Future of Media Technology Conference 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Helping audiences find their community are platforms like Reddit:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What can’t be replicated by AI?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How the media is making use of data and metrics

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

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

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

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

Maintaining brand safety

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

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

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

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

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

Should AI bots be blocked to ‘protect’ publishing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to get press coverage in September 2025

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

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

Holidays are coming

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

What are journalists writing about in September?

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

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

Money issues a concern again

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

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

Which journalists are using ResponseSource for their Sept 2025 features?

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

Fitness in fashion

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

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

What journalists are asking for in September 2025

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

Other opportunities for PRs in September and beyond

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

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

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

Preparing for a cyber crisis

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

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

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

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

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

Lessons to learn from the 2025 summer of cyberattacks

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

Cyberattacks are on the rise

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

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

Cyber crisis versus crisis

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

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

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

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

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

Practical steps for planning your response

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

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

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

CEO statements: Always a solid comms strategy?

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

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

Extra complications to consider

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

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

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

Vuelio's approach to cybersecurity

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

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

The Evolving Threat

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

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

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

Demystifying the Solution

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vuelio’s Proactive Approach to Security

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

Our ISMS encompasses:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Key Takeaways for Your Organisation:

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

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

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

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

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

What are journalists writing about in August

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

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

Wellness is well-in

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

Top themes for August

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

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

AI and new tech’s impact

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

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

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

Gardening continues to grow strong

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

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

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

Other opportunities for PRs in August and beyond

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

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

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

Cyberattack Crisis Comms

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

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

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

This webinar explores:

  • Analysis of cyberattack crisis comms in action
  • Press and public reaction to recent breaches
  • Common pitfalls and pressure points to factor into your crisis strategy
Media monitoring what makes Vuelio different

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

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

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

1) A fully integrated communication suite

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

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

2) Automatically link coverage to your press releases

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

3) Create target media lists to reach the right audience

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

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

4) Make use of automatic unlimited tagging in-platform

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

5) Unlimited bespoke analytics

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

6) Going beyond traditional media

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

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

7) AMEC-accredited media insights

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

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

8) Hands-on support from the Vuelio team

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

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

Find out more about Vuelio Media Monitoring here. 

Why email is an effective part of comms strategy

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Cutting through with quality content

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

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

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

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

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

2. Email as part of a wider strategy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just remember to be careful…

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

3. Personalisation

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

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

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

4. Optimisation

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

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

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

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

5. Complying with regulation, not dicing with dodgy data

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

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

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

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

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

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

6. Making more of metrics

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

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

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

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

7. Human to human connection

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

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

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

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

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

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

Evergreen email

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10 Year Health Plan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to get media coverage in July

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

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

Summer at its peak

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

Top themes for July

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

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

Which journalists are sending requests?

The heat is on

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

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

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

School’s out (and straight back in!)

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

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

What are journalists asking for?

Other opportunities for PRs in July and beyond

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

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

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

Media trends for June

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

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

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

AI and cyber hitting the headlines

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

Top themes for June 2025

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

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

Father’s Day in focus

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

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

What journalists are requesting for June 2025

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

Peak season for travel

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

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

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

Which journalists are sending media requests for June?

Other opportunities for PRs in June and beyond

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

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

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

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

Newsrewired for PRs

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

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

Switching up the business model

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

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

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

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

Reflecting the audience in the newsroom

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

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

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

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

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

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

Embracing AI and new formats but staying vigilant

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AIinPR Breakfast Event

AI&PR Breakfast Event: AI’s impact on corporate communications

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What impact will the integration of artificial intelligence have on the corporate communications industry? This was just one of the questions tackled at a recent AI&PR Breakfast Event, which covered the pros and cons of AI and whether human comms professionals need fear the embedding of this emerging technology.

The event featured a rich panel of industry experts including Plum’s head of communications Rajan Lakhani, PR and journalism technologist Samantha Deeks, and MaximumPC Magazine’s former editor-in-chief Guy Cocker, who shared insightful, practice-led outlooks on the future of corporate communications in an AI-driven world.

The world of corporate and media communications is fast-moving, with no two days, campaign releases, or media coverage quite the same. Each day is to be viewed with a new set of eyes and, in an AI-powered world, a new perspective as well.

When asked what developments they’ve seen in AI that have changed the communications industry, Guy highlighted a shift from eye-catching magazine content focussed on cost-saving for the customer, to AI-centred messaging made to bring value to the reader.

