The state of journalism

The state of journalism in 2024: What do audiences think?

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PRs will always need journalists, and journalists – in turn – will always need an audience. But how do audiences across the world see journalism in 2024?

While the media has always had to evolve to meet the changing needs and expectations of its audiences, this requirement has only accelerated in recent years. The changing role of journalists in our fast-moving modern climate presents challenges – for society as a whole, media organisations, and for the PR and comms industry professionals who navigate the media landscape.

How has citizen and independent journalism on platforms including TikTok, and in increasingly popular formats like podcasting, impacted the way news is shared? How are international news brands and local reporters each effected by these alternatives to ‘traditional’ news sources? And how do stories spread across media, platforms, and audiences in this climate?

Journalism is…

These are all questions we’ll be exploring over the coming months, as we conduct our research into journalism and news audiences. But first, to investigate the current perception of journalism across the world, we’ve analysed over 1.2 million media and social data points internationally, tracking mentions of ‘Journalism is…’ from May to September 2024.

Let’s begin with a look at the differing attitudes towards journalism across the world, and specifically, the UK…

How is journalism perceived in the UK in comparison to other regions?

How audiences around the world perceive journalism

The short answer – not in a particularly positive light. When tracking words commonly used following the phrase ‘Journalism is…’ online, ‘dead’ tracked the highest in the UK, followed by ‘biased’, and ‘corrupt’.

The source of this negativity isn’t hard to find, with press coverage of this summer’s UK General Election sparking criticism from the public across social media en masse. As debates, interviews, and analysis filled television schedules and column inches, the people watching and reading at home went online to share their frustrations, with high-profile journalists bearing the brunt.

The US audience shared a similarly dim view of journalism across social and online media – also unsurprising, perhaps, considering the political unrest stirring in the light of their own leadership race.

While the US and UK are aligned on attitudes towards the media, the ways in which they are expressed in public spheres and the media is where they differ (and not just in the UK audience’s willingness to share opinions with a sprinkling of swear words in their X posts).

So which audience of those we tracked considers journalism most important? Those in Australia and New Zealand. ‘Journalism is important’ was a more popular opinion shared online than ‘journalism is dead’ in these regions. A higher number also believed journalism to be ‘crucial’ than in the US and UK.

Is journalism ‘dead’?

Aside from UK fans disagreeing with reporting regarding their favourite sports team, celebrity, or other niche personal interest, the sharing of the view that journalism is ‘dead’ among UK news audiences has been rampant.

2023’s Edelman Trust Barometer found that the UK is one of the countries with the lowest faith in the media. Of the 27 countries surveyed, respondents were only less trusting of the news industry in Japan and South Korea.

While trust was up by 2% from Edelman’s previous survey in 2022, regaining confidence from the public is going to be hard going for the UK news industry. A consideration being taken seriously, as shown by the debates happening at media industry events across the country, including last year’s Society of Editors’ Media Freedom Conference.

The past year has also seen criticism of media reporting on the ongoing Gaza conflict, with disconnects between images and video shared on social media, public protests happening across the world, and the choices made in media coverage sparking further distrust.

Is journalism still ‘crucial’, ‘essential’, and ‘important’?

While use of positive descriptors by those sharing their view of journalism in the UK was much lower than use of the more negative ones, news reporting – in all of its different formats – continues to be cited as ‘important’…by invested communities. Journalists themselves, and those in adjacent industries, see and share reasons for optimism, but how can this be transmitted to audiences who have become distrustful, and disconnected?

Among the challenges facing the news industry – misinformation, lowering revenues, and distrust – audiences still seek information, and reporters, broadcasters, and content creators of all kinds are adapting to provide this.

Media brands making the effort to stay attuned to changing audience needs are building back loyalty and trust. For some recent examples: The Independent has doubled its profit and revenue over the last five years; the Financial Times is adopting data-driven personalisation as part of an audience-first strategy; and Reach plc’s launch of its Reach Studio hub is bringing each of its brands to new viewers in new formats.

The current state of journalism in the UK is in flux, and the prognosis can perhaps seems bleak. But there are causes for optimism to be found in emerging audience behaviours, platforms, and brands, which we’ll be exploring as part of our continued State of Journalism series.

Interested in how the media is evolving? Sign up for the 23 October Vuelio and Pulsar webinar ‘The New News Audiences’.

Patrick Clarke

‘The more real an interaction I can have with a PR, the better’ – Media interview with Patrick Clarke, deputy editor of The Quietus

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Want to get the ear of music journalists? Here is insight on the ins and outs of the music media from Patrick Clarke, deputy editor of The Quietus. Having worked in music journalism for nearly ten years – freelancing for titles such as NME and Rolling Stone – here Patrick shares his day-to-day routine, AI’s effect on the media industry, and the best way for PRs to get coverage.

What does a typical working day/week look like for you at The Quietus?

Everyone at the Quietus freelances as well, meaning it can be quite an ad hoc, chaotic operation. Generally, my role is split between editing, commissioning, and writing. I edit between a third to a half of the site. I commission our regular columns, such as the baker’s dozen segment, which is one of our biggest ones, and then work with my editor on commissioning the more straightforward features. Every week or two, we have a staff meeting where we go through all the music that we like and dislike over the next month and decide what we think is worthy of coverage, what suits the ethos of the site, and what doesn’t.

The other half is writing. I write a few features a month, which vary wildly from in depth features to little news partnerships. I’ll obviously be out at gigs as well, usually two or three nights a week. It’s very full on dealing with all the pitches from writers and all the pitches from PRs. Trying to keep on top of it as much as we possibly can, which usually proves impossible, but we do our best. There’s no typical day, really, or typical week, but those are all features of it.

Is The Quietus team using any AI tools to help with content creation, and what are your thoughts on AI?

I’m pretty against the idea of letting AI write an article for you. I don’t think AI can listen to music and evaluate music. I think it can gather facts about music, but I don’t think that it can replace the very subjective and very personal experience of listening to music and transferring that personal, emotive experience to the page.

I wouldn’t say that AI has no place whatsoever. I use AI to help me transcribe and save me time. We recently launched a new website with The Quietus, and there was AI involved in the basic tech side of transferring one site to a new one. So I think it can be useful as a tool, but creatively I have a lot of doubt about whether or not it should be used to write anything for you. The best music journalism is work that really comes from a very personal place, from the writer.

What contributions do you find most useful from PRs and what are your pet peeves?

It’s good when PRs understand what our website is and what the music that we cover is. We don’t cover stuff just because it’s big or because it’s got a lot of streams. We cover stuff because we think it’s interesting. When we get PR emails that are very clearly a blanket mail out – an impersonal blanket mail out that doesn’t reflect anything at all that we do on the site, or maybe there’s been a cursory look at what our sections are called, without considering whether or not it will actually work, that can be quite frustrating. It’s probably a waste of the PR’s time as well.

When you get PRs who know what we’re about and know what we do, that’s always very enjoyable and satisfying. We don’t see ourselves as oppositional to PRs in any way or like we’re trying to frustrate them. We want to work together on things that work for us and work for them. I think we give a level of coverage that most music websites don’t, as long it’s the kind of stuff that actually fits with what we do.

Also, I get PRs that get my name wrong, or the name of the website, or I’ll get pitched stuff for a website that I haven’t written for for a decade. Therefore, I think the more personal, the better. The more real an interaction I can have with a PR, the better.

What is the relationship like for you when you are contacting PRs representing bands and musicians, and how can that be improved?

Some of the relationships are good, some of them are bad. I think the same way that some people understand what it is that we do, that’s always good. I’m never too fussed about a rejection or a no, it’s just as long as it’s polite and that it actually happens.

I find clarity is what I really crave a lot of the time. Sometimes you’ll get strung along, or you’ll be told an artist wants to do this, and then when it comes to actually asking them, they never wanted to do it. The key here is truthfulness and clarity. When that happens, it is always very rewarding, and I try to give that on the other side.

When is the best time for PRs to contact you and in what form?

I think just an email in office hours, as basic as it is, and then follow ups. I don’t mind if someone needs to follow up five or six times to get me to read something. I get hundreds of emails a day and I work other jobs at the same time, so it can be difficult to read everything. I can sympathise with all the PRS who I’ve never replied to!

I do find it quite frustrating though when PRs encroach on my personal life, or will message me on personal social media platforms, or have got my number from someone and will call me up without me having given them my number. I like to separate my work life from my real life as much as possible. Therefore, as annoying as it is, just an email to my official work email is the best way to get in touch with me.

Patrick’s first book ‘Bedsit Land: The Strange World of Soft Cell’ has been published by Manchester University Press.

Connect with Patrick, and other UK and international journalists, via the Vuelio Media Database.

How PRs can get media coverage in October 2024

Media trends: How to get press coverage in October

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Wondering what the media are covering as we ‘fall’ into October? The change of season and weather is often a popular angle for journalists and requests sent to PRs via the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service this month backs that up.

Read on to find out what else journalists were asking for in September, and what you can do to catch their attention, and gain press coverage, in October.

Halloween on the horizon

Journalists have been getting their Halloween content sorted early – just over 2% of the total enquiries in September were around ‘Halloween’.

PA Media, The i paper, Bella, and Stylist.co.uk have all sent requests to PRs via the Journalist Enquiry Service, looking for a variety of things, from Halloween snacks to home decor, costumes, and spooktacular themed days out for families.

Going forward? With Halloween at the end of the month, journalists will likely be making short deadline requests to get information and products. Be prepared to have product samples to send over with easy-to-read information, and you could get featured in a national press title or consumer magazine.

Gift guides and advent calendars in high demand

Requests for Christmas content have been coming in since July, and September saw a significant increase with ‘Christmas’ appearing in just under 14% of all enquiries. This is over double the amount we saw in August and a 3% rise on this time last year.

A lot of the festive requests are for ‘gift guides’, with that phrase cropping up in nearly 9% of enquiries last month. ‘Advent calendars’ are also popular, with 3.5% of journalists looking to review them. It also meant big increases for the consumer-focused categories on the Enquiry Service with Children & Teenagers seeing a 44% increase between August and September, 39% for Men’s Interest, 31% for Food & Drink, and 21% for Women’s Interest & Beauty.

