Beyond the Noise - the PRWeek podcast

How can PR pros work better with journalists? PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast episode finds out.Our guest this week is Steph Spyro, deputy political editor and environment editor at the Daily Express, who joins PRWeek’s John Harrington (UK editor) and Evie Barrett (deputy news editor).Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.On this week’s podcast, the journalists discuss how their roles have changed in recent years, including the decline of print and the impact of artificial intelligence.They talk about what they like, and don’t like, about how comms pros handle media relations in 2025. Topics covered include how they like to be contacted; the importance of speedy responses and subject-area expertise; the use of embargoes; and how AI is being used.The trio offer their top tips for PR professionals to work well with journalists. They also give predictions for the future of the media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Esteemed entertainment PR figures Alan Edwards and Richard Dawes are the guests on this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast.This week, PRWeek sits down with Alan Edwards, founder of Outside Organisation – who has handled PR for David Bowie, Prince, Michael Jackson and The Spice Girls – as well as Richard Dawes, managing director and co-founder of DawBell, who works with artists such as Oasis, Dua Lipa and Elton John.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.Speaking to PRWeek UK editor-in-chief Danny Rogers and deputy news editor Evie Barrett, the duo discuss 2025’s live music boom – covering highlights such as the Oasis reunion tour and Glastonbury.They weigh up the comms opportunities and risks of music festivals, discussing the plethora of crises that have hit the headlines in recent weeks, and give their take on whether controversy can be considered a positive opportunity from a PR perspective in the current climate.Other topics discussed include the mounting pressure on musicians to take political and environmental stances, and how brands can authentically form partnerships with artists at live music events. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sarah Waddington, the new chief executive of the PRCA, discusses her plans for the trade body in the latest episode of PRWeek’s Beyond the Noise podcast. Waddington speaks to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington after moving to the chief executive role earlier this month, following six months as interim CEO.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.Waddington talks about the background to her involvement in the PRCA and how the trade body has fared in the recent “challenging market”. This includes how membership has shifted, with agencies that left in 2022 returning to the fold.The CEO discusses her plans for the organisation, including introducing a professional management standards scheme, ‘pushing out’ more beyond London, producing an updated Public Affairs Code, and promoting DEI in the industry.She discusses plans to help members adapt further to the AI age – and reveals whether she’s an AI pessimist or optimist. Waddington also gives her take on the general state of client/agency relationships and how the PRCA could help. And she updates on how members are coping with fees.As PRWeek earlier reported, Waddington said the PRCA is conducting a review of its global operations that could result in partnerships with other professional associations or a withdrawal from some regions. She also gave details of recent redundancies at the trade body. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ahead of the UEFA women’s Euros final between England and Spain, PRWeek speaks to Lisa Parfitt, former managing director of Engine Sport, who is now co-founder of The Space Between, a creative marketing agency specialising in sport and entertainment. Parfitt is also a director at Women in Football, an organisation that is driving gender equality in the game.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.Speaking to PRWeek UK deputy editor Siobhan Holt, Parfitt chats about the brand campaigns that have stood out to her during this year’s tournament. She also offers her analysis of the trends, such as purpose-led work. Separately, she discusses online hate in sport and how organisations such as Women in Football and The FA are challenging discrimination, as well as sharing her views on the future of anti-racism gestures like taking a knee before matches.In the episode, Parfitt explains how an evolving media strategy can build consistent momentum between tournaments, as well as which of the Lionesses could be ‘influencers to watch’, and what the lessons are for comms professionals looking ahead to tournaments such the men’s FIFA World Cup 2026.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.Our guest is Jack Storry, head of corporate at Boldspace and author of the first Reputation Hits and Misses of the Week column – PRWeek’s new series examining who has handled their reputation adeptly or poorly in the past seven days.Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington and deputy news editor Evie Barrett, Storry looks at how the Co-op has handled the aftermath of the recent damaging cyber-attack. In particular, he commends the comms of Co-op chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq, who appeared on the BBC Breakfast sofa last week.Separately, the trio discuss how the Coca-Cola Company deftly swerved a potential clash with President Trump.Less positively, they also look at the comms handling of last week’s widely reported story about a girl being excluded from her school’s ‘Culture Day’ for wearing a Union Jack dress and wanting to speak about her pride at being British.Meanwhile, we ask whether data company Astronomer got its comms right after its CEO and chief people officer were caught together on ‘kiss cam’ at a Coldplay concert – a major talking point in recent days.We also ask: are brands ever right to ‘newsjack’ such incidents? