternative platforms. While these all have a place under the umbrella of marketing, I think it is sometimes forgotten that emails offer that personalised edge with a familiar outreach – we’re all still connected to the online world.

‘For stakeholder engagement, this means we can maintain, build on, and direct to useful resources, with a strategy that continues to build an evergreen trust over time.’

Our own email expert, Pulsar Group head of global marketing campaigns Kirsti Kauronen says:

‘For us, email is one of the key channels to reach our audiences directly. With new AI tools emerging at a fast pace, we are able to deliver even more tailored comms with greater impact.

‘Many email providers now offer automatic summaries of emails, so it’s even more important to include strong subject lines and opening sentences that stand out in crowded inboxes.

‘And don’t forget to test your content regularly. It’s essential to optimise performance and ensure your key message comes across clearly.’

For help with your emails, and wider comms strategy, check out Vuelio’s Media Database, Stakeholder Relationship Management, and Media Monitoring solutions.

Optimism and opportunity? The Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England

July 8, 2025/0 Comments/in Politics, Public Affairs Political Database, Political Monitoring, Public Sector, Political Services, PR Blog Posts /by Aidan Stansbury

On Thursday, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting published the Government’s 10 Year Health Plan for England. Predicated by the Lord Darzi report published in September, the Plan sets out to offer both an optimistic vision of the future and opportunity for the NHS on the backdrop of a concrete diagnosis of the current state of play that the NHS must ‘reform or die’. The plan sets out to fix these issues, placing science and technological innovation at the core of its Plan, hoping to propel the NHS from behind the curve to leading from the front.

The Plan is structured on three big shifts. The first, from hospital to community, rewords the NHS to Neighbourhood Health Service, shifting service from hospital to community care. Neighbourhood Health Centres are the beginning of this, functioning as a ‘one-stop shop’ with centralised patient care harnessed by AI and technological advancements. According to the NHS Confederation, support is there for this move, with health leaders committed to a more preventative, community-based NHS. This offers a complete restructure and cultural shift in the operating model, where success could be a ‘real win’ as described by The King’s Fund in reaction to the plan. However, having been long argued for by the sector, the Chief Executive of the Health Foundation Dr Jennifer Dixon DBE says she is unsure whether ‘lessons have been learned’ from past failures. The shift to community care is welcomed by the sector overall, with the British Geriatrics Society highlighting the need for co-produced neighbourhood services that provide good outcomes for older people. Picker welcomes the Plan’s emphasis on placing patients at the centre, through improved feedback routes, ‘Patient Power Payments’, and personalised care plans, and ARCO who says the move will leave patients ‘better off’.

This shift also sets out how dentistry, community pharmacy, and mental health provision will be further localised in community hubs and health centres. In reaction, the British Psychological Society say bringing mental health services to the community will lead to better outcomes, helping people at the earliest access point. Going beyond, Mind has called for more to be done including a further comprehensive plan that places mental health at the centre of the new NHS in order to truly tackle its deterioration in society.

For the second shift, taking the NHS from ‘analogue to digital’ involves the innovation of NHS technology. This includes the introduction of a Single Patient Record to streamline patient health accounts in one place, accessible from all points of provision. The NHS App is set to be revolutionised with a host of ‘My’ tools to help ease booking of appointments, cut down on archaic waste, provide quick advice, and improve the management of patient care. A HealthStore will deliver new innovative apps to further aid the experience and AI will be utilised to ‘liberate’ staff from their bureaucracy. Technological advancements must also go hand-in-hand with productivity improvements and the Plan sets forward how tariffs, new contacts, pay incentives, and financial planning will help boost this metric.

Technological advancements are welcomed by the sector and seen by the Nuffield Trust as a ‘real game changer’. NICE, a key component of new technological changes, say the Plan gives them the power to get medicines to patients faster, distribute health technology and maximise value for money through innovation. However, there is concern, as pointed out by The King’s Fund, technological improvements have often been ‘big on promise but lacking in delivery’. Further, the Chief Executive at Public Digital Chris Fleming has said that technology, especially in the NHS app, will mask the actual failure of services and, as noted by the Royal College of Physicians, can only work if co-designed with patients and staff in mind. Thus, while welcomed for its innovative ambition, more certainty is required to demonstrate its benefits.