Going forward? October is usually the most popular month for ‘Christmas’ content on the Journalist Enquiry Service. Last year, 18% of enquiries were for festive material. The majority of journalists will be looking for gift guide products and advent calendars, as well as Christmas events, decorations, and recipes. You could get media coverage in The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, The Independent, or The Sun.

Autumnal advice, mental health experts, and fashion in focus

Seasonal content is frequently requested on the Journalist Enquiry Service and the change of season has seen nearly 4% of journalists in September including the keyword ‘Autumn’. The topics have varied from interiors to wellbeing, to staycations, and beauty products for the new season.

Fashion has also featured in the Autumn requests and on its own as a keyword appeared in just under 4% of the requests. This is possibly linked to the London Fashion Week taking place. 2% of enquiries in October were also for ‘mental health’, with journalists looking to get expert opinion and advice ahead of World Mental Health Day on 10 October.

Going forward? Now that we are firmly into Autumn, journalists often send requests about heating and how to stay warm in colder months, plus skincare advice, and what to do with your garden during this season. Have expert commentary ready and there is the potential to feature in The Metro, The Times, Ideal Home, and The Daily Telegraph – journalists from all of these outlets sent requests last month about ‘Autumn’.

Other opportunities for PRs in October and beyond

While both still a little way off, Bonfire night (5 November) and Black Friday (29 November) are approaching. Journalists will be looking for the best places to watch fireworks and any related events, plus the best deals and offers on at different retailers for Black Friday.

The Health category, which had an 8% increase between August and September, could rise further as October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and includes World Menopause Day (18 October). Experts in these fields could get media coverage as a result. Food & Drink should also perform well again as a category with International Chefs Day (20 October) and World Pasta Day (25 October). Have chefs ready to interview, and pasta recipes to share.

To connect with the media on these topics, and much more, check out the Journalist Enquiry Service and the Vuelio Media Database.

Find out more about how Vuelio can help you gain and track your coverage in the media here.

Press Gazette Future of Technology Conference

How newsrooms are changing and what this means for the PR industry

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Newsrooms are always looking for ways to improve their processes, and the PR industry needs to keep up as they evolve. Press Gazette’s Future of Media Technology Conference featured a panel discussion dedicated to exactly that – newsroom transformation.

Here are insights shared by David Dinsmore, COO of News UK, Graham Page, sector lead for media, tech, telco & sports at Q5 Partners, Paul Rowland, editorial director at Reach plc and Nina Wright, chair of Harmsworth Media and the Professional Publishers Association…

AI’s impact on the newsroom

While AI might still be in its infancy, it’s already having an impact on the newsroom. Paul Rowland spoke about how Reach plc have been using Guten:

‘It’s a rewriting tool which makes a piece of content written in house, and reversions it for another title in that style of that publication, therefore eliminating the need for journalists to do things which aren’t distinct to their particular beat or their particular patch.’

Other publishers also mentioned different tools they are using to make the more mundane parts of a journalist’s job quicker. But David Dinsmore stressed the important role of humans for research – ‘The journalist is still going to go and dig up the proper stories, and that’s the stuff that the customers are interested in.’

The impact on PRs: Remember early predictions that AI could one day be turning your press releases into articles? Should this come to pass, journalists will have more time to dedicate to writing in-depth articles. Getting these stories will continue to require a lot of research, and the media will be reliant on expert opinion and case studies to give news and features colour and credibility. PRs – get your clients ready to be featured regularly, and in more detail.

The importance of brand

PRs and publishers both have this in common – the importance of brand and brand reputation. The problem for a lot of publishers in the current climate is that younger audiences, especially Gen Z, don’t recognise news brands. As Graham Page explained:

‘When people come across your content, they don’t recognise who it is and whether it should be trusted or not. We run a youth panel – when we talk to people, around 16 to 18, their knowledge of news industry brands is very light.’

Newsrooms are adapting to make sure that their brand is standing out. Nina Wright shared that ‘Brands need to be alive and sing on a whole number of different platforms, and your revenues need to do that as well.’

She gave the example of the New Scientist which, as well as having several revenue streams and being on all the social media platforms, also has an extensive live event programme. This helps to further its connection with communities and make the brand more memorable.

The impact on PRs: Publishers could well be shifting from their traditional platforms and PRs must be ready for these industry changes. News organisations won’t be interested in pitches that don’t align with their current branding. Make sure that you understand their brand, and that your own brand is also trusted and reputable. With publishers also more likely to be getting on the newer platforms, such as TikTok, make sure the content you are suggesting can work on a myriad of mediums.

Platform changes affecting publishers

Google’s algorithm changes have been impacting publishers, as we highlighted in this round-up of the conference on our sister ResponseSource blog. Nina said that many publishers are currently ‘at the mercy of the platforms’ as ‘you never know when they are going to change their algorithms, and then you have to scramble around and react and respond to that.’

Newsrooms have had to be even more savvy to make sure that their content is performing well on search and that the right audience is reading it. This is a particular challenge for smaller newsrooms. Paul spoke about Reach plc’s CornwallLive, which aims to be ‘a local, trusted, relevant news source in Cornwall, but also wants to thrive and scale.’ With a story about a new bypass, the team there were able to use the platforms to their advantage. As Paul explained:

‘The Google Discover algorithm knows that lots of people have an interest in Cornwall, and if they optimise that through headlining it in a clever way, then it can reach a huge audience, beyond the core audience of loyal Cornwall users it wants to get to.’

Impact on PRs: While Paul was able to recount a positive story for Reach plc, a lot of publishers are struggling due to Google’s changes. As PRs, stay on top of what changes the platforms are making – algorithms are no longer the same. Be aware of what is going to perform well on Google, and where SEO can be optimised – journalists will be more likely to want to work with you.

For more on the ins and outs of the publishing industry, and how you can work with journalists, broadcasters, and influencers to gain coverage in the media, check out the Vuelio white paper ‘From pitching to getting published: A PR’s guide to media relations‘. 

Paras PR podium

Winning comms: Who made the Paralympics PR podium?

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This year’s Olympic comms efforts got plenty of positive reaction from the PR industry and the public, but how did PR teams at the big brands do at the 2024 Paralympics?

Here are thoughts from PR pros who were watching (and taking notes) at home.

Making the podium for gold-medal-tier comms…

…Channel 4 dropping its ‘Super. Human’ theme from the previous Games for its ‘Considering What?’ campaign. The move was considered a major win for many of those watching at home, and across the PR industry.

Where the Tokyo 2020 campaign (which had won industry awards and accolades at the time, including the Cannes Lions Grand Prix) had been construed by critics as patronising, 2024’s effort was instead direct, hard-hitting, and propulsive.

‘It’s hard to look past the “Considering What?” campaign, which in my opinion really hit the mark, rightly positioning Paralympians as world-class athletes, rather than people ‘overcoming’ their disabilities,’ believes Matt Peden, managing partner at sport specialist creative comms agency Hatch.

‘Dropping the previous creative was a big move, but I think it paid off.’

For a mix of competition with cosy nostalgia was the International Paralympic Committee’s spot We All Stand Together, which utilised the 1984 children’s song from Paul McCartney. A big hit with many school children at the time, it was a canny pick for getting the attention of the older Millennials out there.

‘I was really impressed with how the IPC launched their central theme for the Games, which showcased the competitive nature of the Paralympics,’ added Matt.

‘TikTok have also done fantastic work pre and during the Paralympics, really demonstrating the uniqueness of their platform and embodying the spirit of the Games really well.

‘I don’t think there are many examples of campaigns that have missed the mark, more of brands not giving the right amount of attention to the Paralympics. Adidas, for example, in my opinion have been relatively quiet when it came to the launch of the Paralympics. If you look through the partners of ParalympicsGB (such as John West and Dreams), all have been very active in their own space, which was great to see.’

For other big brands associated with the Games, Nike won plaudits in many PR industry publications. For good reason, believes Tristan Van Den Berg, account manager at Spa Communications:

‘I found ‘Winning is Winning’ very compelling, as it focused on athlete empowerment and challenged perceptions of ability. The success primarily lies in authentic storytelling, using athletes’ voices to drive the narrative.

‘On the other hand, campaigns that rely solely on tokenistic representation, without offering depth or engagement, often miss the mark – they fail to create a lasting impact because the focus feels superficial.’

And could do better in future goes to… the lack of hype around the Paras compared to the Olympics

‘We have made significant progress since the Paralympics first began, and it is encouraging to see daily coverage of the games. However, we are still far from achieving the same level of visibility and excitement for the Paralympics that the Olympics receive,’ says Kully Dhadda, founder and CEO of digital communications agency Flame.

‘Similar to the growth of women’s football, the Paralympics requires consistent prime-time exposure both on the TV and in the mass media to reach a wider audience.’

Could a lack of hype for the Paras simply be related to scheduling? Perhaps, believes Matt.

‘The fact the Paralympics is post-Olympics will always be a slight deterrent – it can feel like it’s an afterthought which goes against messages from governing bodies and brands. If it was switched, with the Paralympics taking place first, then the natural comparisons made throughout might not be as strong.’

However the Paraympics is scheduled, there is clearly an existing problem with visibility in adland when it comes to disability. Drawing attention to this during the Paras was a short film from Channel 4 and Bupa, produced with Purple Goat and Sassy+, which asked: ‘Where are all the disabled people in ads?’

Inclusion for disabled people, including those that will be competing in future sporting events, needs to be a year-long priority for PR, marketing, and ad teams:

‘To give the Paralympics equal coverage in future, brands need to invest more in year-round visibility for Para-athletes and collaborate with media to keep the conversation alive outside of event cycles,’ believes Tristan.

For what kind of PR campaigns could help boost attention for the Paras in future years, Kully recommends the reliable comms tool of human-led stories:

‘Efforts should be made to create compelling stories around the athletes and events, engaging audiences through human interest stories, behind-the-scenes content, and interactive social media campaigns – sometimes an athlete’s journey is just as interesting as the sport itself.

