PR is changing, and you can see it in the news stories.
Cut through the staggering amount of noise in the marketing and PR space and you start to spot a few items that show a genuine shift in the way things are happening. Things that will impact PR and strategic communications in the future.
I read a lot of newsletters, and as I say, there is a lot of noise.
But I picked out four stories that seem at first glance to be nothing special until you look into them. I explain why they matter for how PR and communications.
I look at:
- What the erosion in trust in traditional media means, according to Reuters, and why it is more nuanced than it first appears.
- How tool makers are using AI to analyse whether campaigns will work, and more importantly, whether you can do something similar for free on your own computer.
- The quiet return of experiential PR as an answer to digital and AI fatigue and slop. Will this continue to grow?
and
- Why one podcast industry newsletter shows that, without getting the product right, no amount of marketing will work.
I also talk briefly about a new research project I am working on.
This episode is an experiment. I wanted to try looking at a small number of news stories that genuinely stood out from the noise. As usual, I will look at the data, and if people find this episode useful, I will do more like it. If not, enjoy this one off.
NOTE: This was recorded in late October 2025
AI is already inside the tools you use. Waiting it out is no longer an option.
In this episode, I speak with Karen Sutherland, author of Artificial Intelligence for Strategic Communication, who, at the time of the recording, was fresh from a Marketing AI Conference in the US.
We cut through the noise and talk about how PR and comms teams are actually using AI day to day, what works, what breaks, and where people are getting it wrong.
This is not about replacing people or chasing shiny tools. It is about saving time on the work you hate, protecting quality, and building skills your team will still need in five years.
If you run an agency or work in-house and feel stuck between curiosity and fear around AI, this episode gives you a clear place to start.
We cover
Why AI agents change how work gets done, not just how fast
The real risk for junior staff and how to avoid hollow skills
How teams are using custom GPTs to speed up reporting without sounding generic
A simple framework for integrating AI safely and sensibly into comms work
Map your tasks before touching tools. Start with repetitive work that drains time, not creative judgment.
Use AI as a first draft assistant, then edit like a professional. Quality control becomes a real job, not an afterthought.
Train AI on your own writing and reports so outputs sound like you, not the internet.
Regularly check whether AI is saving time and protecting standards, not just pushing content out faster.
DescriptionPractical takeaways
GUEST
Karen Sutherland - Senior Lecturer, Public Relations, University of the Sunshine Coast
LOCATION: Sunshine Coast, Australia
Book: Artificial Intelligence for Strategic Communication by Karen E. Sutherland
NEW TO PR?
- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.com
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FUTURE GUESTS
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AI is already inside every corner of PR and comms, but very few teams have real safeguards in place. In this episode, I sit down with Dr Lukasz Swiatek from UNSW (The University of New South Wales) to talk through the real risks facing agencies and in-house teams.
Luk researches the impact of AI on communication and education and he lays out the pitfalls that PR teams keep tripping over. Accuracy problems. Deep fakes. Reputational slipups. Ethical blind spots. The slow erosion of trust.
If you are trying to use AI while still protecting your organisation or your clients, this episode gives you a straightforward way to think about boundaries and guardrails that actually work.
What you will hear
Luk on the big AI concerns people are ignoring
The accuracy trap and why comms teams keep falling for it
How to build real boundaries around AI in your organisation
What AI means for trust and authenticity
The future of PR roles and whether humans still matter
Practical takeaways
Create a simple yes or no list of what AI is allowed to do in your organisation, then make staff sign off so there is shared responsibility.
Treat all AI output as unverified until checked against a real source. Never publish raw content.
Build a rule that any AI assisted content must be reviewed by a human who understands tone, risk and context.
Set expectations with clients or leadership about what AI can and cannot reliably do. This reduces pressure to use it in unsafe situations.
GUEST
Lukasz Swiatek - School of the Arts and Media, University of New South Wales
NEW TO PR?
- Check out the new podcast 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.com
SUBSCRIBE
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CONNECT WITH ME
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/
- Website and newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/
- 'Getting A Job In PR' - https://gettingajobinpr.com
FUTURE GUESTS
- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/
I’ve been getting a lot of messages lately from people asking the same thing: “How do I get a job or a better job?"
So far in the podcast, I've tended to focus on campaigns people are running, but I also want to do some episodes featuring interviews with agencies and recruiters around the world to find out what they're looking for.