The final shift, from sickness to prevention, sets a precedent to stop ill health at source, raise the ‘healthiest generation of children ever’, protect preventable NHS costs, and support economic growth. This includes harnessing AI and genomics to advance predictive analysis and diagnosis. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the introduction of healthy food standards, new weight loss drugs, investment in active lifestyles, a point scheme that rewards healthy lifestyles, strict alcohol requirements also will all work to tackle preventable risk factors.

Turning the tide on risk factors is key to saving lives and costs, and is welcomed by many in the sector, including the RCP and Diabetes UK who respectively stress that tackling tobacco and preventing obesity are key to stopping life-altering long-term conditions. On the contrary to this sentiment, the Institute for Alcohol Studies says it’s ‘embarassing’ to launch a prevention plan that ignores the most effective way to reduce alcohol harm in Minimum Unit Pricing. Healthwatch, a member of the 10 Year Health Plan working groups, welcomes some preventive initiatives but highlights the absence of plans for those with disabilities and cost-of-living support which also stand as key risk factors.

More widely, it is easy to read a long-term plan or strategy and be consumed by the breadth of positive measures that, in accordance with their objectives, will deliver beneficial change. The real sticking point involves an assessment of what choices and trade-offs were made. A key point of this is social care, a concern raised by many in the health sector even when the 10 Year Plan was only hypothesised in 2024. The Plan today, set with the backdrop of pending Baroness Casey’s Review, does little to address these concerns. The British Geriatrics Society has said that without a ‘sustainable social care system the 10 Year Health Plan will find it hard to succeed’ and therefore, as described by The King’s Fund, the Plan hinges on ’whether the government is willing to act more urgently – or indeed at all – to implement social care reforms’. Similarly, the Health Foundation says the plan is too focused on just the NHS and not the Government’s ambition to rebuild the nation’s health, reflecting concern of adverse consequences outside the three shifts. Another common theme in reaction is a question of how, which still remains pertinent to many. The Nuffield Trust articulates this well, saying the Plan is trying to ‘heal thyself’ through efficiencies and feedback but does little to address actual needs. This question also holds whether there is the funding capacity, with a lower than historic average spend projected by the Spending Review, combined with the costs of moving care to community and technological innovation.

The public perception of the Plan is that it is ambitious and clear on its foundational pillars for reforming the NHS away from a looming ‘death’. It looks to bring the service to the neighbourhood, harnessing technology to drive efficiency, bolster patent care and clamp down on health risks. However, concerns remain on its feasibility, its affordability and the potential losers, such as social care.

Heatwaves, a summer of sport and back to school: How to get UK press coverage in July

July 7, 2025/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media Media Database, Media Analysis, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Andrew Strutt

Want to secure media coverage in July? While the summer months may be quieter in many industries, the news cycle doesn’t stop. Journalists continue to need expert sources and information for articles and hundreds use the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service each week to get it. Find out below what they were searching for in June and how you could help this month.

Summer at its peak

Enquiries from journalists about the different seasons are always popular and we are seeing the peak of the ‘summer’ requests at the moment, with just over 9% of the total enquiries last month containing this keyword.

There’s a lot of variety in the requests with journalists looking for summer fitness gadgets and accessories, how to get peonies to produce more beautiful blooms in summer, and a health and safety expert or GP to talk about food health hazards in the summer. These were for titles including The Times, PA Media, The i Paper, and This Morning.

Going forward? July last year saw a small drop in the amount of ‘summer’ requests to 6% but that still presents lots of opportunities to get media coverage. With a big summer of sport ahead (Wimbledon, the women’s Euro’s, Tour De France, and more), plus last-minute requests for holiday getaways and gardening advice, have experts and info ready – you could get featured in the national press or on a broadcast outlet.

The heat is on

The UK has been enjoying an excellent summer weather wise (if you like the heat, that is) and with some high temperatures, both ‘heat’ and ‘heatwave’ have proved popular on the enquiry service. ‘Heat’ has appeared in over 2% of the total requests in June and ‘heatwave’ in 1%.

Journalists at The Sun, woman & home, MailOnline, and Men’s Health have mainly sent requests looking to find out ways to stay cool during the hot weather. But we have also seen enquiries around related topics including one for an UK-based employment lawyer to comment on heat in the workplace.

Going forward? With the hot weather set to continue, we expect to see more enquiries from journalists looking for health-related information. Many will also look to cover it from an environmental angle too or the effect it could have on other areas – on plants and pets, for example.

School’s out (and straight back in!)

