James Hurley

People Want real Change - Sunak v Starmer: Green groups call on broadcasters to ensure climate change features in TV debates: https://lnkd.in/eqxDwp3N #elections #UK #UKelections #TVdebates #climatechange

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Thanks to John Johnston for the POLITICO Europe London Influence story on the training gap between white PR Professionals and those from BME backgrounds. The Chartered Institute of Public Relations State of the Profession survey showed that white practitioners are: - more likely to have received training in the previous 12 months (81% vs. 74%) - are more likely to have agreed training needs with managers - and are less likely to have had requests for training turned down (36% vs. 47%).   This represents statistically significant gap in the training experiences and opportunities of UK BME PR professionals compared to their white colleagues. Not only is training vital for an individual’s progression, and internal profile, as it can shape how an employer views their ability and seniority, lack of access can impact overall achievements as well as retention - a key point brought up by Matthew Otubu. And based on previous research and people's lived experience, it’s also a red flag for other missed work opportunities and unspoken barriers to fairness and inclusion. Sadly the training gap is not surprising but it is unacceptable and, in an age of skills shortages, inexcusable. #PR #Comms #DiversityandInclusion #Training https://lnkd.in/eCZypZM8

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Tons of insight here into #newsletter strategy from Jon Connell of The Knowledge, including how trying to overdeliver can end up putting audiences off. Crucially though, I think the key takeaway is that even with a history of successful product launches in legacy media behind them, the Knowledge team is approaching a newsletter business with an experimental mindset https://lnkd.in/edeUkBVR #newsletters #mediabusiness #podcasts

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Congratulations to all the nominees at this year's British Podcast Awards. There are undoubtedly some interesting shows in the mix, and I hope that they use the nomination as a big professional springboard. But... By my - back of a fag packet, admittedly - calculations, 30% of this year’s nominees at the British Podcast Awards were produced or distributed by the BBC (48 of 162 show nominations). A single publisher representing almost a third of nominations is monolithic, and this is without most of its radio shows which are repackaged as podcasts. That's a massive bloc for most creators to compete with, and that's before even thinking about what Global, Sony, Amazon etc are doing in the marketplace (spoiler alert: taking up a lot of the remaining 114 nominations). The awards are under no obligation to recognise creative diversity. I wouldn't want them to patronise smaller podcasters or networks. And it's hard to know whether the homogeneity of the list is a product of jurors lack of omnivorous consumption, or the fact that independent publishers are not submitting to the awards (possibly a function of the very steep increase in the costs). There are some omissions from this list that are so glaring that I have to assume that the shows/companies didn't submit for consideration. Maybe I'm being too jaded. Full disclosure: Podot only submitted one show this year, and it wasn't nominated (we submitted into the Wellbeing category, which is a bad fit anyway). But inevitably the British Podcast Awards will come to represent a Best in Class list of UK podcasting, especially for those outside the narrow industry walls. I have to say, I look at some of those categories and I struggle – as a critic and consumer, rather than creator – to believe that these shows really represent the best of the business.

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The impacts of the strengthening blizzard of noise/misinformation mean corporate decision makers are increasingly reliant on trusted sources to inform their future direction. Day in day out the FT delivers a level of accuracy that meets this requirement.

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I first wrote on the subject of a coming “convergence” of internal and external communication more than 10 years ago.  It keeps coming up, like it did in Sophie Drummond’s piece titled "Rest In Peace, Internal Communication" in the newly resurrected EACD publication, Communication Directors Magazine (link in comments). Sophie makes a lot of solid points.  I don’t disagree, but I bristle at the idea that it’s internal communication that needs to be subsumed into external communication, a conclusion some might jump to if skimming her piece.  In fact, I’d argue the opposite, that internal communication should be seen as a fundamental driver of external communication - and as a discipline with its own distinct dynamics and leverage. Nevertheless, it’s also long overdue for today’s #internalcomms practitioners to get their heads around why the distinction between internal and external comms is becoming more permeable - and a lot more dynamic. My latest post on the Changing The Terms Blog: Internal Comms and External Comms are not the same. And never will be. https://lnkd.in/ercBY_Kq

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A big thank you to Maja Pawinska Sims at PRovoke Media for covering the 2024 edition of my 'Reputation, Risk and Resilience' report, which I released yesterday. You'll find access links to an overview and to the full report in the comments. I'd love to hear people's views on these crucial, interlocking issues. If there is one sentiment that seems to have resonated almost universally it is this: that with the right mindset, preparation and action, leaders can use risk management, crisis preparedness and resilience-building as sources of huge positive value, rather than viewing them as irksome, costly insurance policies. I'll be running interactive primer sessions and practical deep-dive workshops, exploring how to apply the report’s findings to individual organisations. Just get in touch if you’d like to hear more. https://lnkd.in/eKGU5cT3 #trust #risk #resilience #reputation #crisiscommunications #publicrelations #pr #crisismanagement #riskmanagement #leadership #management #communications #business #marketing

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Just in case you missed it, my latest short story ‘The Way of the Chapels’ available to read for free in the Worlds Within: https://lnkd.in/eRGUyWn6 #amwriting #dystopia #fantasy #shortfiction #shortstories