My first guest is Brooke Kruger, Partner at KC Partners in San Francisco (USA).
In this quick episode, we cover a lot of stuff about what is really happening in hiring right now and why so many good people are still struggling to get noticed.
Here are three insights that stood out to me, but there are a lot more in the episode:
🤖 AI isn’t a headline skill anymore — it’s assumed.
As Brooke put it, you wouldn’t write “proficient in Excel” on your CV. Same with ChatGPT. The difference now is whether you can show how you’re using AI to improve speed, clarity, and results.
🎯 Storytelling is everything.
It’s not enough to do the job. You have to be able to tell the story of why you want to do it. Ask yourself why and then explain what drives you, how you think, and how that helps a company tell their story better.
⚙️ You have to be both strategic and hands-on.
Companies want people who can think at the top level and still roll up their sleeves. The days of “I only do strategy” are gone.
If you are in comms recruitment or recruit people and think applicants need to do better, then let me know and let's get you on an episode.
Guest: Brooke Kruger, KC Partners
Web: https://kc-partners.com/
Podcast: www.ThePublicRelationsPodcast.com
"Advertising Value Equivalents" are supposed to be dead, yet CFOs keep asking for them. Meanwhile, clients want backlinks, CMOs want digital metrics, and AI is rewriting the measurement rulebook daily.
So how do PR and comms teams actually prove value in 2025?
In this episode, I talk with Neha Bahri (Bconnect Communications) and Tarunjeet Gujral (Nucleus PR / PRPOI) about what’s really happening on the ground in India’s PR scene — and why it matters globally.
We cover:
- Why some CFOs still cling to AVEs
- What else clients are demanding
- How AI is reshaping measurement and what comms pros need to track now
Some of the takeaways
1) AI rewards earned media — the more credible your coverage, the more likely it is to be surfaced by tools like ChatGPT.
2) Educate CMOs early — if they don’t understand how PR differs from digital marketing, they’ll pass the wrong expectations up the chain.
3) CFOs will still demand AVEs until educated otherwise — you may have to provide them as a “translation” alongside more modern measures.
4) Backlinks remain a visibility metric — clients see them as proof of quality and traffic, even if they oversimplify PR’s role.
This episode is for anyone stuck between old-school AVEs and new-school metrics who needs to show results without losing their sanity.
GUESTS
Tarunjeet Rattan - Nucleus PR - www.nucleuspr.in
and
Neha Bahri Bconnect Communications - bconnect.co.in
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CONNECT WITH ME
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- Website and newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/
Do you think they ever really cancelled Jimmy Kimmel?
Or was it a smart PR move to kill a firestorm?
Put the politics aside for a second.
Here’s what happened:-
- Jimmy Kimmel made comments about Charlie Kirk.
- Backlash exploded.
- His show was pulled “indefinitely”.
- The funeral went ahead.
- Kimmel returned.
The moment his show was axed, a good chunk of the fire just blew out.
- No protests during the funeral.
- No attention on the network over that weekend.
Why? Because there was nothing left to argue about.
Kimmel was “gone”... at least publicly.
It defused the heat.
It kept attention off the network.
And it avoided the funeral becoming a flashpoint of increased attention. Then, after the funeral, the narrative moved on.
We heard how people were calling for his return. That was reinforced with interviews and Kimmel himself listing a huge list of celebrities who wanted him back.
So, do you think it was clever planning of the narrative or simple luck with events?
While not everyone needs to think about US politics, it's a good example of how some organisations read the room in a crisis situation and how, by being aware of where the flashpoints can be, they can douse the fire, at least to an extent.
“I never planned to become a campaigner…”
That’s what George told me.
He’s a sports reporter. A good one.
But then he tragically lost six-week-old baby.
And suddenly, George found himself in the national media pushing for change.
Today I sat down with him — to not only learn his story but also to help him shout louder in future.
We talked about a huge number of things.
How to keep the media interested after the initial headlines fade?
How to be the best spokesperson for an organisation?
How to utilise modern PR (which goes far beyond just press relations today).
And, we agreed a next step to try. We'll be following George to see what happens.
In the edited episode, you’ll hear real strategies anyone can use (even without a budget).
If you have a story that should be heard and you want to discuss it on a show, reach out to me by DM or search for The Public Relations Podcast.