Samantha added that communications teams are at greater risk now than ever before in the mishandling of, or poor training around, AI in the workplace. Organisations run greater risk of citing misinformation or compromising on the contextual quality that only they possess if they rely on AI to automate workflow. There was also a great emphasis on the sentiment of empowering teams to learn how to interact and prompt AI tools to extract the most valuable information in response. ‘What you put in is what you get out,’ said Samantha.

Rajan emphasised his shift in priorities when identifying suitable candidates for his growing team, thanks to the implementation of AI in his team’s workflow. Rajan’s priorities when looking for a potential new member for his team are now less on administrative or writing skills. With the promise that AI can take these responsibilities on, he places a greater emphasis on thinking ability, creative problem-solving, and cognitive capability for new ideas and innovation in the industry.

As the conversation drew to a close, the panel were asked what they felt PR professionals needed to focus on. The resounding sentiment rang loud and clear: organisations need to empower their members to work as effectively as possible with the help of AI.

Organisations should encourage their staff to take courses in order to understand the fundamentals of AI. In essence, AI should be seen as a tool, not a threat.

For more on AI’s impact on the creative industries so far, download our Vuelio reports ‘AI in beauty equals risk – and opportunity – for the PR & comms industry‘ and ‘When politicians talk about AI, is anyone listening? Innovation and regulation in the UK‘. 

How-to-build-a-stakeholder-strategy-according-to-the-experts

How to build a stakeholder strategy, according to the experts

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In today’s always-on environment, there are seemingly infinite external influences surrounding the people that we need to connect with. And whether your organisation seeks to make a mark on the political agenda, or manage your reputation in the media, connections with stakeholders matter.

If stakeholders are key to successful outcomes, how do we build, protect, and grow lasting and reliable relationships with them?

Vuelio’s latest webinar ‘How to build a stakeholder playbook’ sought to answer this question with insight from an expert panel line-up. Joining host Kelly Scott, VP – Government & Stakeholder at Vuelio, was JFG Communications’ founder and CEO Jo Field; Cadent Gas media manager and crisis comms leader Stephanie Van Rosse; British Transport Police external affairs lead Katie Stanton; and Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) head of engagement Jen Pufky.

Watch the full webinar here.

The first point tackled concerned roadblocks to clear when starting on a strategy:

The challenges of developing a solid stakeholder strategy

JFG Communications specialises in stakeholder engagement for the transport and infrastructure sectors, but also spans public, private, and third sector organisations, from large companies to small industry bodies staffed by volunteers.

‘There are some challenges that I see consistently across the board,’ shared Jo.

‘The first one is how to identify, and then engage your stakeholders in this rapidly changing external environment that we find ourselves in now. For example: the current shifting political and geopolitical context, changing attitudes to net zero and equality, diversity and inclusion.

‘You have a myriad of social media channels, influencers, and AI, so the challenge is how do you keep up with who your stakeholders are? What do they think about your organisation and the environment it operates in? And also how do you actually engage them? Why should they listen to you, amid all the other information they are receiving?

Another challenge is making the case to our own organisations for the value of the work that we do. And the financial challenge of ensuring that you have enough budget to dedicate to engagement. I would argue that investment in your stakeholder strategy is essential.’

Fighting to be heard by the people that matter

The Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) is a not-for-profit with a huge and varied membership, bringing together stakeholders in politics, academia, and industry. How does the organisation secure media coverage among so many campaigning – and competing – voices?

For Jen, three elements stand out:

‘It’s our values that drive our engagement work. We’re a values-driven organisation, and we have been for the last 40 years, We’re driven by our commitment to enhancing and supporting local democracy.

‘That reputation, that history, means that when we are out and engaging with stakeholders – whether that’s press relationships, political relationships – it’s not just going to be a quick hit; securing that exclusive and then not keeping in touch.

‘For us, it’s very much about the longevity, and the trust in building those relationships’

‘Everything that we do is also grounded in research, and driven by our members’ experiences and insights. That carries a significant amount of weight with the range of stakeholders that we’re engaging with.

‘For the past 12 years, we’ve produced an annual benchmark of the state of local government finance; it’s now built into the calendar year, and stakeholders know to expect it.

‘Lastly, it’s about genuinely being useful and relevant to the stakeholders that you’re communicating with. For example, this cohort of new MPs – they want to know what the research means for their constituency.