There are only a couple of weeks left until schools break up for the summer but journalists are already looking to cover going back to school in September. ‘School’ appeared in just under 2% of the total requests last month, with ‘back to school’ cropping up in many of those enquiries.
Journalists from The Independent, LBC, The Guardian, and Daily Mail all sent requests around ‘school’. The back to school enquiries were mainly looking for products to review and recommend, but other requests covered end of term gifts for teachers and school staff and the lack of financial education in schools.

Going forward? Last year in July, ‘school’ related requests increased by 24% and ‘back to school’ by 70%. This will only increase further in August. If you have school uniforms or accessories that you want to get featured in the media, now is the time to engage with enquiries.

Other opportunities for PRs in July and beyond

While we may only be in the seventh month of the year, journalists are already starting to plan their Christmas content. ‘Christmas’ appeared in just over 1% of requests in June but in July last year that figure doubled to 2.5%. Festive gift guide enquiries will steadily increase from now on, meaning you could get some early media coverage.

‘Gardening’ is a near constant keyword on the service and it usually proves especially popular during the summer months with many garden shows and exhibitions. In July 2024, 5% of the total requests were gardening-related. Journalists are seeking out expert advice, so have comments ready and you could potentially secure coverage in a national press title or consumer magazine.

Want to get the most out of the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service? Check out this explainer.

Cyber attacks, Father’s Day, and summer travel: How to get UK press coverage in June

June 5, 2025/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media Media Database, Media Monitoring, PR Blog Posts /by Andrew Strutt

Interested in finding out what could catch a journalist’s eye in June? Hundreds of media professionals use the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service each week to send requests for experts, information and more, giving us a good idea of what they will be looking for.

Read on to see the topics and keywords trending in May, and what this could mean for your media outreach this month.

AI and cyber hitting the headlines

‘AI’ has been a popular topic on the Journalist Enquiry Service for a while now, averaging about 3% of requests each month, but in May this was over 4%. It has been joined by ‘cyber’ which received over 2% of enquiries, divided fairly equally between requests around ‘cyber attacks’ and ‘cyber security’, in the wake of the recent cyber attacks on UK retailers.

Journalists from BBC News, The Guardian, IT Pro, New Statesman, and ITV News have all sent requests in the last month to cover one or both of these topics. These have included looking for a tech/software expert for advice for consumers on recent retailer cyber attacks and comments from CTOs and CIOs on how they are balancing AI innovation with security.

Going forward? With yet more retailers losing data to cyber attacks then journalists are likely to continue to need expert opinion on what companies can do to tackle this problem, as well as what the impact might be on consumers. While AI remains a constant topic of discussion in the media, regular enquiries ask for experts on this topic and case studies of how businesses are using the technology in their sector or workplace.

Father’s Day in focus

There are less than two weeks until Father’s Day now and journalists have been looking to get their content sorted early on, with over 2% of enquiries covering this topic. There has also been a 12% increase in the amount of requests compared to May last year.

The majority of the requests have been for gift guide products, including looking for gadgets, food items, luxury experiences, and presents for new dads. Enquiries came from outlets including Dadsnet, Forbes, and Good Homes.

Going forward? While there isn’t long to go, there is still likely to be a flurry of final requests for the best last-minute gifts to get dad. If you have products ready to review then you could get featured in a consumer outlet.

Peak season for travel

It’s probably unsurprising but the Travel category peaks in June – having done so in 2023 and 2024, too. It also performed well in May, increasing by 10% compared to April. ‘Travel’ as a keyword appeared in nearly 6% of the total enquiries last month, with ‘hotels’ and ‘outdoors’ in over 3% and ‘holidays’ just over 2.5%.

Requests varied – solo traveller hotels and venues; innovative products for a feature on summer travel trends; holiday money saving tips; and asks for people who have/or plan to quit the holiday let sector.

Going forward? Travel will continue to perform well as a category and a keyword for the next month or two with journalists needing a wide variety of content – from travel experts to case studies. If you work in this sector, then have responses ready and you could appear in The Times, Conde Nast Traveller, The Independent, or National Geographic Traveller.

Other opportunities for PRs in June and beyond

June is Pride Month and we expect to see requests for LGBTQ+ history experts and information on different events taking place across the country. Last year in June, just over 1% of the requests were looking to cover this.