‘Broadcasting organisations and sponsors could collaborate to ensure the Paralympics are marketed just as heavily as the Olympics, creating equal anticipation and hype – I can personally see a huge gap for someone to own the games the same way as how Nike unofficially took control of the 1996 Atlanta games.

‘By showcasing the full spectrum of what the Paralympics have to offer, we not only draw in new viewers, but also inspire future athletes for both games.’

Want to connect with journalists who’ll be reporting from upcoming sporting events, and track your coverage? Try Vuelio’s Media Database and Media Monitoring.

What trade can learn from brands

What trade can learn from brands: How to raise your media profile through media evaluation

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Vuelio was a proud sponsor of the Trade Association Forum’s Best Practice Exchange 2024, a space for professionals across UK trade associations to share sector insights and predictions for what lies ahead.

Want to raise the profile of your organisation or association in the UK media? Check out advice shared during the Vuelio masterclass on what can be learned from big brands, including client stories to illustrate use cases adoptable for trade associations

Why learn from brands?

Sharing her expertise on how brands can amplify their message in such a saturated media landscape was Vuelio’s head of account management Katharine Feltwell, who talked tactics for cutting through the noise.

Raising your media profile masterclass

‘There are clear similarities between brands and trade associations,’ said Katharine.

‘Where the customers drive the revenue for brands, members drive the revenue for trade associations.

‘Where the brands make their money through customers purchasing their consumer products, trade associations make their money through members buying into things such as training and events.

‘Brands strive for a clear brand identity against their competitors, and trade associations strive to develop a brand identity which is industry linked.’

Key differences to consider:

‘Brands are usually the most well-off organisations. They tend to have the most financial freedom to be seen as early adopters of new tech and trends. As they are consumer facing, they generally have more competition and can have to try harder to be the loudest voice in the room to have the most commercial or b2b impact.’

The key challenges of amplifying your voice?

Katharine shared challenges frequently faced by industry clients who want to amplify their voice in the media, highlighting:

– Difficulties in ensuring messaging is both cohesive and concise
– A lack of audience consideration and understanding
– Struggles with rebuilding trust once it has been lost.

In light of these, how can trade associations facing the same issues overcome them?

Understanding your audience and where to aim your comms

Katharine shared two case studies from her experiences aiding clients in getting their messages out to the world, the first being a top 100 charity based in the UK who successfully reached its target audience with its comms.

Starting right at the ideation stage, the charity didn’t know who to contact with its story, or which publications should be in its target outlet list for coverage.

‘Ensuring a not-for-profit budget is channelled in the best direction, with the best return, is of utmost importance,’ said Katharine.

‘This charity wanted to work smarter not harder, and put its effort into reaching specific key audiences rather than just shooting wide and hoping for the best. This particular charity had five different audiences of financial donors that it wanted to reach, spanning from so-called “traditional wealth” to “concerned neighbour”.

‘We focused on something the charity already knew – its own donor personas.’

By enhancing Vuelio’s own analysis with the audience intelligence of sister company Pulsar, it was possible to understand which media and social profiles these personas would engage with – and the ‘traditional’ publications they may read – resulting in a robust list of media to target with messaging.

‘Every month, our team of analysts work together to create a report for this charity. These reports delve into what topics resonate best with each target audience. I.e. Do fundraising case studies appear more commonly in the types of publications that “concerned neighbours” read rather than “traditional wealth”? Is the “traditional wealth” demographic is mostly interested in the policy change stories?

‘If you are starting from the very beginning of your strategy and are not sure where to start – begin with something that you already know, or expertise you already have, and work backwards to your end goal.

‘As a trade association, you will have incredible amounts of industry data from your members. This is powerful information that can help shape your media activities.’

How to cut through the noise with your comms

Want to be seen as a leader in your industry sector? Learn from the story of an international bank that wanted to share its ESG credentials in the media, without incurring greenwashing accusations (a pitfall many brands have fallen foul of over the last few years).

‘What we did for this client was to provide a status quo report,’ said Katharine.

‘Our team of analysts examined a group of six international banks (themselves included) and the tactics used when talking about each element of ESG; which ones resulted in a positive and neutral result versus negative coverage, and where the reach was the highest.

‘We created an eight-page report filled with charts, graphs, and written analysis, finding that banks that relied heavily on press releases, blog content, and quotes from CEOs did not see the largest volume of high quality, high reaching positive/neutral coverage.

‘Instead, those who focused on press announcements of actionable changes made the most splash. Actions speak louder than words when it comes to creating a credible ESG profile as a bank – sweeping statements do not work.’

The client pivoted to communicating actions, and has gone on to win multiple sustainability awards.

‘Learn from other people’s mistakes and victories and craft your plan based on what has already happened in the story so far,’ said Katharine.

Key takeaways to remember when elevating your voice

– Simplicity is key when it comes to working smarter not harder
– Look around you and think about the voices that are already loud on your chosen topic – what is and isn’t working for them?
– Create your ideal audience from information you already hold, analysis of external channels, and the right support
– Once you have decided what ‘good’ looks like for you, consistent tracking of your performance against goals will ensure lasting success

‘Doing these four things will allow you to create your own bespoke playbook for managing your own reputation,’ advised Katharine.

‘This ultimately will enable you to take this strategy whatever may come your way – be it a curve ball from the Government where you have to amplify your external voice at pace, or a positive opportunity for change.’

Learn more about Vuelio’s Media Monitoring and Insights solutions, and Pulsar’s audience intelligence tools, for sharing your organisation’s story and successes.

What journalists want this Autumn

What the UK media are looking for in September and beyond

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Looking for insight on what journalists will be covering in September? What will make the news isn’t always predictable, but the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service can give a strong indication of what will be trending and popular with the press.

Below, we analyse what journalists have been requesting from PRs during August and shed light on what we expect them to be sending enquiries for this month and beyond.

Christmas content in demand

In July, we saw the first flurry of ‘Christmas’ requests. August saw a more substantial covering as over 6.5% of requests contained the word last month.

The majority of enquiries in August were focused on gift guides. This meant lots of requests for review products. However, we also saw journalists looking for Christmas decorations, throwing a successful Christmas party and festive events taking place around the UK.

Going forward? September 2023 saw the amount of Christmas requests double from the August number and we would expect similar numbers again this year. Gift guides and advent calendars will likely be the most in demand. Journalists from The Independent, PA Media, Country Living and Prima all sent enquiries last month, presenting opportunities to get featured in high profile media titles.

Summer season falls into Autumn

A lot of media professionals use the Journalist Enquiry Service to source seasonal content and August saw a shift from requests for ‘Summer’ towards ‘Autumn’. 2.5% of the total enquiries last month were for ‘Summer’ but this was surpassed by ‘Autumn’ which appeared in just over 3% of journo asks.

These encompass all sorts of topics and angles, and included health and wellbeing, fashion, home decor, fitness, and recipes. Journalists from The Daily Express, Good Homes, Bella, The i Paper and Sunday Brunch all sent requests last month.

Going forward? Topics such as getting your garden ready for Autumn, changing your wardrobe for the new season, and health concerns as we head into the colder months are all common requests around this time. Make sure you have gardening and fashion experts ready and doctors and health professionals to comment on these areas.

Four day work week, winter fuel payment, and AI

UK politics is always a focus for the media, even more now with the change of government. Topical issues like the proposed four day working week, the cuts to the winter fuel payment, and changes to pensions have all been the subject of enquiries by journalists during August.

‘Work’ proved popular as a keyword, appearing in over 3% of enquiries, and ‘pension’ cropped up in over 1%. ‘AI’ also regularly performs well on the service and in August even more than usual as 5% of the total requests included the topic. That could be in part due to the Government’s plans to scrap funding for an AI project.

Going forward? September in the UK is annual Party Conference season and journalists will be keen to cover the major policies and announcements. If you have political commentators as clients then have them ready to provide comment – you could get coverage in titles such as The Times, Metro and Reuters. Information and experts on AI are also likely to get write-ups, as it remains a popular topic to cover in the media.

Other opportunities for PRs in September and beyond

Halloween is just over six weeks away and journalists are always keen to cover it. Requests are usually for products to review such as costumes or party decorations. This presents a good opportunity to get items featured.

Fashion experts are likely to be in demand with London Fashion Week (12-17 September). Fitness proved popular in September 2023 with nearly 3% of requests containing the keyword, likely linked to National Fitness Day, coming up on 25 September this year. We also expect the Food & Drink category to get lots of enquiries, with many towns and cities holding events for Oktoberfest. If you have experts or information about this, relevant journalists will want to hear about it.

To connect with the media on these topics, and much more, check out the Journalist Enquiry Service and the Vuelio Media Database.

Find out more about how Vuelio can help you gain and track your coverage in the media here.

Yara Silva

‘We love creating content around talent’ – Media interview with head of content at Reach Studio, Yara Silva

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Social media has been an important tool for both journalists and PRs for well over a decade already, but the rapid rise of TikTok has meant an increased focus on vertical video to reach new audiences. Want to get your brand featured in a publisher’s video creation?

Yara Silva has recently been appointed as head of content at Reach Studio – here, she sheds light on how PRs can collaborate with the media to create content in this increasingly popular format.

‘If you’re trying to get a journalist’s attention and you have talent on board working with you – that’s always a big draw.’

What does a typical working day/week look like for you at the Reach Studio?

I’m not sure there is such a thing as a typical day. I have a lot of meetings, because my role involves liaising with lots of different parts and lots of different people within the company, internally and externally. I head up the content part of Studio, which is wide-ranging. We have the branded content team, our social video experts, and we have the site video team. We have an ideation team as well, and they come up with the big ideas, so it’s fun to work with them.

Our Mirror Gaming brand and our youth brands, Curiously and Hear Me Out are also a big part of what we do. They are brands for young people, run by young people. It’s been brilliant to work with them, as I’ve not had the opportunity before. They’re so talented and they’re content creators who are just real digital natives. Bringing them closer in with the rest of the teams working on video has been brilliant, because we’re learning from them and they’re learning from the wider teams too

Vertical video is becoming a big focus for many media organisations – how can PRs help journalists with this form of content creation?