‘For regional press, we split our annual research by region and then targeted the press that way. It’s about making your outreach relevant to ensure that your engagement is distinct.

‘Sometimes it’s about bringing your competitors into the room and being a facilitator, the convener. In this changing landscape, that’s increasingly important.’

Engaging all of your stakeholders, even the ‘quieter’ ones

British Transport Police (BTP) also has a swathe of stakeholders to consider and engage, with a national remit to police the railway across England, Scotland, and Wales. Stakeholders include the Scottish, Welsh, and UK governments, local authorities, train operators, and infrastructure owners, like Network Rail, HS1 Transport for London (TfL), and freight companies.

‘We have a unique relationship with the rail industry. We have a national remit, we aren’t funded by the taxpayer, we don’t have a police and crime commissioner. We have to strike a balance – they have their priorities as an industry, and we also have our responsibilities as a police force towards public protection, and independence.

‘It’s very much our role to manage expectations and communicate that balance.

‘When it comes to managing so many of them, we do the traditional methods of stakeholder mapping, influence, and interest. Also, making sure there’s a drumbeat of communications engagement – we’re always plugged in with them.

‘They’re all individual organisations with their own strategies and objectives, so when they’re talking to us about our performance, it’s good to have those in mind and to acknowledge what’s in it for them.

‘We also leverage our internal colleagues – having such a broad organisation means internal stakeholder management is just as important when you are looking to engage with external stakeholders.

‘Nine times out of 10, if another organisation wants to talk to BTP, they want to speak to someone in uniform – they’re the ‘operational experts’. Our role is to make sure that our internal colleagues are equipped to have those conversations.

‘We are not just stakeholder communications, we’re stakeholder managers. So we’re really managing how we talk to them, getting to know them, and making sure that they are receiving two-way engagement from us, rather than just a communication.’

Reviewing the impact of your engagement

Cadent Gas is the largest gas distribution company in the UK, responsible for around 11 million homes and businesses. It supplies gas across the UK, from the North West down to London, the East of England to the Welsh borders. This broad spectrum of stakeholders, from the political to the media side, all have different interests.

‘At certain times, we need to target certain stakeholders,’ shared Stephanie Van Rosse.

‘What are they interested in? What do we need to be telling them? Why will they be interested?

‘It’s about continuously reviewing your strategy, what you’re doing. I know there are some people who don’t have any strategy at all, but you need to have an idea of why you’re talking to various stakeholders, what they’re interested in. What are those messages that you need to get across to them, to actually pick up and understand what you’re doing?’

Stephanie shared specific examples of Cadent Gas’s media engagement and where deep knowledge of stakeholders was vital:

‘We use local media to get the word out on local incidents. We have a really good relationship with them, but suddenly there was a bad story about an incident in North London. We were on it straight away – that’s the importance of monitoring, keeping an eye out for who is saying what. And then you have to make that judgment call of how much reputational damage will this piece do?

‘For this one, we found it was significant enough for us to say “you’ve got it wrong. This is not what actually happened”. We need to be robust in our answers in the utility industry, otherwise reputation could be damaged. It’s going in there and talking to the journalist, and if necessary, escalating to an editor and asking for a retraction.

‘It’s about not being afraid to do that, and building those relationships with stakeholders.’

For advice on stakeholder engagement, download Vuelio guide ‘The fundamentals of stakeholder strategy’.

Jo Field would love to connect on LinkedIn, and welcomes more detailed conversation via email at [email protected]. More information can also be found on the JFG Communications website.

How to build a stakeholder playbook

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The UK has seen big change over the past year – a new government & policy agenda, a difficult economy, civil unrest and media storms triggered by public outrage online.

Managing reputation and relationships in this environment requires a strong stakeholder strategy, but how do you build one that can weather potential storms and unforeseen influence?

Vuelio and an exceptional panel of experts shared top tips on building a stakeholder playbook that’s fit for today’s media ecosystem.

This webinar explores:

  • How to map the needs, expectations, and impact of different stakeholders
  • What hotspots to avoid to manage risk
  • When to initiate and develop valuable partnerships with influential stakeholders

The new news audiences

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The role, and nature, of news and journalism is constantly evolving, from the ways it is consumed to which voices are trusted. As the media ecosystem we inhabit accelerates, a vital discipline like journalism presents challenges for society, for news media organisations, and for the PRs, marketers and comms pros who need to navigate it.