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PRWeek’s first Transparency Report has got a lot of people talking this week. The report gives a star rating to every agency in the PRWeek UK Top 150 based on the level of disclosure about parental leave policies, whether they are living wage employers, and also gender and ethnicity pay gaps.Joining the podcast are Katie Eborall, head of north for Grayling, and a member of the Women in PR committee; and Sheeraz Gulsher, co-founder of People Like Us, the networking and campaign group for minority ethnic marcomms and media professionals that works with PRWeek on the Pay Gap Report.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, the guests discuss whether they are surprised at the results of the Transparency Report, which saw 25 agencies receive the top four-star rating and 30 receive zero stars.They talk about why it’s important to be transparent as a comms business, with a focus on business success - research by PRWeek found the 25 four-star agencies strongly outperformed the Top 150 as a whole in the 2024 calendar year.The duo also speak about the reputational issues for agencies that choose not to disclose the information.Separately, our guests dig into some of the findings around parental leave policies and Living Wage payments and ask: is the sector doing enough?This autumn will see the sixth iteration of the Pay Gaps Report from PRWeek and People Like Us. Click here for more information and to take part. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s it like making the move from agency-side to an in-house role? That’s the topic of PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast episode.This week, we hear from two leading in-house communications professionals about their experiences moving from agency to in-house roles.Our guests are Alice Jenkins-Bruce, director of communications and content at Sky, and Lindsay Landi, head of PR and communications at Samsung UK.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above or on your favourite platform.Speaking to PRWeek’s reporter, Elizabeth Wiredu, and UK editor John Harrington, Jenkins-Bruce and Landi explain why they switched to in-house roles, what surprised them most about the transition, and how they now approach client relationships and pitches.They also discuss whether they approach measurement and ROI differently, the skills and perspectives they have gained and developed by working in-house, and what advice they would offer to someone considering the transition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transparency - around salaries and parental leave policies at PR agencies - is the theme of PRWeek’s latest podcast.PRWeek UK editor John Harrington and deputy editor Siobhan Holt are joined by Elena Lewis, data editor at PRWeek and sister title Campaign, to look at the big trends based on recent research.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.The team discusses a new study by PRWeek that found only around one in four of the UK’s biggest PR agencies post salaries on their job ads.They look at separate, newly-released research by PRWeek, as part of the UK Top 150 Consultancies project, into the proportion of agencies that have disclosed whether they pay the Living Wage or the London Living Wage.The Top 150 questionnaire also asked agencies to declare their parental leave policies - the trio discuss how many did, and examine some of the big trends in the policies.On the topic of transparency, UK PR agencies can submit their data for the upcoming Pay Gaps Report from PRWeek and People Like Us - click here for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What’s it like looking for jobs in PR at the moment? That’s the topic of PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast episode. This week we hear from two people with recent experience of the PR job market from the point of view of candidates.Our guests are Deekshima Khanna, who is about to complete an MA in Public Relations at the University of Salford, and is looking for her first job in UK PR having worked in comms in India; and Patricia Mihail, who has worked both agency-side and in-house in comms for 15 years and is seeking her next move.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, our guests discuss their recent experiences of dealing with recruiters and comms employers directly.They talk about LinkedIn as a recruitment tool; the weight given to comms degrees; and how the market can seem ‘closed off’, especially to people who didn’t grow up in the UK.The duo discuss their experience of being ‘ghosted’, and other poor practices, alongside examples of when the process has worked well for both sides.Our guests also give their take on new research by PRWeek, showing that only around one in four UK PR firms disclose salaries on job ads. They discuss the impact that AI might be having on PR recruitment and emphasise the importance of networking and "resilience" when job hunting.An earlier Beyond the Noise podcast looked at recruitment from the point of view of PR employers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With campaigns by PR agencies picking up fewer awards at the International Festival of Creativity than last year, PRWeek journalists Danny Rogers, John Harrington and Siobhan Holt look at why that might be.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.The PRWeek team pick out some of their favourite Lions-winning campaigns and discuss what made them a hit, and what it says about the main ingredients for a successful earned media campaign.They look at why purpose campaigns continue to show up among Cannes Lions winners, despite the much-discussed retreat from DEI and ESG in the Trump era.The trio also give a sense of how Cannes Lions was different overall, or not, in 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Cannes Festival of Creativity , PRWeek speaks with a creative director about the value of industry awards, and how the rivalry between PR and advertising has evolved.This week on Beyond the Noise, we hear from Ottilie Ross, creative director at PR agency Mischief.Ross – who also has experience at The Romans, Halpern and Milk & Honey – shares her view on whether industry accolades actually matter, and which recent work she thinks is award-worthy.