Public Relations

The Peter Mandelson scandal is easy to treat as political theatre. Gordon Brown says it’s a system problem – abuse of power enabled by weak transparency. His fixes: public hearings, an anti-corruption commission with teeth, tougher lobbying rules and curbs on second jobs.

As geopolitical uncertainty grows, trust is retreating inward. The 2026 Edelman Trust Barometer shows how insularity is reshaping leadership, communication, and cooperation – and why leaders are now expected to broker trust, not force alignment.

In 2005, I joined fellow pioneers in Sunderland to explore blogging, RSS, and podcasting – long before ‘social media’ was a thing. Two decades on, I look back at that milestone event, the start of Don’t Panic Projects, and what it all meant for the new PR.

A global shift is underway in how authority speaks and citizens listen. As governments embrace new ways to engage, political newsfluencers are changing the rules – and communicators must balance reach with credibility and trust.

Embargoed press releases from strangers land in my inbox far too often, complete with demands to hold the news until a set time. But without a relationship, there’s no agreement. If you want your story treated with respect, build trust before you ask for favours.

Pope Leo XIV is making AI ethics a core focus of his papacy. This post explores what that means for all of us – and why communicators have a strategic role to play in shaping the narrative around AI, regulation, and digital responsibility.

Marks and Spencer’s month-long cyber crisis is now less about systems and more about communication, and how it can make or break reputation. With media scrutiny high and brand trust wavering, this post explores why communication has become a critical risk.

Washington PR veteran Phil Elwood joins David Yelland on the BBC's 'When It Hits The Fan' podcast to explore how public relations has "infected" politics and media. Witty and unsettling in equal measure, it’s a sharp look at spin, truth, and the power behind the curtain.