We’ve analysed hundreds of thousands of media and social data points to better understand the perception of modern journalists and journalism brands, the audiences on the receiving end of news, and the myriad channels and platforms which today mediate the flow of information between the two.

How has citizen and independent journalism across platforms like TikTok & podcasts impacted the way news spreads? How are global news brands and local journalists each impacted by transformational forces, and how does a single piece of journalism spread across media, platforms and audiences?

In this webinar, we reveal our findings, and discuss what the shifting landscape means for the brands, organisations, and individuals entering it.

Building a stakeholder strategy

Building your stakeholder strategy

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Stakeholders come in many forms, from MPs, to local councillors, reporters, to experts within your industry. Also varied and potentially confusing – the relationships you and your organisation will have with each type.

With so many elements involved, a reliable stakeholder management solution can be the difference between successful campaigning and relationship-building, and a myriad of missed opportunities.

Not sure how stakeholder management can help you and your organisation? Here is a practical guide to the specific ways Vuelio Stakeholder Relationship Management can provide support, whether your niche is PR and comms, public affairs, politics, or a mix of all three.

What is a stakeholder?

“A person with influence or interest in a project, enterprise or Policy.”

A stakeholder is any group, organisation, or individual who can impact – or can be impacted – by your activity. More simply: these are people that have a stake in the execution/outcome of your project/operation.

From the position of an external comms team, stakeholders are often segmented into one of three categories:

  • Political/Government stakeholders: This includes MPs, local councillors, civil servants, and Lords. Don’t forget the teams that surround political stakeholders who are key to working with them in an effective way.
  • Media stakeholders: The media means the press, including newspapers, magazines, trade titles, and broadcasters. But this also increasingly includes digital media, like podcasters, TikTokers, and other social media influencers with extensive and dedicated followings.
  • Industry/expert voices stakeholders: Often industry stakeholders or expert voices/academics will have the ear of political and media stakeholders, so as well as being powerful advocates for your objectives, they can be used for building relationships with other stakeholders.

To note: Although we can segment or categorise our stakeholders, they connect with each other and can be influenced by each other. This is an important factor when choosing how to engage and communicate with them individually.

Not all stakeholders are equal

Creating your stakeholder strategy

Before thinking of engaging, it’s important to have the basics in place:

  • Mapping stakeholders
  • Choosing a model
  • Using your model and monitoring tools to measure stakeholders
  • Remember that internal relationship owners need mapping, too

Effectively mapping your stakeholders means you will have all the necessary engagement strategies in place should they react or an opportunity presents itself to build a relationship. Stakeholder management is pre-emptive discipline.

Mapping: Building a criteria

Influence interest matrixTo analyse the influence and interest of your stakeholders, start by establishing a list of issues, industries, or activities to measure their interest against.

To consider:

  • What industries do you operate in?
  • Are you part of a supply chain to another key sector?
  • What regions are you an employer in?
  • Are there legislative or policy initiatives that impact you?
  • Are you regulated?
  • Are you a public body with a specific remit?
  • Do you have a community relationship or responsibility?
  • Is there a competitive concern (for example, has a competitor behaved badly that impacts your brand?)

For more on mapping, download our Vuelio guide ‘The fundamentals of stakeholder strategy’.

Consider your team

With a clearer picture of your stakeholders in relation to topics/interests, it’s time to consider what internal factors will decide how you organise your stakeholders for engagement.

  • Will members of your team be responsible for a particular segment? (MPs, industry experts, the media)
  • Will team members be responsible for a particular region? (for example, all stakeholder groups in the North West)
  • Is there anyone working outside of your chosen SRM software responsible for key stakeholders? (for example, a chief executive responsible for direct engagement with ministers).
  • Does your team have topic specialisms aligned with stakeholder interests worth leveraging?

SRM software is about removing as many steps as you can from the entire process. This ensures your team can adopt with ease and you have a full picture of your stakeholder relationships.

Stakeholder outreach: How to stand out

Stakeholders are not waiting for your call – or are they? The most important question to ask when reaching out to a stakeholder is “What is in this for them?”

A relationship requires a two-way benefit, so what kind of things can you offer? How are you helping them?

  • Research and insight
  • Help to deliver a remit or responsibilities
  • Deliver a social value you can connect through
  • Align behind a shared challenge

‘We have a crisis’ – How do you make your stakeholders listen?