I think the best stuff that we’ve got through PRs has always been around the talent that they have on board working with them. Media organisations and people working in video love creating content around talent. If you have a sports star associated with your brand, offer us your sports star. We would love to go and create content around that. If you’re trying to get a journalist’s attention and you have someone on board working with you, I’d say that’s always a big draw.

How can PRs make the most of social media – both engaging with journalists and promoting their brand?

I think social media is an easy way to engage with journalists, because they’re often on there, looking for products or for people to speak to. Keeping an eye out for journalists making journo requests is quite a simple way of making the most of social media.

In terms of promoting brands, jumping on trends is a good way of keeping your brand relevant; also using humour. The current Marks and Spencers social video campaign – featuring Spencer Matthews and Mark Wright (Mark and Spencer) – they’re all very funny and quite simple, but it’s led to lots of other brands jumping on the bandwagon.

Journalists are increasingly making use of social media as research tools – what are the pros and cons of this?

I think there’s a lot more pros than there are cons. Social media gives you access and opens your eyes to different people and different ways of thinking that you might not be exposed to if you’re not on social media. Obviously, that’s a cornerstone of journalism – opening people’s eyes to things that they don’t necessarily always get to see.

A big con, though, is fake news. Misinformation is huge on social media, but I think journalists are pretty savvy about that. At Reach, we have a lot of training around it, and I think other publishers do, too. I think we just need to make sure that we’re always informing the audience about it too, so that they don’t get misled.

What is your opinion of the use of AI in journalism?

I think there are places where it can be really useful. Any tool that can help journalists save time, or just help a journalist do their job, shouldn’t be disregarded. We’re all so busy and there are a lot of repetitive tasks that do take up a lot of time. That bit could be made easier with AI.

Anything that we do with AI needs to be constantly re-evaluated. We don’t ever want AI to be taking journalists’ jobs. We want it to be helping journalists make the most of their time. There are massive risks involved but there are time saving and really helpful uses for it.

Within Reach, we have an AI tool which we created called Guten. It’s more for articles though, so it’s not really for video, but it helps us to make sure that we’re getting content across different titles in the most effective way possible. The journalists use that a lot. However, we’re being incredibly cautious of how we’re using it and everything that we use goes through a very rigorous testing.

What contributions do you find most useful from PRs, and how/when should they contact you, or your team?

Email rather than phone. I think the most useful thing, like I said before, is access to talent. We’re always looking for stuff like that, or invites to events where we can make content. We’ve got so many titles. There are 120 brands within Reach, and the Reach Studio makes content for all of them. So we need content, and we can create content that gets shared very widely and goes to a lot of people. Therefore, if we can get invites to events where we can create really good content that we think our audiences would like, or access to talent, then that is super useful.

To connect with journalists across publishing, broadcast, and more, check out the Vuelio Media Database and the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service. 

PR winners at the Paris Olympics

Winners and losers: Who placed on the PR podium for the 2024 Olympics?

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There are no medals for PR at the Olympics (yet), but comms teams across the world were busy bigging-up sponsorships and superstar athletes throughout the 2024 event in Paris. Which PR campaigns were successful and deserving of plaudits, and which could have done better?

With the Paralympics (and a whole new load of PR moments) on the way, here is our overview of what worked, and what didn’t, at this year’s Olympics…

Our gold medal goes to… cheese

Probably an unsurprising choice (if you’ve been online at all throughout the games) is Italian gymnast Giorgia Villa’s partnership with cheese brand Parmigiano Reggiano. Sponsored by the cheese since 2021, Villa’s past photoshoot with wheels of the good stuff was rediscovered by X users at the end of July, to widespread joy and social virality.

X post about Giorgia Villa sponsorship

As said by one X user: ‘Dunno how much the Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Consortium has been paying Giorgia Villa since this deal was arranged in 2021 but they’re certainly getting their money’s worth this week’.

Will Villa further build her own brand with other tie-ins, like Usain Bolt, George Forman, and Mo Farah have in recent years? It’s a solid PR strategy for sportspeople, and the brands they work with, for getting attention online and press coverage.

Silver goes to… Mongolia’s opening ceremony uniform

Way before the serious sporting even started for this year’s Olympics games, competition was rife among the countries taking part… around the release of their uniforms.

While Team USA had tagged in fashion heavy-hitter Ralph Lauren to clothe their competing athletes, it was Mongolia’s uniform that received the majority of attention online, as shown by analysis of social and news platforms using Pulsar.

Olympic uniforms in the spotlight

A common feeling among the takes on Mongolia’s uniform – positivity for the nods to tradition, careful crafting, and textile choices.

X post about Mongolia's Olympic's uniform for 2024

Reaction to the US’s uniform – perceived laziness for the choice of ‘dated’ brand Ralph Lauren.

X post comparing Olympic uniforms

Mongolia’s uniform got the public talking, with pleasant surprise. All this, despite the lack of a big PR and comms function behind the team.

When looking at brands involved in the Paris Olympics, Ralph Lauren received plenty of mentions on social and news write-ups – both prior to and post-competition – much of it negative.

Brand buzz before and after the Olympic opening ceremony

There’s a lesson here for those tasked with tie-ins and team-ups for the upcoming 2028 Olympics: find out what your intended audience actually wants to see by researching their interests. Integrating cultural relevance into branding was effective in this case. Well-researched choices can spark those watching at home – an average of 30.6 million people watched coverage of the Paris Olympics on Comcast Corp.’s US media outlets, by the way – to dive into the conversation.

Bronze goes to…Snoop Dogg and Flavor Flav

Bringing ‘delight to the games’, as reported by The Guardian, was superstar Snoop Dogg, who served as a special correspondent for NBC’s Olympics programming.

Plenty of celebrities featured at the Paris Olympics – including, confusingly, the Minions during the opening ceremony – but none got quite the same level of fondness in their press write-ups. Apart from Flavor Flav.

Fellow musician and memetic star Flav’s signing of a five-year sponsorship deal with the US women’s and men’s water polo teams, and help with landing sportspeople brand deals, has strengthened his profile. AND, more importantly, is sure to help more people of colour into the sport – a hope he shared during an interview with NPR.

And the ‘better luck next time’ award goes to… a well-intentioned misstep in memeing

Shout-out to the PRs who flagged this one – a brand post aimed at highlighting inspirational female athletes… with subtitles related to relationships.

‘I mean, it’s 2024, right? […] It’s sad to see this stereotype being used yet again. Are we not past the point of thinking women are only interested in men and relationships?’ was one take on LinkedIn. The company later deleted their Instagram post – a wise strategy when a piece of PR isn’t winning over the audience.

Want to connect with journalists who’ll be reporting from upcoming sporting events, and track your coverage? Try Vuelio’s Media Database and Media Monitoring.

Interactive content to boost coverage

How the creation of interactive content can help you gain coverage

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This is a guest post from Anna Morrish, director of Quibble. 

Whether you’re a startup or an established company, interactive content can provide substantial benefits and it’s not just for big brands to utilise and benefit from.

Understanding interactive content

Interactive content is any digital content that requires user participation. It includes quizzes, polls, surveys, calculators, games, assessments, and even AR (Augmented Reality) or VR (Virtual reality) experiences. The key is that it actively engages users, creating a memorable and personalised experience.

Why should your business invest in interactive content?

1. Enhances user engagement: Interactive content typically sees higher engagement rates than static content, on average 2x more conversions and 4-5x more pageviews than passive content, making it more likely to capture and hold your audience’s attention.
2. Builds trust and loyalty: By engaging users directly, interactive content fosters a sense of connection and investment, which can build trust and loyalty.
3. Improves SEO and PR: High engagement can lead to increased sharing and backlinking, boosting your SEO and attracting PR coverage.
4. Gathers valuable data: Interactive content can collect data on user preferences and behaviours, providing insights that can inform your marketing strategies.

Interactive content and digital PR

Digital PR in general is all about collaboration and building relationships. When diverse minds come together and share ideas, they create powerful stories that resonate and forge genuine connections in the digital world.

This approach is especially important when creating interactive content, as it allows a gathering of a wider range of thoughts and ideas from those with different skills and mindsets, including further insight into the technical considerations required when developing interactive content pieces.

Successful examples of interactive content

Let’s look at some real-world examples of how UK businesses are successfully using interactive content:

1.Gamification and Duolingo: Gamification is a powerful form of interactive marketing. It involves incorporating game elements and mechanics into non-game contexts to make them more engaging. The goal is to increase participation, interaction with the brand, and actions that achieve specific marketing objectives.

A prime example is Duolingo, a language eLearning tool that uses gamification to boost user engagement. Users build streaks, earn achievement badges and crowns, and climb higher on the leaderboard. The drive to compete and maintain an impressive streak are key motivators, demonstrating how gamification can effectively captivate and retain users.

2.USB Makers Data Transfer Speed Calculator: USB Makers develop customised USB drives, integrating unique designs and personalised branding to meet client needs. To promote their product they needed an engaging PR tool. Implementing an interactive calculator on their website, allowed users to easily estimate costs and select options, which significantly boosted user engagement and streamlined the ordering process. Over three months this calculator helped increase organic traffic by 50%, gain 250 new links and 700 new keywords.

3. Tesco’s ‘Food Love Stories’ Recipe Hub: Interactive content can be a game-changer for businesses looking to enhance their visibility and engage audiences, as demonstrated by Tesco’s award-winning ‘Food Love Stories’ campaign. This campaign, which earned the Cannes Lions award for media planning, stands as Tesco’s most effective effort to date, achieving a remarkable 38% year-over-year sales uplift and generating an additional £231 million in sales. The success was also reflected in an 18% increase in YouGov quality scores, with 75% of this improvement directly attributed to the campaign. By leveraging engaging and relatable stories, Tesco not only captured the attention of consumers but also drove significant commercial results, proving that interactive content can substantially elevate a brand’s presence and impact.