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With the UK General Election taking place this week, we've put all our analysis and in-depth coverage of what we can expect - and what the industry wants to see - from a new government in one place. Just head to our homepage, and take a read of our range of articles, including a 'charter' of the key things that any new approach to #PPP will require, what the first priorities should be on #infrastructure, and a podcast where we discuss the parties' manifestos. Here's our top story on the issue: https://lnkd.in/ehGpVjK6

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My big offering on World Mental Health Day is this eye-opening conversation with the superb James Scurry on the Journalism.co.uk podcast, who expertly unpicks the big misconceptions when reporting on mental health. The top line: the news industry is about a decade behind the latest literature on mental health. It largely continues to publish inaccuracies, pedal myths and put its head in the sand when it makes these mistakes. News reporting must hold itself to higher standards and current thinking. It must do better when talking about such complex and delicate issues. Not just for general news audiences, but for the people actually living with these conditions. How? Tune in here, I would love your thoughts.

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How do you make the news when you're not actually that important? Ask Ed Davey. The Lib Dems could have easily been lost in this election campaign. No poll suggests that the party has a real shot of being anywhere near Government, Brexit has receded as an issue, and there are plenty of "small party fireworks" going on with Reform and the Greens. But they haven't been lost at all - and have actually gained some vote share. Here's how the strategy has worked. 🥉 Situational awareness. Lib Dem strategists know this is not an election like 2010 where they could decide the Government. They know that the media could easily squeeze them out of stories as a consequence. Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer will always get some airtime simply by being the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition - the leader of the fourth largest party simply doesn't have that same right to coverage. 🏄‍♂️ Be good TV. The best way to counter getting squeezed out is to create media moments so intrinsically visually interesting that any editor won't be able to resist including them in a story - whether as a photo or as a clip. See Ed Davey bungee jumping today, or kayaking, or doing an interview on a fairground ride. Most politics imagery is fairly boring - men in suits talking - so the media are always on the lookout for something fresh, and Davey has delivered it. 🧡 Don't lose your heart. There is a risk to overdoing step two - becoming a clown, someone who will nakedly do anything for attention. Some may argue Davey has crossed that line, but I think he's stayed just shy of it. Part of that has been integrating messaging within the stunts: Today he asked voters to 'try something they haven't tried before' and vote Lib Dem before bungee jumping. More important has been a less flashy video the party released of Davey caring for his disabled son and talking about how this drives him. The big stunts hook viewers in; the personal narrative gives them something real to connect with. It might not win you an election, but it will certainly keep you from irrelevance.

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When you have five minutes, read this blog post about how to use embargoes and NDAs to give your PR an extra gear. Some very interesting tips #PRtips #NewsEmbargoes #NDA

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To capitalise or Not to Capitalise, that is the Question… Don’t worry I’ve got the answer in today’s video, as well as some common capitalisation mistakes that you may well be making. I know, I spoil you. Go to https://lnkd.in/dq-wdbyR to watch it. ✒️ ✍️✏️🖊️ I’m a copywriter for business, specialising in making boring copy-by-committee into engaging and interesting words that people actually want to read. Head to my website (link in bio) to find out more or to get in touch. #grammar #grammarlesson #grammarfornormalpeople #grammarmatters #copywriter #copywriterforbusiness #suffolkcopywriter #toneofvoice #capitalletters #propernouns #commonnouns #nouns

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According to PRCA research, PR leaders are getting bogged down by a lack of budget transparency. Here to guide you through the awkward money conversation is: Mark Stuart from Battenhall, Ben Smith from Wildfire, Amelia Clark from Capture Communications, Richard Bagnall, Hon FCIPR, FPRCA, FAMEC and Rebecca Broomfield (Cross) from Speed Communications How and when do you secure budget expectations from the client?

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Journalism needs a shift. It’s not a comfortable proposition for journalists, but we need to talk more about the work we do, how we do it, and why we do it. It’s no longer a self-evident truism that the value of good journalism is so intrinsic in our day-to-day work that it comes through consistently to the public and our community. It can be done in many ways. From being open about how we can always do better, to opening up the bonnet of the car, exposing our engine, and explaining how stories are put together. Here at The Straits Times we’re proud of many things, and one of them is the team led by Rod Pazos that puts together our many groundbreaking digital interactives and explainers. And this is a team that’s also opening itself up, putting our technical know-how out there to be shared. For those in the field, this is their website and how they do what they do: https://lnkd.in/gjbybHCa Feel free to look around our ST News Lab, get in touch and tell us what you think. One of the projects that the team has delved into, in explaining how it was put together is our recent interactive explaining the technique of our Olympian kitefoiler Max Maeder. It had some awesome 3D elements, and it’s well worth diving into. https://lnkd.in/gJT7afGT Over time, our newsroom will increasingly talk more about our stories in various ways, big and small. Look out for it, and maybe, even look out for an invitation!

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In the second article in EOS at Federated Hermes Limited's Q3 Public Engagement Report, Joanne (Jo) B. and George Watson explain how we engage with companies on water #stewardship, to address scarcity and quality issues. #ESG #nature #humanrights #biodiversity https://bit.ly/3AsXTQy

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