It might sound obvious, but engaging with stakeholders before you are in crisis will make a big difference when things happen outside of your control.

  • You will have built credibility with them.
  • Established communication pathways that work for both parties.
  • Have relationship owners that can facilitate difficult conversations.

Crisis mythbusting: With a noisy multichannel world, your stakeholders may hear things that you need to correct relating to your operation. This is the “new normal” and not to be mistaken as crisis comms. All year round a strong stakeholder strategy will ensure you can communicate with agility and accuracy without setting up a crisis war room or needing vast internal discussion or sign off.

Dealing with the unknown

The unknown is more expected than the known when it comes to external stakeholders. Your stakeholder map should constantly be evolving with:

  • Changes in government policy, bringing new stakeholders into play or removing ones who no longer have interest or influence
  • Topical media interest, a new editorial focus, or influential voice that opens up a need to develop media relationships around a specific focus
  • Campaigners and industry voices changing the dial, through research and campaign activities, interest in you or your need to comment can rise and change
  • Global events with national interpretation – the domino effect can distract our stakeholders from giving us attention, their interest may drop and we may need to rethink where our efforts are spent

Checklist for your stakeholder strategy

  • Map your stakeholders: Mapping your stakeholders with a model will help you communicate the need of external stakeholders internally and enable you to design appropriate communications pathways relevant to their interest and influence.
  • Empower your team: Institute an internal ‘playbook’ setting out a simplified approach to managing your stakeholders, including segment definitions, and explain why stakeholder management is necessary.
  • Build sensible lines to take: Stakeholder management can be time intensive. Consistency matters more than complexity. Your playbook should teach relationship owners the power of regular engagement before an issue arises.
  • Align your playbook with SRM software: Need to add some more in here
  • Plan for potential crises ahead: The unknown is the new normal, ‘War Gaming’ crisis planning should include a review of your stakeholder communications strategy.
  • Encourage quarterly reviews with internal relationship owners: How are we doing? Are we maximising relationship building opportunities? SRM reporting tools can help analysis progress with ease.
  • Double-check your data compliance and security: Storing crucial information on external relationships must meet compliance requirements . Ensure the methods or platform you use is ISO-accredited and GDPR-compliant.

Remember that stakeholder management is a long-term permanent endeavour that should evolve and grow with your strategic objectives, whatever they may be.

The earlier you begin, the more in control you’ll be.

How can Vuelio help?

  • SRM platform with fully integrated monitoring and data, ensuring your team are fully mobilised to manage stakeholder relationships effectively.
  • Single point of truth for relationship health, whether at organisation level or campaign/issue level. Inform senior decision making at a click of a button.
  • Empower relationship owners – Vuelio SRM was created with the simple objective of starting with the end in mind, bespoke set ups ensure we match your team’s workflow and support easy adoption.
  • Be ready for anything – in a world where the unknown is the new known, Vuelio SRM ensures you are ready to mobilise and learn in real time.

Download the full version of this guide ‘The fundamentals of stakeholder strategy‘ and find out more about Vuelio’s Stakeholder Relationship Management (SRM) tools here.

Finding and keeping an audience

How the media is winning back audiences in times of distrust

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In times of distrust, how can the media win back and grow their audiences? And how can the PR industry help?

At this year’s Society of Editors Conference, Newsquest’s editorial development director Toby Granville, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s acting editor Mitali Mukherjee, 5 News editor Debbie Ramsay, and The Sun’s director of digital (editorial) Will Payne offered their insight and advice. Here’s what you need to know:

Understanding the audience

News outlets are more focused than ever on understanding who their audience is. This has been a focus for 5 News, whose audience is largely older, with an average age of 61. Debbie Ramsay explained the benefits:

‘The channel has been growing for the last six years and 5 News last year had its biggest audience for six years. Our focus is on growing the audience, keeping them, and telling the stories in the right way for that audience – guiding them through, not berating them or patronising them or criticising them in our tone’.

Audience at Society of Editors conference

Newsquest, which has over 250 news brands and 27 daily newspapers, has print readers at an average age of 65 to 70, as explained by Toby Granville. This drops to about 45 for the 120,000 paid digital subscribers they have. For all of them, the focus is on being a trusted local news outlet:

‘We’ve focused on better front pages, higher local story counts, and news that’s actually relevant to the older readers’.