4.Thomas Cook and virtual reality: Thomas Cook revolutionised the travel booking experience with its ‘Try Before You Fly’ campaign, allowing users to virtually explore destinations such as the US, Greece, Singapore, and Egypt using Samsung Gear VR. Customers could virtually snorkel in Sharm-el-Sheikh, visit the pyramids in Egypt, or take a helicopter tour of Manhattan. This innovative campaign made Thomas Cook the first travel company globally to offer in-store virtual reality experiences. The results were impressive, with a 180% increase in NYC bookings, 500,000 YouTube views, an 11% increase in followers, and 22,000 competition entries, significantly boosting engagement and conversion rates.

5. Rebel Therapies and LinkedIn poll: Even smaller organisations can harness the power of interactive marketing. For instance, Rebel Therapies utilised a straightforward LinkedIn poll to foster engagement and raise awareness. Through this simple yet effective tactic, they not only garnered increased interaction but also gained valuable new contacts in the process. This demonstrates that interactive marketing strategies can be accessible and impactful for businesses of all sizes.

Boosting engagement through newsjacking in interactive content

Incorporating newsjacking strategies into your interactive content endeavours can further enhance engagement and relevance. By leveraging current events, trends, or breaking news in your interactive content, you can capture the attention of your audience and capitalise on the buzz surrounding these topics. For example, if there’s a viral challenge circulating on social media, you can create an interactive quiz or game that ties into the theme of the challenge. This not only increases the likelihood of your content being shared but also positions your brand as timely and in touch with the latest trends. Additionally, newsjacking allows you to inject personality and creativity into your interactive content, making it more memorable and impactful.

Creating interactive content on a budget

You don’t need a massive budget to create impactful interactive content. Here are some cost-effective ideas:

Social media contests: Host simple contests on platforms like Instagram or Facebook. Ask followers to share your post or tag friends to enter. This can increase engagement and grow your online community.

Quizzes and polls: Use tools like Typeform, Google Forms, or SurveyMonkey to create engaging quizzes or polls. These can provide valuable insights into your audience while entertaining them.

Calculators: Create useful calculators relevant to your industry. For instance, a mortgage calculator for real estate businesses or a calorie calculator for a fitness brand. Online tools and templates can help you build these with minimal investment.

Intermediate interactive content ideas

If you have a bit more budget, consider these options:

Interactive infographics: Combine data and design to create infographics that users can interact with. Platforms like Canva or Piktochart can help you design these affordably.

Interactive videos: Tools like Wistia or Vidyard allow you to create videos with clickable elements, branching narratives, or embedded quizzes. These can increase engagement and provide a more immersive experience.

Virtual try-ons: For fashion or beauty brands, virtual try-ons can be a game-changer. Use tools like ModiFace or YouCam Makeup to let customers try products virtually before they buy.

Advanced interactive content for bigger budgets

For those with more resources, consider these advanced interactive content types:

Custom games: Develop simple yet engaging games related to your brand. This can be a fun way to educate users about your products and encourage them to spend more time on your site.

Interactive storytelling: Create a narrative experience where users can choose their path. Tools like Twine or Unity can help you develop these interactive stories.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR): Invest in AR or VR experiences that allow users to interact with your products in a virtual space. This can be particularly effective for industries like real estate, automotive, or retail.

Tips for creating effective interactive content

1. Start with clear goals: Understand what you want to achieve with your interactive content. Is it increased engagement, data collection, or brand awareness?

2. Keep it user-friendly: Ensure your interactive content is easy to use and accessible to your audience.

3. Promote your content: Share your interactive content across all your channels, including social media, email newsletters, and your website. Reach out to journalists and influencers who might be interested in sharing your content.

4. Measure success: Track engagement metrics and gather feedback to understand how your content is performing and where you can improve.

Conclusion

Interactive content stands as a formidable asset for any business seeking to expand its reach, foster engagement, and cultivate customer loyalty. Whether operating on a shoestring budget or with ample resources at hand, there exists a multitude of avenues to craft and capitalise on interactive content to great effect. Embark on your journey of exploration today and witness firsthand how interactive content can revolutionise your online presence.

Navigating the Green Claims Code blog

Are you following the Green Claims Code with your comms?

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A growing awareness of the impacts of climate change has meant greater accountability for PRs communicating company ESG credentials.

Alongside the potential for bad press if you’re doing it wrong are the dangers of falling foul of legislation – the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)’s Green Claims Code, this Autumn’s DMCC, and incoming EU regulations being just three possible pitfalls.

In our latest webinar ‘Navigating the Green Claims Code: How to avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing’, The Grocer’s editor-in-chief Adam Leyland explained the clampdowns, why your words matter, and how to communicate your credentials to the media.

The clampdown on ESG claims

‘Greenwashing has been going on for a long time – it’s rampant,’ said Adam.

‘In the FMCG space, sustainability-related terms are used liberally – words like ‘eco’, ‘green’, and ‘sustainable’ are scattered into comms. Sometimes this is innocent and well-meaning – linked to positive initiatives to minimise the impact on the environment. Sometimes it’s cynical and glib – and PRs are among the worst offenders.’

Is PR all bad, then? No, explained Adam.

‘The point is this is all relative. Using different packaging doesn’t make a product ‘green’. To make that claim now, you have to undertake some onerous lifecycle analysis of all aspects of the supply chain – packaging, sourcing, catching, energy, water, and what happens to it at the end of the cycle. It’s a difficult thing to make these claims when you have to be so exhaustive.’

While there have been rules set in place on sustainability to be aware of already – Trading Standards and International Standard ISO 14021, for example, Adam warned that ‘it’s only getting more onerous’.

‘The Green Claims Code was established in 2021; Autumn’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCC) could mean great whacking fines – the pressure is on,’ said Adam.

‘The market is saying enough is enough. It’s unfair to claim you’re green and gain an economic advantage if you’re really not that green, or you’re being highly selective about it.

Why words matter

‘The reason I said that PRs are the worst offenders for greenwashing is because of the frequency of the stuff you’re putting out,’ explained Adam.

‘All brand marketers are looking for ways to make claims. But when you’re producing that many words, that frequently, things can slip out. It’s different with ads, which have to be ratified by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) – they’re going through a level of scrutiny before they go out.

‘With PR, you’ll see certain words everywhere – people pick journos up when we use these words, too.

‘“Ethical” is contentious, even words like “responsibility” come with difficulty. This also applies to images – leaves, skies, all these things that suggest a perfect world are under scrutiny.

‘Phrases like “saving the planet” – remember, the planet is going to be fine. It is lifeforms that are in danger from climate change. The planet will still be there, even if it’s a nuclear wasteland. We need to be careful with the words we use.’

Mistakes to avoid

On what not to do, Adam shared what the team see at The Grocer:

‘Setting targets, and then backtracking is incredibly embarrassing. You’ve traded on something you will do, rather than something you have done. That gives a halo that may not be warranted.’

‘Another issue is dressing up simply following rules and regulations, and putting out press releases about it.

‘Hyperbole isn’t good and neither is hypocrisy. Or glibness. But there are degrees of seriousness, and as much as I’ve been critical, there are worse things than trying to do something good, to reach for the stars and not be able to get there. There’s lying, there are cover-ups, and avoiding the truth – that is the worst form of PR, burying the truth.’

‘Sometimes brands get away with it, and sometimes they don’t.’

The difficulties of the Green Claims Code

‘While the principles of the code sound really simple, the truth is that practicing these principles is actually really difficult,’ said Adam.

‘There are those who don’t know where they’re going wrong. You have to avoid technical jargon while being clear and meaningful. It’s not that straightforward.’

What do journalists want from PRs on ‘green’ topics?

‘The first thing I’d say is honesty’ said Adam, highlighting an example of Abel & Cole rectifying a claim around recyclable packaging in an ad that ran in The Grocer.

‘This is where PR can disarm criticism – admitting that something you did was wrong’.

Abel & Cole went on to win a Grocer Gold Award for Sustainability Initiative of the Year.

‘There’s huge amounts of data needed, and PRs need access to toolkits, and business insights. Start with the data and then make your claim, not the other way around.’

‘Seemingly small things are interesting – we wrote about Quality Street changing their wrapping. We also wrote about British Snack Co working with Aquapak to produce recyclable packaging. You don’t have to make major claims.

‘There are marginal gains, little changes, that chime with the consumer.’

But be careful – as highlighted by Adam, even something as ‘small’ as teabags can come with greenwashing dangers. Moving from plastic? Claiming a teabag is sustainable also means double-checking the tea’s own lifecycle.

Reaching for the stars on ESG

‘I do have a concern for the future in terms of comms. And a concern for a lack of progress towards sustainable development goals. I worry that people will only change because of legislation,’ said Adam.

‘But I think there is a competitive advantage in reaching for the stars with comms. It requires you to do the work on transparency, on data, because without that you can’t take action.

‘If you stop communicating with shoppers, it makes it harder for them to know what’s more sustainable. Those who do the right thing, try to lessen their impact on the environment, and communicate what they’re doing clearly, honestly, and carefully, will be those that flourish.’

For more on PR’s part in ESG, download the Vuelio white paper ‘The perception of PR in sustainability communications: How to avoid greenwashing and be an advocate for change’.

Navigating the Green Claims Code: How to avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing

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How do you ensure your sustainability messaging is compliant? 

As modern consumers have become more eco-conscious and ethically aware, journalists are prepared to uncover any misalignment between company claims and ESG credentials.

In this climate of increased accountability for corporate and brand communications, how can PR teams guarantee all claims are completely above-board?

Watch our webinar to hear The Grocer’s editor-in-chief Adam Leyland discuss this from the point of view of the media.

The session covers:

  • Current and incoming regulations from groups including the CMA that comms teams need to know about
  • How to avoid greenwashing and green-hushing missteps
  • Ways to highlight company ESG profiles in the media and with audiences
Ali Dunworth

‘We need to give more coverage to lesser-known businesses, chefs, and cuisines’: Food & drink freelance journalist Ali Dunworth

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Looking to secure media coverage for your food and drink brand or clients? Freelance journalist Ali Dunworth has 20 years of work experience in the hospitality industry, and has spent the last decade writing freelance for titles such as the Irish Times and Sunday Times Ireland.