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington and journalist Evie Barrett, Ross shares her view on how advertising is evolving to compete with PR, and how the UK’s creativity compares to that of other markets.She also reveals Mischief’s approach to boosting creativity when it comes to clients issuing mundane briefs, and discusses which PR tropes she’d like to see the back of.Cannes Lions takes place from 16 to 20 June. Stay tuned to PRWeek for all the news and insights from the festival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The recent acceleration in CEO and MD departures and arrivals at major UK PR agencies is examined in PRWeek’s latest Beyond the Noise podcast.The past few weeks have seen changes at the top of the UK or EMEA operations of big agencies including Edelman, MSL, FTI, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard and Hotwire.Joining PRWeek’s Siobhan Holt and John Harrington to discuss the trend is Amy Hayer, a partner at Hanson Search, a headhunting consultancy that specialises in recruiting C-suite comms leaders.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.The trio talk about why the current trading climate may be fuelling the rate of change among senior leadership teams, and what skills and career experience agencies and holding companies want for their UK bosses.They also look at the extent to which bosses themselves may want to leave to try something different.The issue of agency leaders being recruited from in-house roles, and the counter-trend of agency chiefs moving client-side, is discussed. So too is the question of whether promotions from within have become less common and why there may be a generational shift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Beyond the Noise, we hear from Pitch Marketing Group founder and chief executive Henry Chappell, who discusses why FIFA World Cup 26 looks set to eclipse all previous global sporting events, according to a new report from the sports marketing agency.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or on your favourite platform.With exactly one year to go until FIFA World Cup 26 kicks off, the Pitch report predicts the tournament will have a global reach of more than five billion people, equivalent to about 63 per cent of the world’s population. A staggering 711 billion combined engagements across all media platforms are also anticipated.Speaking to PRWeek editor-in-chief Danny Rogers, Chappell – who has topped the PRWeek UK Power Book Sports (Agency) list for the past two years – said the scale of the tournament was unprecedented, with 104 matches across 16 cities converging sport with culture, music and technology.Sandy Doran, strategy director at Pitch, stated: “Geopolitics and legacy aside, the real winners will be the brands who use the ‘human intelligence’ of content creators the best, or at least bother to check that their AI content isn’t going rogue. And also the brands that represent football fans, first and foremost, and don’t get suckered into the ‘Super Bowl-isation’ of the tournament.”The podcast also hears why brands will have to be decisive about the role of artificial intelligence in their campaigns, and how the report warns that authentic content from ex-professional footballers could prove more popular than anything produced by traditional broadcasters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two shortlisting jurors for this year's PR category at Cannes Festival of Creativity are the special guests on today's episode of Beyond the Noise.This week on Beyond the Noise, we hear from Sarah Hargrave, EMEA chief executive of Porter Novelli; and Nina Pickup, former head of creative strategy at Salterbaxter – both of whom are shortlisting jurors for the PR Lions at The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2025.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting comms and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen in the browser above, or on your favourite platform.And as the industry prepares to take its annual jaunt to the French Riviera, PRWeek journalist Evie Barrett quizzes our guests on some of the big talking points at Cannes in 2025.They examine whether ‘purpose’ will be a prevalent theme this year, as well as the role that AI is now playing, both behind-the-scenes and taking centre-stage in creative work.The duo share their experience of the Cannes Lions judging process, revealing how they decide what a 'good idea' looks like when it comes to PR campaigns.Cannes Lions takes place from 16 to 20 June. Stay tuned to PRWeek for all the news and insights from the festival. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaking to a PRWeek editor-in-chief Danny Rogers at PR360 last week, Simon Lewis and David Yelland discuss their comms careers and the biggest things they’ve learnt about the sector - and about podcasting.Lewis and Yelland are among the experienced figures in UK comms and media. The former was director of comms for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Vodafone, British Gas and The Queen; while Yelland, who now runs consultancy Kitchen Table Partners, was previously editor of The Sun and has held senior roles at Weber Shandwick and Brunswick. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest episode of the Beyond the Noise podcast features PRWeek journalists Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief), Siobhan Holt (news editor), Eliza Wiredu (reporter) and Evie Barrett (senior reporter) as they dissect the two-day PR360 event.