Beyond the Noise - the PRWeek podcast

PRWeek speaks to Christian May, editor-in-chief City A.M., for the Future of the Media series.Among other things, May discusses what stories work best for City AM and how that has changed; the rise of legal threats against media; print’s return; blurring lines between journalist and influencer; fake AI ‘experts’; whether press releases are getting worse; and the use of video, audio and AI.The journalist also offers advice for anyone working in comms.Stay tuned for more interviews with editors, as part of the Future of the Media, which will be published on the podcast feed over the coming weeks.

Executive profiling in the social-media age is the topic of this week’s Beyond the Noise podcast, considering the risks and rewards of having a ‘viral’ CEO.In the latest episode of Beyond the Noise, PRWeek deputy news editor Evie Barrett is joined by Katy Bloomfield, managing partner of PR at b2b comms agency Definition, and Jordan Greenaway, founder and chief executive of thought leadership PR agency Profile.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.After dissecting the McDonald’s CEO’s recent viral burger-bite clip, the guests assess the changing landscape of LinkedIn leadership.Bloomfield and Greenaway analyse how to capture a CEO’s genuine voice – even when dealing with someone who’s camera-shy or social media-averse.They also debate whether catering to algorithms is a good idea, and consider how much value social media engagement can actually provide a business.Balancing personal and corporate branding for business leaders is among the other topics discussed.

What did the Space-Comm Expo conference and exhibition tell us about connecting space and wider business? How does this manifest as tech connectivity in telecoms and why do farmers care about that? What did we learn about the benefits of extreme cold in manufacturing laboratories and why do pharmas care about that? How vulnerable are global logistics to the spoofing of navigation signals? And why is the UK government centralising space strategy in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology? Join Alice and Jonners as they reflect on the UK space sector’s largest trade event and the “energy, diversity and …sheer scope of what this industry has to offer”. Contributors:Alice Bunn, President of UKspace Dr Alice Bunn OBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng | LinkedInUKspace: Overview | LinkedIn Jonathan Daves, The Karman LineJonathan Daves | LinkedIn Subscribe to The Karman LineApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-k%C3%A1rm%C3%A1n-line/id1876605462Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qED4CgdRDxfKKzYNKZCIH?si=lZ-I4a19SPGLAJL-dHi4DQYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheKármánLineUKKey topics covered:Space-Comm Expo, London, March 2026Conference overviewSector integrationInsuranceCustomer utilityGovernment roleFuture outlook Technological advancements· Telecoms· Manufacturing Defence and security· Satellite capabilities· Current threats

Creative bravery is the topic of PRWeek’s latest podcast.Joining PRWeek UK editor John Harrington this week are Ahalya Moxon, associate creative director at FleishmanHillard, and Shilpa Saul, partner at The Unmistakables.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.The idea for this week’s episode was sparked by comments from Nicola Green, Virgin Media O2’s chief communications and corporate affairs officer, at PRWeek’s Year Ahead Conference in January. Green said her brand’s “biggest fear is becoming undiscoverable”, meaning she’s keen to take “considered risks” that are “brave but not stupid”.Our podcast guests examine some recent and historic campaigns that have arguably crossed the line from ‘brave’ into ‘stupid’ and analyse why they fell down.They look at how campaigns can find that balance to be provocative enough to be remembered without drawing damaging criticism.The duo discuss whether there are times when ‘playing it safe’ is the best approach; whether there are generational differences regarding creativity; and stress the importance of having diverse perspectives when creating campaigns. Saul also argues that people are “losing the art of critical thinking”.Finally, the guests look at how to respond if a campaign receives heavy criticism.