Read on for insight from Ali on how the food and drink scene has changed and what journalists in the sector need from PRs now, what the typical day for a freelance journalist looks like and what PRs should be doing (and not doing) when getting in contact.

The life of a freelance writer can be varied, what does a typical day or week look like for you?

It’s different every day but usually, I divide it into two. Mornings are when I’m focused, so I start with a quick walk to wake up and then straight into a few hours of concentrated writing with plenty of cups of tea. In the afternoon, I’m more easily distracted so that’s a time for lists, emails, phone calls and research.

What are the current challenges facing the food & drink industry?

The food and drink scene in Ireland has changed so much over the last few decades, particularly in Dublin, where it has become much more multicultural. However, this diversity is often not reflected in our media and food writing.

Non-European cuisines feel marginalised, they are not featured as prominently in lists or reviews. They are not given the same recognition or written about in the same way as those more familiar to us, and I’ve been guilty of this myself. I do think the tide is turning on this slowly but I believe as food writers, we need to make a concerted effort to broaden our horizons and give more coverage to lesser-known businesses, chefs, and cuisines.

Misinformation is on the rise – what can journalists and PRs do to stop this?

I think a lot of misinformation comes from lazy cut-and-paste situations. Picking up the phone or contacting someone directly via DM to double-check stuff should be the standard, not just replicating information found online.

Which parts of your work can PRs help you with, and how do you prefer for them to contact you?

Email is always preferred. It’s frustrating to get DMs on social media from PRs when my email is linked in my bio, or easy to find with a quick Google. Also, PRs should keep up-to-date on where you are writing. Some still contact me about a website I haven’t written for in years or maybe they don’t know about my Substack.

Ali’s first book ‘A Compendium of Irish Pints’ has been published by Nine Bean Rows.

Connect with Ali, and other UK and international journalists, via the Vuelio Media Database.

Green Claims Code

Webinar – Navigating the Green Claims Code: How to avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing

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As modern consumers have become more eco-conscious and ethically aware, journalists are prepared to uncover any misalignment between company claims and ESG credentials.

In this climate of increased accountability for company communications, how can PR teams ensure their sustainability messaging is compliant and that all claims are completely above-board?

Join our next webinar ‘Navigating the Green Claims Code: How to avoid the pitfalls of greenwashing‘ at 2pm on 17 July to hear The Grocer’s editor-in-chief Adam Leyland discuss this from the point of view of the media.

The session will cover:
– Current and incoming regulations from groups including the CMA that comms teams need to know about
– How to avoid greenwashing and greenhushing missteps
– Ways to highlight company ESG profiles in the media and with audiences

Can’t join us live? Register here and we’ll send you the recording.

Want more on the responsibilities of PR and comms when it comes to sustainability messaging? Download our Vuelio white paper ‘The perception of PR in sustainability communications: How to avoid greenwashing and be an advocate for change‘.

Journalist Enquiry Service overview July 2024

Political commentators, destination experts, and sports professionals: What the media are looking for in July

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Want to get your clients featured in the media in July? While the General Election has been the media’s focus for the last six weeks – and will be a priority for a while yet – there are plenty of other opportunities for coverage, and the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service is a good gauge for what is trending. Here is what journalists have been requesting throughout June, and what we predict their focus will be in July.

General Election fallout

Unsurprisingly, ‘election’ became a popular keyword on the Journalist Enquiry Service, appearing in 2% of all enquiries in May, growing to 2.5% in June.

Journalists focused on gathering interviews, and the viewpoints of CEOs and leaders from different sectors, including technology, retail, and business. There have also been requests for information on tactical voting, analysis of the manifestos, and for an expert to comment on election marketing and advertising.

Going forward? Journalists will most likely be looking for expert comment on what to expect from the new Government, the impact on the public, and the economy. The Times, The Independent, Reuters, and ITV News all sent requests concerning the election in June, giving an opportunity to feature you or your client in the national news now.

Summer holidays and gardening remain popular

‘Summer’ was the top keyword on the Journalist Enquiry Service for a second month in a row, as it featured in 9.5% of all requests. This is also an 8% increase compared to this time last year, maybe a sign that we’re in for some better weather as well? ‘Holidays’ cropped up in just over 3% of the enquiries in June this year. ‘Gardening’ proved even more popular as it appeared in 5.5%, and this is a 51% increase compared to June 2023.

Requests around ‘summer’ varied widely last month with everything from fashion to health to skincare to food and drink. The enquiries about ‘holidays’ tended to look more for travel experts and information on places or activities for the school summer holidays. Journalists sending requests about ‘gardening’ were primarily looking for experts to give tips and advice.

Going forward? Journalists will be looking for gardening experts and travel experts/information on destinations, so have these clients ready to engage with these media coverage opportunities.The nature of summer requests are harder to predict, but fashion experts could be needed to comment on the best clothing to wear and health advice/information on what to do to stay cool during warmer temperatures. Journalists from The Guardian, The Sun, The Daily Telegraph, Homes & Gardens, and Woman’s Own all sent requests on these three topics last month.

Other opportunities for PRs in July and beyond

It’s just a couple of weeks until the Olympics starts in Paris and in June, just under 1% of all enquiries featured ‘Olympics’. This will receive a lot more traction this month as we approach the games, with journalists looking for former athletes and sports professionals to interview. ‘Euro’s’ has also featured as a keyword and if England continue to progress in the tournament, journalists will likely look for information on the best places to watch the matches, as well as the impact it could have on the economy. Both of these events, plus Wimbledon as well, means sports spokespeople will be in high demand from journalists.

There are several food and drink related days this month including World Chocolate Day (7 July), National Hot Dog Day (19 July) and the whole of July is National Ice Cream Month. Journalists could be looking for food experts to give related recipes and advice. Finally, while school will only just be finishing, the media will begin in July to look for information on back to school items. This could be for uniform, stationery, lunch boxes, and more. This will gain in popularity throughout July and into August, so have the information you need prepared to send to journalists and get media coverage in both national press and consumer media.

To connect with the media on these topics, and much more, check out the Journalist Enquiry Service and the Vuelio Media Database.

Find out more how Vuelio can help you gain and track your coverage in the media here.

2024 manifesto reactions

Will a Liberal Democrat revival be impeded by perceived ideological ambivalence?

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Just over 40 years ago, Liberal Democrats forerunner the SDP-Liberal Alliance returned their best collective election result in 1983 as they finished third – only 2% below the Labour party. While the party might have hoped that the 1983 election would serve as the turning point in their bid to remodel British politics, this wasn’t to be. Aside from 2005 and 2010 – where the party achieved over 50 MPs and over 20% of the vote – 1983 was the high-water mark.

Today, the Liberal Democrats face a different challenge. Since 2015, they have been pushed into the fourth-largest party spot in the Commons, and have often battled to remain politically relevant rather than politically significant. Nonetheless, a multi-pronged strategy has seen them return to electoral relevance, while being significantly helped by anti-Conservative sentiment across the country.

On the one hand, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has pursued an occasionally bordering-on-ridiculous campaign with attention-grabbing stunts serving to highlight significant issues – paddleboarding in Lake Windermere as an example. Meanwhile, campaigning has focused less on being a viable alternative government, instead targeting disaffected Conservative voters in the Home Counties in a bid to increase their seats. The focus has been less on macro campaigns, such as Jo Swinson’s emphasis on Brexit, but instead on seemingly under-discussed issues that cut through to the very voters they need to target: adult social care and sewage pollution.

This, coupled with an election broadcast that focused on Davey’s relationship with his disabled son, has seen the Liberal Democrats rise as high as 15% in YouGov’s voting intention tracker. Moreover, because of their targeted campaigning in the Home Counties, their relative support translates well into the first past the post system, with some MRPs putting them as high as 67 seats.

Ideological clarity

If the Liberal Democrats are to increase their seat share in the House of Commons as significantly as the MRP polls suggest, this will bring greater media and political attention and scrutiny of their policy platform. This has already begun, with Davey being questioned on BBC 5Live on his seemingly contradictory support for the proposed phased smoking ban and a regulated market for cannabis. Interestingly, Davey had previously voted against the proposed ban on smoking indoors in pubs.

This perhaps reflects a wider fissure within the modern Liberal Democrat movement. This has previously dogged the party and turned some voters away, with tuition fees as a key example, but there are also wider divisions between the Beveridge and Orange Book wings of the party. A concern, perhaps – exposure of any ideological ambivalence should they return to the political prominence that would come with more seats in the Commons.

The Brexit cloud

Against a backdrop of a potential no-deal outcome coupled with the Labour party’s triangulation, former Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson sought to establish the party as a vehicle to stop Brexit. The party was subsequently burned for such an overt stance as Swinson lost her seat. Contrastingly, their 2024 manifesto only mentioned Brexit twice. At the manifesto launch, when pushed, Davey committed to rejoining the EU, but noted that it was a long-term ambition.

This strategy of careful vagueness has brought them comparative joy, bringing the ability to target disgruntled Conservative voters in the Home Counties. Many of whom are leave voters, with both the South East and South West voting leave in the referendum. However, with Labour set to move into Government, seeking to resettle the UK’s relationship with the EU, the Liberal Democrats will not be able to avoid the issue for much longer, nor should they wish to.

Perhaps this Brexit cloud instead represents an opportunity for the Liberal Democrats. Specifically, they could use the agenda shift to carve out a genuine dividing line with Labour by pushing their competitor party on membership of the customs union or single market while simultaneously appeasing their pro-european core vote.

While their manifesto quietly pledged to rejoin the single market, they will need to overtly take on the wider European issue. Whether the Liberal Democrats face their reckoning with their stance on the EU out of necessity or desire, it may help them oppose a future Labour Government.

Devolution

Regional devolution should be a hallmark for a Liberal Democrat manifesto given their long-standing commitment to constitutional reform and political and economic decentralisation. Yet their manifesto seems to step back from any regional devolution. The absence of detail on how they would end top-heavy councils or pursue alternative forms of devolution should communities reject elected mayors is thought provoking. The lack of a clear vision on local government reorganisation could be seen as disappointing for a party whose bread and butter should be innovative ideas around the devolution of power.