#PR #Comms #Storytelling #ThePublicRelationsPodcast #MediaStrategy #Campaigning
Season 9 of The Public Relations Podcast is underway.
Soft launch this time. No big fanfare. Just notes from the front line of comms.
People I’m helping. Conversations I’m having with other comms pros. Tools I’m testing. AI experiments, too.
And, the podcast keeps opening doors, and I'm getting to help people this time, which will allow me to share what I'm seeing myself on the frontline too, not just gathering other people's voices.
It may be a bit sporadic at first. The bigger ideas for Season 9 will come later. But this is where it starts.
First up? A story from a room I was in the other day, where I was explaining to a group why I believe clear, laser-focused goals beat a perfect list of action steps every single time.
Maybe I'm wrong, but people in comms talk so much about process, but is that grand process actually achieving the goals you were brought on for?
Here is the full version.
Helen Barnett (a former UK national news editor) and myself recently tried to use AI to turn a corproate story into something the mass media would use.
It wasn't always easy but it did show some of the powerful strengths of AI as well as some of it's weaknesses.
We decided to not just give our opinions but to test it.
Apart from some editing to remove gaps, this is every part of our conversation and tests.
Guest: https://www.helenbarnettmedia.co.uk/
(The short version - The long version will be in Episode 23)
Join me and Helen Barnett, a former editor at a national UK newspaper (https://www.helenbarnettmedia.co.uk/), in this special episode of the podcast.
Helen and I (I'm a former radio news editor) try to find the best way to use AI to write a press release.
We don't quite get there...BUT.....
We do uncover a lot of pitfalls along the way and discuss how to fix them.
By the way this is the 14-minute version.
I'll be releasing the full-length episode soon on the podcast where we cover almost double the number of points.
If you're struggling with AI press releases or learning to pitch for the first time, it's worth a watch.
#PR #AIinComms #MediaPitching #CommsStrategy #ThePRPodcast
I want to prove that PR, comms and narrative marketing works in 2025, in (sort of) real-time.
But how?
I've been thinking about this a lot over the past year.
We all know the pressures today:-
“Where’s the ROI on comms?”
Clients want metrics.
Execs want proof.
AI is starting to flood the market with generic content.
You and I know comms and narrative marketing work, but how do we prove that to people who don't get it yet, who could and should be future clients?
Here’s the plan:-
I want to introduce a new element to the podcast.
It's based on an idea I tried last year and thank you to those amazing people who took part in that.
In it we'll do a sort of “business makeover" show focused on comms.
In each special, 30-minute episode:-
1) A real business comes in with a comms challenge. Most likely, they are struggling to stand out as much as they want and need help, but it could be anything a narrative specialist can tackle.
2) Then a guest expert (maybe you?) offers micro-consulting for 15 mins in the show.
3) I then follow up a few weeks later to find out what happened so we can prove the power of comms.
I'm giving you the quick version here. There is more in the video.
To make it happen, we need two things.
1) Comms pros happy to spend a few minutes mentoring in a show. (independent individuals and agencies).
And
2) Case studies - Do you have a client you’d love to reconnect with, or want to showcase your abilities to, that you can bring into an episode for some mentoring with you? If we can focus on promotion rather than reputation problems for now, then many could be ok with a little extra PR. If we have to keep them anonymous, we can, but it just won't be as strong.
As I say, more in the video, but in short....
....I want to find a way that demonstrates these skills in action, rather than trying to explain them.
You and I both know the future is not generic marketing. It's narrative marketing (PR, story-driven campaigns, comms, etc).
It's time we "showed" we showed people that.
#PR #Comms #Podcast #PublicRelations #Marketing #MicroConsulting #AI #Storytelling #MediaStrategy #CommsLedMarketing
In this episode, I unpack a real conversation with a PR freelancer trying to pivot into a new sector — and getting knocked back with that brutal line:
“You don’t seem like you’ve done this before.”
But here’s the twist: in her original industry, she was deeply embedded — known, trusted, and networked. She just couldn’t see the value in what she’d already built.
We talk about:
Why moving sideways in PR isn’t as easy as it sounds
The growing importance of specialism in an AI-driven world
How to tell if your reputation is worth more than your ambition
And why sometimes the smartest move isn’t reinvention — it’s doubling down on what you already know
This is for anyone who's ever wondered if they’re starting over… when they’re actually standing on gold.