How is Reach, the publisher of The Mirror and the Daily Express, cracking down on fake AI ‘experts’? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.Our guest on Beyond the Noise this week is David Higgerson, chief content officer at Reach.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.The Mirror and Daily Express publisher last month confirmed it was compiling a directory of trusted PR agencies, and considering blocking emails from domains it doesn’t trust, to stop the rise of fake AI ‘experts’. It followed a series of high-profile incidents reported by Press Gazette in which media titles, some owned by Reach, inadvertently quoted ‘experts’ in articles who were later exposed as fake.Speaking to PRWeek UK editor John Harrington, Higgerson discusses how widespread the problem of fake ‘experts’ being put forward as case studies has become in the age of AI.He talks through what Reach has been doing as part of its crackdown, including how the publisher is using AI itself to tackle the problem, and the importance of strong journalist/PR relationships.Higgerson tells the podcast there is “no danger” of legimate comms professionals being prevented from contacting Reach journalists as part of the actions.Separately, he discusses other recent developments at Reach, whose stable also includes OK! magazine, the Daily Star and a host of regional newspapers. This includes the growth in specialist video roles, how Reach journalists are using AI, and the impact of Google AI summaries on traffic.

PRWeek’s latest podcast examines how the PR industry in the UAE, and the wider Middle East, has been responding to the new crisis.Beyond the Noise looks at some of the biggest issues affecting communications and PR. Download the podcast via Apple, Spotify, or on your favourite platform.Our guest this week is Conrad Egbert, who is based in Dubai and leads the PRCA’s operations in the MENA region.Events in the Middle East have dominated the news in recent days following the US and Israel’s attacks on Iran, and the retaliatory strikes directed at several US allies in the region. This includes the United Arab Emirates, which is home to a particularly thriving PR industry.Speaking to PRWeek journalists John Harrington and Eliza Wiredu on Tuesday afternoon (3 March), Egbert discusses what life is like on the ground in Dubai in the aftermath of the strikes, and during the ongoing crisis.He talks about how the PR industry is adapting to the situation, including how agencies are handling live events and supporting employees and clients alike.He analyses how the authorities have been handling their communications and bemoans the deluge of mis- and disinformation appearing online.Egbert also explains how PR in the UAE will “bounce back” after the crisis.

How should PR pros react to Reddit’s surge in popularity? PRWeek’s latest podcast takes a look.Joining the latest episode of Beyond the Noise are Paige Hiley, director of social at Golin; and Jo Bromilow, director of social and influence at MSL.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 deputy news editor Evie Barrett, the guests discuss clients taking an interest in social media platform Reddit, and how its community focus requires an entirely different approach to other channels.Reddit’s changing userbase, and its links to Google and OpenAI, are also discussed within the episode.Bromilow and Hiley give advice on communicating with Reddit moderators, as well as using the app as a social listening tool.The episode was recorded prior to the news of Reddit being fined £14m by the Information Commissioner’s Office for failing to properly check the age of its users, as reported on Tuesday (24 February).Commenting after the announcement, Bromilow said: “Reddit’s response – that it intends to appeal and that it feels like it treads a delicate balance between protecting users’ privacy and policing its platform – is a consistent one with how it has always operated and helps reinforce some of the points we made about the platform self-policing and the moderators existing to protect the userbase.“There have been lots of headlines recently about various social networks from TikTok to Meta being hit with fines in this regard, so this isn’t a Reddit-specific issue. I anticipate a lot of back and forth along these lines as the online safety act comes into effect, and the reality of enforcing it vs the PR power of talking about it.”

The shake-up of Omnicom’s PR agencies, and rumours that WPP could sell Burson, are examined in PRWeek’s latest podcast.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.PRWeek journalists John Harrington (UK editor), Siobhan Holt (deputy editor) and Evie Barrett (deputy news editor) discuss the bombshell news last week that Golin and Ketchum are to merge, and Porter Novelli will fold into FleishmanHillard, following Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG late last year.The trio look at what the industry has been saying about the news, whether they were surprised by it, and if they think it is a good idea.Separately, the team give their take on rumours that WPP could look to sell Burson as part of a restructure at the UK-headquartered holding company. They discuss reactions from experts to the alleged plan, and the likelihood of such a move.Finally, the journalists look at how important PR agencies are to the holding company giants.