Criminal justice

Criminal justice reform has often served as a key distinguisher for the Liberal Democrats against Labour and the Conservatives, with former leader Charles Kennedy successfully rallying against New Labour’s proposed counter terrorism bills in the 2000s. Yet as the Institute for Fiscal Studies notes, under Lib Dem manifesto spending plans, prisons would still suffer billions in cuts. In the face of Conservative commitments to expanding whole life sentences, increasing scrutiny of IPP sentences and Labour’s reluctance to remove IPPs and the immense pressure faced by prisons, there might be space for the Liberal Democrats to speak to their liberal and reformist ideological convictions. Their pledges are largely restricted to vague proposals to end prison overcrowding, recruit and retain more prison staff or improve the provision of training, education and work opportunities in prisons –  but the money is not there in their funding proposals.

Housing

In a recent interview with The BBC, Nick Robinson exposed the Liberal Democrats’ ambiguity over housing policy. Robinson raised the example of the Liberal Democrat-run councils that had opposed plans to build 3,000 homes on an airfield in Oxfordshire, coupling this with a repeat of Davey’s criticism of housing targets in Surrey.

In some sense, this seems to at least symbolically contradict the Liberal Democrat manifesto plans to a year target of 380,000 new homes and within that 150,000 new social housing. This perhaps shows that the Liberal Democrats divergent local and national political strategy may not hold should it come under increased scrutiny. Historically, the Liberal Democrats have looked to campaign on separate local issues compared to their national campaign as they targeted disgruntled voters. While a repeat of this strategy may have helped them in the Conservative blue wall, they may have to revisit their housing policy – especially with Labour so forthright on their plans to alter environmental regulations on the green belt.

Why not Labour?

The biggest challenge that faces the Liberal Democrats, and the one that perhaps encapsulates all of the above, is the very change that will likely result from the upcoming General Election: a Labour Government. This is important, as the very political context – large swathes of frustration at the Conservative Government – that sparked their resurgence is removed and they will have to pivot their attention to a new focus. With this will come new questions for the Liberal Democrats to propose, and dividing lines to draw against Labour. This will bring new challenges but also opportunities for the Liberal Democrats – they will be forced to answer the question many voters will be asking themselves: why vote for the Liberal Democrats, and not Labour?

When Tony Blair became Labour leader, some predicted that it could signal the end of the Liberal Democrats, with them being ideologically crowded out. Yet the party increased their vote share in 2001, 2005, and 2010. A Starmer Government may represent a similar opportunity for the party to squeeze Labour. The Lib Dems already have a strong basis for this with their ambitious social care plan and their proposal to scrap the two child benefit cap. Should they solve their issues around ideological clarity, this would be an interesting development to keep an eye on.

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

How the General Election conversation has evolved

How the General Election 2024 conversation evolved from the announcement to voting week

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By Phoebe-Jane Boyd, Michael Kane, and Dahye Lee.

Despite the General Election announcement by the Government on a rain-soaked Wednesday evening coming as a complete surprise, the themes and dividing lines that have defined the Conservatives and Labour’s campaigns have not.

While the Conservatives have faced ridicule for their 14-year record, fueling significant anti-Conservative rhetoric across the country, Labour have consistently been questioned on their alleged opaque plans for Government, and what they envision for the future of the country should they take power.

But how has the wider online conversation and press coverage evolved since the first week of campaigning to today? What topics captured the interest of political reporters and the voting public, and which media platforms shaped the narratives?

We analysed the UK General Election 2024 conversation across online and print news, TV, radio, and podcasts as well as X, Threads, Facebook, blogs, and forums, from 23 May – 1 July to examine these fluctuations as we head towards an historic decision for the UK.

Which topics have preoccupied the press and public, now and then?

Most mentioned topics

When laying out the top-mentioned topics during this last week against that of 23 – 29 May, conversation around the top ranked has intensified, while the remaining topics have not experienced dramatic changes since the initial General Election announcement.

NHS/Health remains a key consideration, making up 12.6% of discussion over the last week. Natural, perhaps, following major party pledges and public concerns surrounding the state of healthcare following the election.

A topic that started off top of the agenda in the press and on social media and has since fallen out of conversation drastically? Sunak’s National Service idea, which fell by 60%. Controversy has stayed with Sunak, however, with mentions of Sleaze jumping by 80% due to recent gambling scandals. This scandal has also spread to Labour.

While the first leadership debate, hosted by ITV on the 4 June, saw Sunak consistently stressing the ambiguity in Labour’s plans for tax, the junior doctors strikes, and curbing illegal immigration, Starmer focused on a need for Sunak to be ‘ashamed of the last 14 years.’

Flash forward to the last leadership debate hosted by the BBC just last week and the underlying messages remained the same. Sunak ramped up the rhetoric as he urged voters to ‘not surrender’ their pensions, taxes, or borders to Labour. Starmer, again, sought to associate Sunak with the last 14 years of Conservative Government, condemning him as ‘Liz Truss Mark II.’

Labour has managed to hold its lead over the Conservatives in polling, at around 20%, showing the party’s defensive strategy has paid off.

What topics are Labour and the Conservatives each associated with?

What topics are associated with each political party

Each party’s associations are shaped by their core political priorities, as shown in the above breakdown of conversation by Conservative and Labour. Conservatives prioritise National Service and Foreign Affairs, consistently scoring above 70, which is partly weighted by public criticism.

Labour has seen an uptick when it comes to housing, with mentions coming from a mixture of audiences – Labour candidates, and supporters of other parties. Yet, these mentions are still less than those from anti-Tory audiences.

Have the media and public been aligned on what matters?

Social vs News

Social and news data breakdown signals how the public and media (mis)aligned on what matters to them.

News coverage has focused on Tax, NHS, and immigration – issues that highlight contentious aspects of major party pledges, from Sunak’s proposed tax hike, to Reform UK’s immigration policies, and Labour’s latest NHS plans.

In contrast, the public’s interest, shown on social media, has focused on Foreign Affairs, Sleaze and the NHS, featuring speculation on Sunak’s early election call, and the growing calls for action from the Government.

Online conversations on the General Election today continue to lean towards news and political events. Channel 4’s TikTok dominance, particularly among young people, highlights its influence.

TikTok screengrab

With UK party leaders showing less visibility on TikTok compared to figures like France’s Jordan Bardella – who boasts 1.7M followers – it could be argued that there is less emphasis on populist styles of leadership for the majority of UK political parties.

Where this is markedly different – Reform UK. The party’s burgeoning impact in TikTok dialogues has challenged the traditional discourse dominated by major parties.

In fact, the return of Nigel Farage as leader of Reform UK, alongside Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey’s campaign stunts and serious focus on social care, has squeezed the incumbent Conservatives from both the left and the right throughout the 2024 General Election campaign.

This has the potential to redraw political boundaries as Farage may finally be elected as an MP in Clacton and the Liberal Democrats may return to become the third largest party in the Commons, removing many Conservatives from the blue wall.

Personality-focused campaigns can project messaging further into new audiences, providing beneficial, and unforeseen, impacts (if not on votes, as Farage has found in previous years, with no election to office).

Which outlets are leading the conversation and coverage now?

Most shared media outlets

The Guardian and the Mirror emerge as the top-shared media sources among the public – both left-leaning outlets. Notably, people frequently share articles from The Guardian to substantiate their opinions, often using them as evidence in debates.

The most engaged articles focus on questions around the timing of the General Election, and scrutinisation of Sunak’s representation throughout his campaign.

Tweet from Edwin Hayward

Meanwhile, right-leaning publications such as The Telegraph and GB News, previously outside the top ranks, have also emerged among the top credible sources. This is largely due to the growing social sharing by ex-Tories and Brexiteers who are keenly watching Reform UK’s rising influence.

Dr David Bull tweet

It was only October 2022 that Sunak promised to deliver ‘integrity, professionalism and accountability’ in Government while Starmer has consistently emphasised the importance of returning politics to the ‘service’ of working people. Whether these aspirations materialise after the election is a different question but no one can doubt the importance of this with the last few weeks, and years, in mind.

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

The scandals of the General Election 2024

The scandals of General Election 2024: How the D-Day and gambling controversies spread among audiences

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By Phoebe-Jane Boyd, Dahye Lee, and Ingrid Marin. 

While political experts predict a lack of enthusiasm from the public when it comes to voting on 4 July, there has been growing interest in the scandals of the UK 2024 General Election across the press and social media.

The big two controversies providing catalysts for column inches and social snarking? Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s early departure from this year’s D-Day celebrations, and the numerous political figures currently under investigation for gambling on the election date.

With no two scandals quite the same, we explore how each story reached audiences on different platforms and grew, analysing the UK General Election 2024 conversation across online and print news, TV, radio, and podcasts as well as X, Threads, Facebook, blogs, and forums, from 27 May – 27 June.

A disastrous D-Day for Sunak

Right at the beginning of the General Election campaign, Sunak walked out of D-Day celebrations in France to appear on ITV News. Despite the apology from the PM, this story hasn’t gone away, earning another mention during last night’s final Sunak vs Starmer BBC debate. But how did the story originally grasp the attention of reporters and potential voters?

Graph showing the spread of the D-Day scandal

Breaking down the D-Day conversation across different platforms shows that it was reporting from broadcast media that initially sparked interest in the D-Day scandal, with social media picking up the story and amplifying it to new audiences. Early broadcast clips proved perfect fodder for panels criticising Sunak, and for people to share on their social channels.

Camilla Pearce X post

While the D-Day scandal went quiet from 11 June across broadcast, press, and social media, it made a comeback on 21 June, propelled by Byline Times’ decision to circle back to the issue as part of its reporting on the use of veteran ID cards for voting.

Byline Times X post

Given the prominence issues like defence and security have had so far in this election campaign, Sunak’s mistake has ultimately been a gift to his rivals, leaving the stage clear for Keir Starmer to show leadership and patriotism.