We all know influencers are curating their lives — yet we still buy what they recommend.
Why does that emotional trust stick, even when it’s fake?
In this episode, I unpack a conversation I had with university students about influencer culture, social capital, and what it reveals about how consumers make decisions.
Are you giving people a story worth believing in?
If you would like to discuss any of these ideas, just reach out to me on LinkedIn. Details in the episode.
Are you getting your "goals" wrong?
In the old days of book PR, your goal was to raise awareness in order to sell copies — but not anymore. There’s a new goal. It’s the same in many sectors, where the objective has shifted but people sometimes miss the change.
Kourtney Jason is from Pacific & Court in Brooklyn, USA, an agency that specialises in book PR in 2025.
They realised that books on their own are rarely "news" anymore, so they needed to focus instead on what was newsworthy. The answer was often the author themselves — providing the right angles were found.
There were still book signings to sell the books, but the primary goal and focus had changed.
If you’re someone promoting thought leaders, building a personal brand, or an author (or want to be one), this episode should be useful.
The whole episode (15 mins) is here.
Stop defining yourself in generic terms. A "coach" is too generic, even a "wellness coach" — get specific about what you do.
Don't ignore local media — it's still a springboard to bigger coverage, but find the local angles.
Books are credibility tools, not sales channels. Use them to open doors through visibility, not through the hard sell.
Don’t forget to use AI to help find angles.
GUEST
Kourtney Jason - Pacific & Court
LOCATION: Brooklyn, USA
Web: pacificandcourt.com
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CONNECT WITH ME
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/
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GUESTS
- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/
If you want the truth about where AI is taking PR — and what it’s already capable of today — this is the episode for you.
In this episode, I talk to Jeroen Bos — a friend, technologist, and the man leading innovation at Pr.co, a well-known platform in the PR space.
We talk about what Jeroen himself is trying with his team, what barriers they are coming up against, what’s working, what’s not, and how you can start preparing now.
In this episode:
Why AI can't replace PR pros — not from a “save our jobs” angle, but because of the real world technical limits of AI
How AI can help speed up the boring, painful parts of the job
How smart platforms will mine your past content to unlock hidden stories
Why AI won’t be writing perfect press releases anytime soon
The cultural bias problem in AI no one’s talking about
What the future looks like if you don’t start adapting now
Forget the LinkedIn hype.
This is the real picture — from inside a company already building the next generation of PR tech.
GUEST
There’s a lot of hype around AI in PR — but what we all really want to know is: what can it actually do, what might it do next, and where are its real limits?SUBSCRIBE
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GUESTS
- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/
In a world where AI can run entire campaigns, is there anything left for human PR pros to do?
Yes—but only if you’re willing to operate in the grey zone. In this solo episode, I break down where AI is taking over comms—and where it can’t.
This isn’t about fighting the machines; it’s about focusing on the work AI won’t touch: high-risk decisions, morally complex stories, and trust-based influence that lives off-script.
👉 Why this matters to you if you work in a small agency or in-house comms? Because the safe, scalable, fast-turnaround work is going to be swallowed by machines. But the nuanced, uncomfortable, high-trust work? That’s yours—if you’re brave enough to own it.
Timecodes:
(03:12) What the “execution economy” means for comms
(06:45) Real-world use of tools like Magnus for campaign planning
(11:08) Why AI fails in high-risk spaces
(15:00) The hidden edge humans still have over AI
(20:42) Two tracks of future comms—only one leads to long-term relevance
Guest next week: Jeroen Bos, technologist behind PR.co.
"BUT! We can just get AI to do our PR and comms? We can automate it?"
It's an argument being put forward by a growing number of organisations — even if no one quite knows how to do that yet. And that’s the rub. Is it actually possible?
Can you get AI — or perhaps a junior plus AI — replace experienced comms pros?
That was one of the big questions I discussed with Komal Lath (founder of Tute Consult) and Tarunjeet Rattan (of Nucleus PR).
I think we found 5 reasons why it’s not over yet for comms people.
This is part two of a wide-ranging chat looking at the latest agency research from the new PR Agency Insight Survey 2025, with two people on the frontline of PR and comms today.
We also talk about the economic reality of running a comms business, why storytelling still wins (but only if you adapt), why single-channel agencies are going to struggle — and why now is the time to own the stack.
