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Monday, June 24, 2013 
We all find reasons for not delivering things from time to time. And technology is often blamed as a barrier. So how would you fancy running a press conference from Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles: virtually...
Scotland’s island councils celebrated the the successful launch of the ‘Our Islands – Our Future’ campaign via the notoriously challenging method of video conferencing.
Saturday, June 22, 2013 
Public relations emerged in Britain in the first world war. But what would the pioneer of the field make of comms today?
The media landscape of today could hardly be more different to the one Basil Clarke faced when he became the UK’s first public relations officer in 1917.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013 
We like Jo Smith. She's one of life's great people who really knows her stuff. So nine months into her career as a solo public relations operator in the West of Scotland here are some things that have struck her.
by Jo Smith
It’s nine months since I put years as a full time public sector desk-jockey behind me and set up as a freelance PR consultant.
Going solo isn’t for everyone. But it seems to be working for me. Here’s what I’ve discovered so far...
Friday, June 14, 2013 
Hello. Can you hear us? We work in pr and we've been waiting for a decent system to evaluate. We've been waiting for some time so we've decided to come up with our own. Okay with you?
There has long been an understanding in the PR industry that we need to evaluate our achievements and impact. We get this. We know it's critical to evaluate to help us learn and improve, demonstrate our value to our internal stakeholders and report back how investment has made a difference to business objectives. We also know there isn’t one single measure that will do this for us but a balanced scorecard approach looking at our performance over a range of metrics is the way to go. (Check out the Barcelona Principles for background on this.)
Monday, June 10, 2013 
Oh, the withering put down and the verbal jousts over minor issues. It seems to one experienced reporter that press officers are changing. That's when he can find one...
As a junior reporter, I remember there were four words I used to dread hearing tumble down the phone line from antagonistic press officers: “That’s not a story”.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013 
The best jokes are often actually great stories. A great story can stay with you forever. And a good storyteller can captivate an audience. So can we embrace storytelling in more of our own communications?
GUEST EDITOR: Helen Reynolds 
Storytelling is a skill that communications people can utilise to really boost their creativity.
I’ve gathered some links in one place to give us a boost – they inspired me and so thought I’d share them in this post. But first…
Thursday, May 9, 2013 
Ever thought of using a focus group? Neither had this comms officer. The results were surprising...
I must admit that I’ve always been a bit sceptical about focus groups. Yes, they might give an indication of public opinion and yes, they give your work some ‘real life’ legitimacy but look at the downsides: they are bound to be a self-selecting, self-opinionated group of busybodies. At best, they will give you opinions that don’t really match the way you want to take your work forward and, at worst, they’ll tell you how to do your job.
So, it was with some trepidation that I approached my boss’ ‘suggestion’ that I run some focus groups to help the development of our residents’ magazine.
Saturday, April 20, 2013 
It's a tough time to be in public relations. The landscape which has changed forever is just as tricky for agencies. Here is what one senior figure has to say:
Every PR agency will tell you they’re different.
We measure success for clients differently, boast a unique team of people, are the most creative, can implement a media campaign like no other, turn water into wine and back again.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013 
So, appointing a manager with a history of making comments about fascism was never entirely a smart move. But did Premiership Sunderland make a tricky situation that bit harder?
by Eva Duffy
Last Monday was never going to be an average day in the office for communications manager Louise Wanless.
That Saturday her employers, Sunderland Association Football Club, had sacked The Nicest Man in Football™ Martin O'Neill after a defeat to Manchester United, the club’s eighth game without a win which saw the team precariously balanced just above the relegation zone.
The announcement of Paolo Di Canio as the new manager was always going to mean a challenging time for the club’s press office. Even as a player, controversy was never far. Most infamously, in 1998 he earned universal condemnation, an 11-match ban and a £10,000 fine when he pushed a referee during a Sheffield Wednesday fixture against Arsenal, a game I attended and left with a memory of the collective gasp of shock that reverberated around the stadium as the ref toppled backwards in slow motion.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013 
Fed-up of working for an organisation? Fancy setting-up on your own? Before you do take a look at these pearls of wisdom achieved the hard way by someone who has spent four years as a freelancer.
With four years under my belt spent failing as a business owner, I feel amply qualified to share with you the experiences of a freelancer.
It’s not that all freelancers have an aptitude for failure - far from it. Yet perversely, what with there being so much good in failing repeatedly as a gateway to success, it’s hardly a badge of negativity being in the glass half-empty camp.
Sunday, March 17, 2013 
There's been a discussion recently on the future of communications and pr. But as this post shows it's also wrapped up in the future of journalism too.
When invited by Dave Windass, leader of the FdA in Digital Media Journalism and BA (Hons) Journalism & Digital Media courses at Hull School of Art and Design to address a conference - Journalism Day - on the future of journalism some weeks ago, I thoughtlessly said 'yes'. I said yes because Dave's a really top bloke, and we try to support him when we can, because I'm mostly happy to help, and I assumed it was to be a low-key local affair.
Two days before the 'gig', I found out I was closing the show, and following Martin Bell, Alastair Brett (the former Legal Director of Times Newspaper Ltd) political journalist David Torrance, and BskyB's senior news editor Dave Betts, and frankly it all got a bit 'squeaky bum time', as I believe Manchester’s old people say.
Friday, March 15, 2013 
Apprentices are an increasingly important asset in the workforce, and maybe more than ever for the PR industry.
by Stuart Baird
One of the most rewarding aspects of my work in the media and public relations over the last 20 years is seeing new starters grow in confidence, take more and more responsibility and then go on to greater and better things. And that is why I and my organisation are supporting National Apprenticeship Week between 11 – 15 March.
My employer, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust (LPT) has recruited 140 apprentices since 2009 and more than 75% have remained with us for fixed term or permanent roles. Roles have included healthcare, business administration, finance, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and school nurse assistants. And crucially for me, public relations and communications.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013 
Never let it be said that we're not a broad church. Prompted by the debate around the future of press releases one press officer has written this defence of the channel.
by Kam Mistry
In a world obsessed with social media I’ve been asked to scribble a few words, well a few hundred words, in defence of the press release. Some argue that the ability to tweet and blog instantaneously means that traditional channels and methods are redundant – newspapers’ days are numbered. This is far from the case, and the press release as a tool in the professional communicator’s kit is far from humble.
True, twitter and other social media allow us to get messages out quickly, and as someone who works in local government I have found it invaluable, especially when we need to get messages out promptly, for example during flooding, heavy snow or during emergencies. People trust the information we provide, because it comes from a trusted source – and trust is important with all forms of communication.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013 
There's a stack of disciplines that comms people can learn from. Not least the art of online community building. It takes time. And effort. And simply building it doesn't mean they will come. But as the web increasingly becomes a channel for everything - not just comms - these are skills to look at.
1. You must have a community manager. You absolutely must have someone who wakes up worrying about your community every morning.
2. Your community must have a purpose. Your community must have a purpose that matters to the people you’re trying to reach. You shouldn’t be creating the purpose, you should find a purpose a lot of people care about and build a community around it.
Saturday, January 26, 2013 
Right across the public sector there are tough budget decisions being made. Some will make more noise than others but how do you give a voice to ordinairy people alongside the voice of a powerful lobby?
In November, Newcastle City Council launched a consultation on its 2013-16 budget.
Like other local authorities across England we found ourselves faced with some awful choices to balance the books.