However, Starmer has not been immune from scandal…

Bad bets placed by politicians

The betting scandal has dominated election campaigns as the run-up to the General Election rumbles into its final week.

Some quick context to the latest controversy: reporting started prior to last weekend, with parliamentary candidates Craig Williams and Laura Saunders, an unnamed Metropolitan police officer, and the Conservatives’ Director of Campaigns Tony Lee first implicated in the betting crisis. Nick Mason, the Conservative’s Chief Data Officer, was subsequently revealed to be under investigation by the Gambling Commission. According to a BBC report, 15 Conservative candidates and officials are now being investigated by the commission.

Nevertheless, the betting scandal is not contained to the Conservative party, as Labour revealed the suspension of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich candidate Kevin Craig following his admittance of betting against himself.

How Gambling Gate has evolved over time

In contrast to the D-Day scandal, the spread of this story shows the crucial role of social media in shaping a scandal’s narrative from its early stages, well before it gains mainstream attention.

Behind the early social peak on 12 June – a Channel 4 TikTok video breaking the news of the MP Craig Williams inquiry going viral (102k views to date).

Channel 4 TikTok

On June 19, social media swiftly circulated news of Williams’ alleged arrest on betting allegations, which was then backed by BBC coverage.

The revelations of additional Conservatives’ betting activities, coupled with Craig’s suspension from Labour on 25 June, furthered the narrative – gaining the attention of political journalists, and propelling the story into mainstream media outlets.

Over time, the scandal has captured the attention of both press news outlets and broadcast channels, both mirroring the narrative arc of the discourse happening on social media.

A lesson for the comms teams for each of the political parties vying for power at the 2024 General Election, perhaps: in the modern climate of interconnected media, crisis management has to start early in the cycle of a story, and across all platforms, before a scandal can spread.

Sunak and Starmer’s latest responses to the scandals

Last night, Sunak and Starmer drew the curtain on five weeks of intense campaigning in their final head-to-head television debate.

The D-Day and gambling scandals got early mentions, but weren’t the only controversies to feature in the latest clash.

Both Partygate and ‘Covid contracts’ were brought back into debate by Starmer – showing that while scandals can fall out of the public eye and press columns for a time, there’s always the possibility they will be weaponised at the most inopportune moments for those involved or implicated.

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

Retail Week event

How to raise your ESG profile to reporters and consumers in the retail sector

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A strong ESG strategy can strengthen your stakeholder relationships across all audiences, from consumers, to the media. But which sustainability stories will grab the attention of journalists, their readers, and secure customer loyalty for your brand?

Retail Week managing editor Stephen Eddie and data and insights director Lisa Byfield-Green led Vuelio event ‘Raising your ESG profile: Insights and strategies for success’ on Wednesday evening, 20 June, at Vinoteca City.

Topics covered during the session included which stories the public are more likely to engage with when it comes to ESG; what journalists want to write about; and exactly how much of an impact personal values have on purchasing decisions and brand buy-in.

What ESG stories do consumers want to know about?

To provide context on what content audiences want to see on sustainability, Stephen and Lisa pointed out the importance of first understanding their buying habits. In 2024, it’s complicated:

Context on consumer habits – the bad…

Are consumers’ own ethics as solid as those they demand from retailers? Not quite.

‘We might want to do the right thing as consumers, but affordability is an unavoidable issue,’ said Lisa. ‘Due to the cost-of-living crisis, price takes precedence.’

Lisa Byfield-Green, Retail Week

Stephen also highlighted the ‘say/do’ disconnect in consumer behaviour. Vinted and Shein – two companies at different ends of the sustainability scale – are both incredibly popular with consumers. Strange, considering the modern focus on climate change? Not so much, said Stephen:

‘Price and value still often trump values’.

…and the good

While financial insecurity has pushed the popularity of fast fashion chains up over the last few years, it has also had positive impacts on carbon-reducing consumer behaviour:

‘The cost-of-living crisis has made us more sustainable, with the rise of capsule wardrobes, buying accessories instead of a whole new outfit, shopping on Vinted. Consumers are thinking more about the lifecycle of products now,’ said Lisa.

Put your best people forward

‘Authenticity is vital, and consumers – and reporters – have a nose for when something is inauthentic,’ said Stephen.

‘People like people – offer media interviews. They do well for Retail Week, and on social media. Who in your business can tell your story well? Put them forward for articles, and awards.’

Stephen Eddie, Retail Week

‘Your colleagues and customers will be more engaging to the audience than announcements about your policies. Have spokespeople ready who can cut through the jargon.’

The challenges, alongside the successes

‘There is complexity around how to measure ESG KPIs,’ said Lisa.

‘A lot of businesses are still in that journey. If you are – communicate that to customers; they’ll want to know about it.’

While retailers proudly announce their achievement of B Corp status – brands who have this include Fat Face, Aesop, and The White Company – few admit failing to secure it. Stephen posed that this would be an interesting story for readers – what will the retailer do next to secure the certification?

‘It’s powerful to know what progress is being made,’ added Lisa. ‘People want to hear about it. Don’t wait until you have all the answers – share the little steps.’

Other stories the public will want to read about… but you won’t want to share…

‘Greenwashing has made retailers nervous to make commitments,’ shared Lisa.

A consequence of the rise of greenwash-shaming in the press and from consumers is an accompanying rise in greenhushing – retailers quietly deleting ESG promises from their websites when goals haven’t been met.

Transparency is how to secure loyalty and trust – Lisa highlighted Nobody’s Child’s canny choice to share sourcing and supply chain details for its products:

‘The brand is already ahead of incoming legislation around this. It will drive loyalty, that it’s a sustainable business. It’s good marketing’.

What is Retail Week interested in sharing with its readers?

Unusual stories

An example from Stephen – House of Hackney’s decision to legally appoint ‘Mother Nature’ and ‘Future Generations’ to its board of directors secured the brand a Q&A in Retail Week. The unusual and unexpected will grab the attention of reporters, and their readers.

First movers

‘As ever, the newer something is, the more newsworthy it is,’ said Stephen.

‘Being a first mover means getting a reputation for being a leader in the industry. Reporters will want to follow the next step you take.’

Retailer team-ups

‘Establish partnerships if you share suppliers already – no one is competing when it comes to global warming,’ Lisa said, using the June 2023 teaming of B&Q, Screwfix, Bunnings, and The Home Depot to reduce Scope 3 emissions as an example of an interesting story, and an important collaboration.

‘If you can’t do it yourself, be part of a team – it will have more impact,’ added Stephen.

Contributions for sections outside of the news pages

‘It’s not just about the news,’ said Stephen.

‘Contribute to columns – but don’t be too salesy. Offer interviews, chances for us to sit down with a CEO – don’t gate-keep the talent.’

‘Case studies, reports, and people lists are other great ways to tell your story, and they have a great tail – readers will go back to them.’

 

Get in touch to learn how the Vuelio Media Database and ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service can help you connect with retail journalists across broadcast, national and regional press, as well as consumer and trade publications.

Newsrewired panel 2024

The rise of AI in journalism and its impact on PR

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Could the use of AI have an impact on the relationship between journalists and PRs?

This year’s Newsrewired conference featured several panels discussing AI and the benefits it can bring to journalism. Here is how journalists are using AI already, and what this could mean for PR.

Fact-checking and misinformation

The rise of misinformation is a continuing problem for journalists to contend with. Charlotte Maher, social media editor at Bellingcat, explained its impact on politics:

‘In regards to deep fakes in election periods, something that we’ve seen – which is a very worrying trend – is the rise in deep fake audio. Video and imagery – there’s a lot of tools out there and more data to analyse in the video and images. With audio, it’s a lot harder.’

To combat this, various AI tools and programmes have been and continue to be developed to aid journalists fact-checking information and identifying manipulated images or repurposed content. Charlotte Maher recommended GitHub as a platform, full of open source, easy to access tools.

Impact on PRs: Journalists are now more cautious when putting content into print or online. To be seen as trustworthy and reliable to the media, be ready to back up sources or statistics included in press releases to set yourself apart.

Being able to give journalists an exclusive case study or information will be more likely to result in coverage. Repurposed or recycled material is not as useful to journalists, as it can include misinformation.

Winning back time

Regional publisher Newsquest has developed an in-house tool to draft articles based on trusted information from verified sources. However, there is always a human at the beginning and end of the news cycle. Jody Doherty-Cove, head of editorial AI at Newsquest, spoke about how this benefits the editorial process:

‘Around 3,500 AI assisted news articles are published across Newsquest each month, and we’re reinvesting that won-back time into our newsrooms, allowing journalists to get back out into their communities and focusing on specialisms, like getting back into court’.

Impact on PRs: Regional and local editorial teams have been getting smaller and smaller in the past few years. Journalists at this level have less time to engage with PRs as a result.

If other publishers follow Newsquest’s example, and win back more time for reporters to get out to cover stories, this could mean more engagement with PRs, and an increase in coverage of community news initiatives, as well as local projects and events.

Help with vertical video

Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are becoming increasingly popular with younger audiences as a way to consume news. However, there are still comparatively few journalists using these social media sites as a way to promote their journalism.

Sophia Smith-Galer, a freelance journalist who has previously worked for the BBC and Vice, is a pioneer of TikTok journalism, with over 500,000 followers on the platform, plus over 250,000 on Instagram. Using this expertise, Sophie trained an AI tool (called Sophina) to help write viral video scripts for journalists:

‘Current AI tools don’t do what we want them to do. We don’t know the training data, for example, on ChatGPT. I wanted to build an ethical tool where you knew the knowledge base was being used consensually.’

Impact on PRs: An increasing number of journalists will be using TikTok and Instagram in the future and will need press materials to work in a vertical video format.

Make sure what you’re offering journalists is adaptable to fit into various formats. As well as how it could work in print and online, think how it could appear in a TikTok video or an Instagram reel. This is particularly important for product placement or general product review articles you’re aiming to feature in.

Connect with journalists directly via the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service and Vuelio Media Database.

Want to know more about pitching to the media? Download the Vuelio white paper ‘How to pitch to journalists’, covering national press, consumer media, trade outlets, and freelancers.