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.One of the key themes running through PR360 was the evolving role of AI in PR. Compared to last year, Holt observed a noticeable shift toward more practical applications of AI, with several sessions showcasing real-world implementations.Barrett breaks down a compelling panel on the client-agency relationship. One of the standout insights came from Scott Colvin, group director of public affairs at Aviva, who criticised current pitching models and procurement practices.Holt also recaps a b2b communications panel that tackled the balance between creativity and commercial value. She highlights Sodexo’s b2b campaign as a prime example of prioritising real business solutions over superficial creative flair.Rogers reflects on a session examining the shifting news media landscape, with contributions from representatives of Meta, News Movement and Ocado. The conversation centred on how PR professionals can adapt to the evolving ways people consume news.Wiredu offers insights from a panel on AI innovation, including a standout presentation by Virgin Media O2’s head of corporate comms, Luke Stallard. He introduced the company’s lauded “AI Granny Daisy” campaign and shared advice on staying ahead of potential media interest when launching unconventional initiatives.Other key discussions focused on the integration of social media within communications teams and how brands can more effectively reach Gen-Z audiences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the PR recruitment market like at the moment – and what do comms employers want from candidates? PRWeek UK’s latest podcast takes a look.This week’s episode of the Beyond the Noise podcast features Mary Harding, joint chief executive of Tangerine Comms, and Jenny Pape, head of talent and development at Blurred. Pape also helps recruit on behalf of clients and provides insights into the in-house PR recruitment market.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, the duo discuss the volume of applications they are getting and how the quantity – and quality – of candidates has changed in a “saturated” market.They talk about the key things that can help candidates stand out – and reveal their ‘red flags’.The conversation covers the interview process, the importance (or otherwise) of academic qualifications, the use of AI in recruitment, and ensuring a diverse candidate pool.Salary expectations and employee requests for flexible working and other workplace policies are also examined.PRWeek is looking for current PR jobseekers, or those who have recently experienced the PR job market as a candidate, to appear in an upcoming episode of Beyond the Noise. Email john.harrington@haymarket.com if you would like to take part. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the best way to handle comms when a cyber attack hits? PRWeek UK's latest podcast takes a look. With recent attacks on well-known UK retailers Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods, the Beyond the Noise podcast delves into the issue with two expert guests.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.Our guests this week include someone with first hand experience of a cyber attack at their organisation. Jack Richards is global head of integrated & field marketing at Onclusive, the media monitoring company that encountered a cyber-security incident in February 2024.Our other guest is Charlotte McGill from Burson UK’s Crisis Team, who has advised clients on cyber attacks.Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, Richards discusses how Onclusive reacted when the cyber attack hit, how the company's approach changed over time, and what, in hindsight, Onclusive should have done differently."We were running on instinct rather than data a lot of the time," he states, and explains how Onclusive changed its crisis comms plan after the incident.McGill and Richards talk more broadly about the importance of being prepared for a cyber attack, and getting buy-in from the senior leadership about the vital role played by comms.They emphasise the need to keep stakeholders informed while not being too hasty with announcements. The issue of who at an organisation is the best to 'front' the response is also discussed.The duo end by offering their top tips for handling comms during a cyber attack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Top 150 now live, PRWeek journalists Danny Rogers (editor-in-chief) and Siobhan Holt (news editor) discuss the big themes from the project, which includes the annual ranking of the UK’s 150 biggest comms consultancies by revenue.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.Rogers and Holt look at the top-line data on the Top 150, which showed a slowing of growth in the 2024 calendar year amid a number of challenges.The duo discuss which parts of the industry have had a more difficult period of trading, and which have benefitted from the political and economic upheaval, or otherwise managed to grow their revenue.Trends in consumer, corporate, healthcare and tech comms, among other areas, are examined.Elsewhere, the journalists also look at margins and profitability – and ask whether agencies are making enough on the bottom line.They scrutinise research around business confidence, looking at what proportion of agencies are hopeful that 2025 will be a better year of trading for them than 2024. Rogers and Holt also give their own marks out of 10 for how hopeful they are for the sector in 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A "swing away from Trump" may be beginning, former White House communications director Ben La Bolt tells PRWeek's Beyond the Noise podcast. What are the lessons for comms?As Trump completes his first 100 days in office, PRWeek catches up with La Bolt, who was director of comms under President Biden from 2023 until last year.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or listen on your favourite platform.La Bolt (pictured below) - currently president of the policy and strategic comms agency Bully Pulpit International - discusses his experience working in White House comms and how it changed from his time as an aide in the Obama administration to his tenure under Biden.He contrasts this to the current approach of White House communications under Trump.La Bolt reflects on signs of a mood shift among the public, businesses and institutions away from Trump and his controversial policies, and examines the lessons for communicators.In particular, he emphasises the importance of brands reaffirming their values in these changing times.On AI, he fears the technology will "greatly accelerate" dis- and mis-information - especially ahead of the next US Presidential Election in 2028 - while also recognising AI's benefits.In addition, La Bolt discusses what's ahead for Bully Pulpit International, including possible new acquisitions - last November the firm announced it had bought UK-based comms agency Seven Hills alongside market research business Message House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.