The impact on PRs: Be attuned to who a publication’s audience is. Print titles and broadcast media usually have an older audience, whereas online is where the younger readers will be. News outlets won’t publish your press release or feature your expert unless they appeal directly to their intended audience.

How audiences are accessing the news

The ways in which audiences access the news has also shifted, as Mitali Mukherjee explained:

‘We have seen extremely high engagement for video. Platforms like TikTok are doing quite well for young audiences. Facebook is making a return and YouTube is very strong.’

She revealed that in a survey of 50 countries, a third of them are approaching the news via social media platforms. At 5 News, Debbie makes sure there is content on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok every day.

The Sun has found success on YouTube:

‘YouTube is the one which it feels like it’s the most viable business model because it is a revenue share and they need your content,’ said Will Payne. ‘It’s definitely our most highly prioritised video platform, but then on TikTok we have 9.2 million followers. We use that to reach younger audiences and try to drive to hero products’.

The impact on PRs: Pitching to news outlets isn’t just about having interesting or relevant information – it also needs to be in the right format. With publishers increasingly using vertical video to reach and grow their audience, make sure that your contribution is going to work for that medium. Telling journalists that you have material which can work across a variety of platforms is more likely to get you media coverage. They will often produce the same piece of content in different formats e.g. for the paper, for the website, and for video.

An emphasis on local and the personal touch

Newsquest is building trust with its audience by emphasising that the organisation is part of the community, Toby shared. Local newsrooms are open, with between 50 and 55 across the country in town centres.

Mitali explained why local stories are resonating with readers:

‘The small local stories about how a bunch of young people or an entire community got together and saved a local park or built biodiversity back give people the affirmation that they can take action. These sort of stories really resonate and this is across countries and across newsrooms’.

Newsquest has also freed up time to spend on local stories and campaigns by hiring around 30 ‘AI assisted reporters’ to turn press releases into stories, leaving the rest of the newsroom able to get out and find original content.

At The Sun, the focus has been on putting journalists at the centre of the coverage and forming more of a personal relationship with the audience. Will said ‘we want people to see the personalities behind the content we’re producing, and we also see that this does give us a USP against mass-produced AI generated content, which will be more prolific in the coming months and years’.

The impact on PRs: A number of publishers are using AI to streamline their work and it’s likely more will follow suit, dealing with press releases in this manner. Make sure your press releases are clearer and more accurate than ever before.

The move towards a more personalised approach should make journalists more receptive to personal case studies and give PRs a better chance to make a connection.

Want more about vertical video, and how the media and comms industries are utilising AI? Check out Vuelio reports ‘TikTok journalism: The platform’s impact on news audiences‘ and ‘AI in beauty: How it equals risk – and opportunity – for the PR & comms industry‘. 

Media trends for April

Media trends: How to get UK press coverage in April

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Want to spring into action and make the most of media opportunities at the start of the season? The ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service had a high percentage of requests interested in covering Spring during March.

Read on to find out what other topics proved popular last month and what you can do to help journalists with their content in April.

On the hunt for Easter info

The Easter weekend is fast approaching and has been a focus for journalists throughout March. Over 3% of the requests sent last month contained the word ‘Easter’ – a 19% increase compared to this time last year.

A large majority of the requests have been for Easter eggs and gift guide information. However, there has also been a number of enquiries looking for activities for the school holidays and travel destinations to jet off to. Both ‘activities’ and ‘holidays’ received around 2% of the total requests in March.

Going forward? While there is less than two weeks until Easter, journalists will continue to be looking for last minute products to review, so have these ready. Plus, expect more requests around ideas for days out during the two week break. If you’ve got a travel expert with comment,  they could get featured in The Sun Online, Daily Mail, or Sheerluxe.

The endless possibilities of Spring

Seasonal requests are always popular on the Journalist Enquiry Service and that was the case in March as ‘Spring’ appeared in over 5% of all requests. This is nearly double the amount that we received last year.

It could have been due to extra requests around the Spring Statement/budget as journalists at 5 News, The Times, and Daily Express all sent enquiries on this topic. However, there was a wide variety of areas covered mentioning Spring, like spring cleaning product reviews, must have travel gadgets for Spring break, and recipes and cocktails.

