✅ Socially Mobile launches fundraising drive
Corporate communications, public relations, media and management insight
Sarah Waddington and I created Socially Mobile in 2020 with the aim of diversifying the public relations industry's leadership demographic one cohort at a time.
Our 100+ graduates continually inspire us, paying it forward and creating the change we all need to see within our industry. You can read about our progress in our most recent impact report.
However, despite widespread support, including the fantastic backing of a large volunteer community, fundraising for the Community Interest Company has become increasingly difficult during the economic downturn.
We need help making Socially Mobile sustainable for the next 18-24 months. Could you sponsor a place for £750 or choose us for your own team's training needs? We need just 25 paid places to get us there.
If you’re an employer focused on business growth through talent development and diversity or committed to positively impacting the industry as part of ESG efforts, please consider working with us.
Supporter badges are available to those sponsoring fully funded places for others or using Socially Mobile for their own team’s.
Thanks to PRWeek for a write-up about the campaign. For more information please give Sarah or I a shout. We'd be happy to tell you all about it. And please share this post. Thank you!
Have a great week.
Industry
📈 PR UPTURN? UK public relations agencies show an 18% increase in job ads for September, the first significant change since April 2024. This uptick could indicate an improving market, influenced by factors like positive GDP data and resolved wage negotiations, though more data is needed to confirm a trend. Source: Jobs in PR.
🏛 PUBLIC AFFAIRS MEASUREMENT: Wadds Inc. is developing the specification for a research project that will investigate how the public affairs function measures its effectiveness. If you work within the sector and have a perspective, please get in touch. Contact: Stephen Waddington.
🏢 INSTITUTIONAL FAILURES: The Grenfell Tower Inquiry revealed critical shortcomings in public relations practices, emphasising the need for transparency and community engagement. The report highlights how public relations efforts prioritised reputation protection over victims' needs, eroding trust and straining relationships with residents. Source: Wadds Inc.
Management
🕵️ SPY CHIEFS SPEAK: CIA director Bill Burns and MI6 chief Richard Moore made a historic joint appearance at the FT Weekend Festival, discussing Ukraine's Kursk offensive and its impact on the Russian elite. They highlighted how the offensive has dented Putin's war narrative and triggered doubts among Russians about the war's purpose. Source: Financial Times.
🎟️ TICKETMASTER SCRUTINY: Ticketmaster faces investigation by regulators over its controversial "dynamic pricing" practices, following outrage over extremely high Oasis ticket prices. The ticketing giant is accused of exploiting fans through excessive fees and opaque pricing, with calls growing for better industry regulation to protect consumers. Source: The Guardian.
🏥 NHS OVERHAUL: Speaking at the FT Weekend Festival, UK Health Minister Wes Streeting set out three major shifts needed to ensure NHS sustainability: shifting care to communities, digitising systems and prioritising prevention. These "existential" changes aim to modernise the NHS, addressing challenges like long waiting lists and an ageing population. Source: Financial Times.
Media
🌍 UNDERREPORTED COMMUNITIES: The Guardian has appointed five new correspondents to cover underreported communities in the Caribbean, South America, Africa, and the UK. This move aims to boost coverage of marginalised regions and is part of the Scott Trust's restorative justice program addressing the newspaper's historical connections to transatlantic slavery. Source: Press Gazette.
🎭 BBC CUTS: The BBC plans to eliminate up to 115 editorial and production jobs across its Nations and Regions divisions, including 40-45 jobs at BBC Local in England. The cuts, part of a larger cost-saving initiative, aim to be achieved through voluntary redundancies, with the NUJ expressing concern about the impact on local news provision. Source: Press Gazette.
💼 GUARDIAN DIVERSIFIES: The Guardian is launching an e-commerce platform and expanding into product recommendations to diversify revenue amid financial challenges. Despite adding 50 journalistic roles in the US, the news organization has implemented cost-cutting measures, including voluntary redundancies for about 30 journalists, as it faces a £17m revenue shortfall. Source: Press Gazette.
Social media
🎙️ PODCAST LAUNCH: LinkedIn and iHeartMedia are launching a new podcast called "Let's Talk Offline" aimed at helping Gen Z navigate early career challenges. Hosted by Gianna Prudente and Jamé Jackson Gadsden, the weekly show will cover topics like negotiating pay, setting boundaries, and forming office friendships. Source: LinkedIn.
📱 THREAD PATH: UK public sector organizations are slowly adopting Threads, with Kew Gardens leading at 103,000 followers, while government accounts lag behind. The platform is gaining traction but remains a "nice to have" rather than essential for public sector communications, with many placeholder accounts remaining dormant. Source: Dan Slee.
Artificial intelligence
🤖 AI DISAPPOINTMENT: An Australian government trial found AI performed worse than humans at summarising documents, potentially creating more work instead of less. Using Meta's Llama2-70B model, the test compared AI-generated summaries to human staff, revealing limitations in AI's capabilities for complex information processing tasks. Source: Crikey Media.
🚀 AI ACCELERATION: Generative AI investment remains resilient with IT budgets allocating increasing investment to AI projects. After holding a sceptical position on generative AI, Goldman Sachs now predicts an acceleration in the software sector, driven by declining interest rates, post-election economic certainty and maturing AI applications. Source: Goldman Sachs.
Thank you to Catherine Frankpitt, Dan Slee, Ben Lowndes, Alan Morrison, Charles Webster and Sarah Waddington CBE, and everyone who shares and debates the stories in the newsletter via our Facebook community. You’re welcome to join us.