Whether you work in-house or in a boutique agency, this episode has practical ideas you can try right away.
If you’re worried about proving your value, losing your best people, or watching briefs shift towards performance marketing — this one’s for you.
GUESTS
👤 Komal Lath – https://tute.co.in/ | Mumbai, India
👤 Tarunjeet Rattan – https://nucleuspr.in/ | Bangalore, India
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🤝 CONNECT WITH ME
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🎙️ GUEST INFO & ONE SHEET
https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/
Why is PR still being treated like it's 1985 – and how do you fix it?
If your clients or organisation still thinks PR is just about "media coverage”, then you are not alone.
It's backed up by the new PR Agency Insight Survey 2025.
In this full episode below (15 mins), I'm chatting with two PR leaders from India’s independent agency scene – Komal Lath (Tute Consult) and Tarunjeet Rattan (Nucleus PR).
We talk about how they explain PR is more than press releases, we discuss ways of proving ROI to stakeholders who don’t get it. We also discuss where PR should fit in an organisation (in-house or agency) and of course, we talk about AI and what they are doing with it.
As always, I'm not interested in just theory but solutions, and Komal and Tarunjeet have some fascinating ideas.
This episode is for you if:
You’re tired of explaining that PR is more than press releases.
You’re struggling to prove ROI to stakeholders who don’t get it.
Timecodes:
[00:01:30] – The outdated perception problem: PR is still seen as "just media"
[00:04:53] – The real reason ROI is broken in PR – and how to shift it
[00:05:58] – Why PR should report to the CEO, not marketing
[00:08:23] – How to explain “modern PR” in one sentence
[00:09:32] – Using integrated PR+ads for ROI clarity
[00:11:21] – AI: What the data says, and why human input still matters
GUEST
Komal Lath - https://tute.co.in/
LOCATION: Mumbai, India
Tarunjeet Rattan - https://nucleuspr.in/
LOCATION: Bangalore, India
SUBSCRIBE
- Video and Audio links here - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/listen/
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CONNECT WITH ME
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/
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GUESTS
- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/
"We need a quote in 30 minutes, or we're dropping the story."
The problem you have is that your client is in back-to-back meetings today.
Do you tell the journalist you can't help and potentially lose a contact and possibly your client, or find another way?
In this episode, award-winning former entertainment journalist turned PR agency founder Kayley Hamilton has been trying to find a solution and has discovered one.
Kayley reveals not just the fact she's using AI, but how she does it.
She also explains how to avoid generating fluff or inaccurate quotes.
This is not another vague AI chat. This is practical, real-world PR execution for boutique and SME agencies that actually solves one of the most stressful pain points in comms today.
What you'll learn:
[03:30] How to avoid generic “AI-sounding” quotes
[07:15] The onboarding system that captures client tone perfectly
[11:50] Teaching AI to sound like your client (not a bot)
[17:00] How to stay fast without crossing the line into fluff
[21:10] How to keep journalists happy and your client off the phone
GUEST
Kayley Hamilton - CEO/Founder UPLVL Agency
LOCATION: LA, USA
Web: uplvlagency.com
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CONNECT WITH ME
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GUESTS
- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/
Every PR pro knows the struggle—proving ROI.
You know your work has impact, but when your boss or client asks for hard numbers, the conversation gets awkward. In this episode, we challenge the idea that PR can't demonstrate return on investment.
I talk to Liz Riley from NextPR, who says they have the answer.
We break down:
📊 The real way to track PR-driven traffic and leads (beyond vanity metrics)
🎙️ Why podcasts might be a goldmine for credibility and client conversion
📣 The mistake PR pros make when shifting between social media platforms
💰 What investors actually want to see from PR reports
Would this prove ROI to your boss or client, or are there other ways?
Listen and decide for yourself.
🎧 Timestamps:
0:00 – The PR ROI debate: Why it still matters
5:42 – The Google Analytics trick that proves PR value
14:10 – Do podcasts actually drive leads?
21:30 – Why leaving a platform without notice kills credibility
27:45 – The future of ROI measurement: What’s missing?
GUEST
Liz Reilly - www.nextpr.com
LOCATION: Denver, Colorado
Web: nextpr.com
SUBSCRIBE
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CONNECT WITH ME
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-midson/
- Website and newsletter - https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/
GUESTS
- Check out: https://thepublicrelationspodcast.com/one-sheet/