Men’s Health Week takes place from 9-15 June this year. Around 1% of enquires in June 2024 were looking to cover this topic, with a big focus on mental health. If you have any experts in this field, have comments ready to secure media coverage and help make a difference.

Want to get the most out of the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service? Check out this explainer.

And download our latest report ‘How to manage your reputation in a world transformed by AI: As industries adapt, what will be the role of PR?’ for how artificial intelligence is already changing PR and comms.

The ever-changing landscape of news and what this means for PRs

May 28, 2025/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media Media Database, PR Blog Posts /by Andrew Strutt

The future of the news media is in flux, but what impact does that have on PRs and their relationships with journalists? At the recent Newsrewired conference, media leaders from Sky News, The Times, and Reuters shared how their organisations are adapting and what they expect the future of news to look like.

Switching up the business model

Media organisations always have to be adaptable and for Tracy Yaverbaun, general manager of The Times and The Sunday Times, that has meant considering ‘value reinvention’:

‘Customers have too many subscriptions. That means we have to sharpen the value that we offer. It means really rich bundles so audio, events, perks, and how to tell stories in a cleaner user experience that feels really worth it, and really focusing on retention.’

Other businesses have also been making changes. Simon Robinson, executive editor of Reuters, explained how the organisation has ‘pivoted a little more to a B2C revenue stream by putting the website behind a paywall’. Since making that change in October, subscriptions have exceeded 100,000. Sky News is planning for the future with its 2030 strategy which, according to managing director and executive Jonathan Levy, is about a ‘premium video-first newsroom built for the digital future’.

What does this mean for PRs? A lot of the major publishers and national newspapers are reconsidering their business models. The way they interact with PRs will change as they prioritise online (video, podcast, etc.), requiring information in a new format. Plus, with more content going behind paywalls, readers are expecting higher quality and PRs can help provide that with expert sources and quotes.

Reflecting the audience in the newsroom

Younger audiences have traditionally been more difficult for news organisations to engage, but their rise in social media use presents an opportunity for journalists to reach them. Sky News’ Jonathan said:

‘Consumption is changing needs. Newsrooms have always been this confusion of experience between the job, which is actually key to journalism and key to the values of organisations, and allowing for new ideas. We need to be more open to those new ideas.’

Those new ideas are tending to come from younger reporters who want to tell stories in different ways. Tracy said at The Times there is a ‘well trodden path of how you climb the ladder’ but now the organisation is ‘much more flexible and wants to attract different types of voices and storytelling’.

Reuters is also looking to better reflect the audience that it covers, within its newsroom, as Simon explained:

‘We believe that the strength of the newsroom comes from reflecting the world that we cover. We’re a big global newsroom and have about 120 languages spoken, so hiring a diverse newsroom is a huge help in that.’

What does this mean for PRs? Newsrooms are likely to become younger and more diverse. These journalists will be looking to cover different topics in different ways. Emailing a press release is unlikely to grab their attention or be useful for them if they are doing, for example, an audio piece. Think about more impactful campaigns that are going to engage those younger journalists, and the younger readers as a result.

Embracing AI and new formats but staying vigilant

The use of AI in the media has been another question for publishers to consider in recent years and for Simon at Reuters, it’s one he is ready to embrace:

‘I think we see the future as a real combination of human and AI generated, or AI proofed, content. It also opens up the possibility to provide narration in different languages. In a sense, it augments what we’re already doing and potentially opens the market a little more’.

At The Times, the newsroom is experimenting with a tool that presents articles in a visual format that goes beyond simple reading. Sky is also looking at delivering news in various formats, finding great success with its audio and video Trump100 podcast, which has just hit 5 million downloads.

However, it does also present its problems for journalism. AI chat interfaces are causing issues with discoverability alongside disruption with search on platforms such as Google. There has also been an increase in deepfakes and misinformation. Tracy believes that the industry needs to collaborate to ‘deal with how Google values news’ and that having a direct relationship with audiences can show that news organisations are great for ‘high trust-based sources’.

What does this mean for PRs? AI has a lot of benefits for journalists, but isn’t 100% reliable when it comes to sources yet. The media still needs PRs to provide those trustworthy sources. This includes everything from expert bits of advice and information, to images from events, and that’s where you come in…

To connect with the media and provide journalists, broadcasters, and influencers with the contributions they need, check out the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service.

Want more on how ‘traditional’ news is evolving? Download Vuelio report ‘TikTok journalism: The platform’s impact on news audiences‘.