This week in PR (27 October newsletter)
There are 32 content links across 12 sections in this week’s round-up . From these, here are three themes that suggest themselves to me #ThisWeekinPR.
PRCA people
The PRCA’s new governance structure is in place and now the key appointments have been made. Sarah Scholefield, latterly PRCA chair, becomes the association’s first honorary president. (In her day job, she’s also been promoted from CEO of Grayling to Global CEO of Accordience,? the parent company of Cirkle, Citigate Dewe Rogerson, Grayling and Red. Is she now the most powerful woman in PR?) Ray Eglington is the PRCA’s new chair.
Meanwhile, the PRCA has concluded its search for a first ever chief executive by appointing James Hewes from a similar role at FIPP, a media trade association. Renna Markson returns to her role as deputy.
Across the Atlantic, the Institute for Public Relations, the IPR - not to be confused with the UK’s Chartered Institute of Public Relations, CIPR - is celebrating its 67th anniversary. The IPR is a non-profit organisation dedicated to research in support of public relations practice.
There is no UK equivalent, though PR Academy champions through its courses and publications (including PR Place Insights) a closer relationship between researchers and practitioners in support of improved public relations and communication practices.
Politics
Following the party conferences and two more byelections and in anticipation of a general election no later than January 2025, there has been a quickening of political pulses this week.
Commentators Joe Cooper and James Dowling have marked Rishi Sunak’s anniversary as prime minister, and also shed light on the key decisions being taken in the Treasury. Noting that Jeremy Hunt has Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng to thank for his appointment, initially his brief was to restore stability. Will he have any wriggle room for tax cuts?
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Writing from a local government perspective, Matt Nicholls is concerned about the political awareness skills of younger colleagues who will have had fewer opportunities for water cooler moments given their experience working through the pandemic and working remotely. It’s yet another reminder that public relations so often starts with politics, the P in PEST/PESTEL/EPISTLE.
Palestine
No topic is more current or more political than Israel and Palestine. Though there’s broadly a political consensus among the main parties in Westminster, this has caused some discomfort within the Labour Party in particular. It’s a sensitive topic: note how even calling for a ceasefire is politically charged.
A topic that needs acute sensitivity and where words have to be weighed carefully is surely natural territory for public relations and communication professionals.?
Advita Patel, with her skills as an internal communicator and her credibility as co-author of ‘Building a Culture of Inclusivity’ has risen to the challenge.
Her approach is not to view the topic of Israel and Palestine as a political problem, but rather to view communicating about it as a people problem. We know that Jews are feeling threatened in the wake of the worst loss of life since the Second World War; we know that Muslims (a very much larger group? in the UK and globally) are feeling that Palestinian suffering is being overlooked in Gaza and the West Bank.
So how to communicate inclusively around an issue that has been unresolved since 1948 but is currently headline news? Her people-focused advice revolves around four steps.
Public relations can be used to contribute to polarisation. It can also be used to build bridges and bring people together. How will you choose to use your power as a professional?
“Rising Star” communications professional; am passionate about storytelling and reputation building in emerging markets
1 年On the topic of Israel and Palestine, it's also important to note that this is very much a Christian issue, not only due to the sanctity of Jerusalem and the wider region but also owing to the Palestinian Christian populations (I say populations due to the number of Christian groups there, including Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant). This group often gets overlooked as people look to understand what's happening.