Going forward? Spring will remain a popular keyword on the service throughout April and we are likely to see more requests around beauty, fitness, fashion, food, drink, and healthy living. Journalists tend to look for expert comment to accompany these articles and you could get featured in outlets such as HELLO!, Yahoo! Life, Prima, PA Media, and The Telegraph.

Gardening requests in full bloom

With Spring now here, we have seen a big increase in the amount of gardening requests with just under 6% of the total in March being for ‘gardening’. This is a 34% rise from this time last year and 45% increase from last month.

Journalists at Ideal Home, Metro, Homes & Gardens, and woman & home all sent gardening requests last month. The majority of these were for expert comment on topics including pruning grape vines, the dos and don’ts of composting and how to grow blueberries.

Going forward? Gardening was the top performing keyword in April last year and is likely to be again this year. Expert advice is usually what journalists are in search of so if you have relevant experts, you could get featured in a consumer magazine or national press title.

Other opportunities for PRs in April and beyond

With the London Marathon taking place at the end of April (Sunday 27), expect to see requests around ‘running’ and looking for experts to give tips on taking up the sport or running longer distances/preparing for a marathon. This cropped up in nearly 2% of enquiries in April 2024.

2.5% of requests in April last year contained the word ‘outdoors’ as journalists looked to get information on activities and days out as the weather improves, and we would expect to see that again this year. Plus, journalists looking to get ahead with their content start asking for Father’s Day gift guide products and over 3% of the total requests last April were for this. If you have products ready to review, there is more chance of media coverage in national and consumer press.

For more about how the Journalist Enquiry Service can help you secure coverage in the media, check out this explainer.

SRM vs CRM

Stakeholder Relationship Management versus Customer Relationship Management – which one is right for you?

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Stakeholders – be they current or potential customers, your workforce, your suppliers, or contacts in the political sphere – all need to be managed. However, managing each requires different levels of service and support.

This is where Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Stakeholder Relationship Management (SRM) tools come in. But what exactly are the key differences between them, and which one is right for you and your organisation?

What is Customer Relationship Management (CRM)?

CRM can be used to oversee and support the customer, or service user, journey from start to finish. It can do the same for staff, who also enter into contracts where both sides have certain expectations to be managed.

This tool is often used to provide automation and transparency for commercial and service-driven functions. For example, service agreement management, sales pipelines, or connections with financial departments.

CRM will have a specific activity type; even where there are different personnel points in the process, the customer is viewed as one.

Some organisations use CRM to manage their stakeholders, as it provides oversight for each side of the relationship, clear organisation and structure for each part of the external or internal contact’s journey with an organisation. SRM, in comparison, goes deeper…

What is Stakeholder Relationship Management (SRM)?

SRM software, in comparison to CRM, is designed to focus on the influence an individual, organisation, or community has on your objectives, and will provide support and customisation for managing the stakeholder relationship from the beginning.

It’s not just for organising your relationships, or tracking them; it’s a communications tool to support relationship management, targeting stakeholders in a variety of ways depending on what is required for each project or campaign. Unlike CRM, it will evolve with your organisation, just as your relationship with stakeholders will grow and change.

Unlike a customer journey that can be tracked from start to finish, your stakeholders’ influence can change depending on the topic, or crisis at hand. The system required for this needs to be able to view stakeholders through a variety of lenses, providing vital intel on the strength of the relationship in different scenarios and objectives.

Stakeholders can wear many different hats, and there is rarely an end goal to these relationships – they have more peaks and troughs than those with customers.

The benefits of SRM: Why CRM isn’t enough for managing stakeholder relationships

The differences between customers and other stakeholders are clear, so why do so many organisations still use CRM software to manage their stakeholder relationships?

Customer Management software can do the basics, but SRM software has the specifics.

The link between a stakeholder’s influence and your objectives makes stakeholder management uniquely useful. It enables a team to analyse forward – an early warning system for potential impacts further down the line.

With the landscape we work in never staying static, the influence of stakeholders wax and wane, creating new opportunities for engagement and a need for flexibility. Why is Stakeholder Relationship Management a better choice than Customer Relationship Management software? It’s as flexible as your stakeholders are.

Want help with creating your own stakeholder strategy? Sign up for our 8 April Vuelio webinar ‘How to build a stakeholder playbook’ featuring speakers from British Transport Police, Local Government Information Unit, Cadent Gas, and JFG Communications. 

You can also find out more about Vuelio’s stakeholder management and engagement solutions here.