Socially Mobile is a not for profit public relations school that aims to help practitioners achieve their earning potential. It is applying an executive education model to help address socio-economic diversity within the industry. The project expects to launch its first cohort of students in October. The learning design is complete and content production underway. We're looking for support sharing the story of Socially Mobile with industry networks, candidate recruitment, and assessment and...

In this latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Big news as Sarah is awarded a CBE for services to public relations and the voluntary sectors in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. The launch of Socially Mobile  Research shows the pandemic has caused a hiatus in R&D and innovation. The lockdown boom for agency startups  Government in Nigeria has banned Twitter. The Brandwatch Customer Loyalty Report  Ethics – the good, bad and the ugly of recent corporate behaviour.

The Conservatives had a good local election last week however Labour seems more disconnected than ever. Actor, director and writer Noel Clarke was awarded the prize for outstanding British contribution to cinema by BAFTA, despite several allegations of bullying and harassment. Income for the top 150 agencies was down 4.3% in 2020 However more than 50 agencies launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. The PRCA UK National Conference planned as an in-person event on 8 July.

* Report backlash: A commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report claims that the UK "no longer" has a system rigged against people from ethnic minorities. * Hybrid workplace: Employers reporting increased productivity benefits from homeworking * Shocking social: Amazon went on the offensive replying directly to critical tweets. ' * Audio copycat: Clubhouse launched as a social audio platform in April 2020. Now startup Ping Pong allows audio and video messages to be shared in messaging...

#FuturePRoof podcast: can I go back to the office yet? With Stephen and Sarah Waddington * When is a PR disaster not a PR disaster? * Royal protocol * Future of the office * Blowing smoke - British American Tobacco’s use of influencers *Budget highlights *Leader Like Me Conference - learn from industry experts on 23 March * WaddsCon – up next on 26 March www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: We are all Jackie Weaver With Stephen and Sarah Waddington * Fireworks at Handforth Parish Council * Share of search - The IPA is promoting share of search as a metric for advertising effectiveness. * Charities that support contentious causes should expect scrutiny says commission * PR industry bounce back * Exit from lockdown * Free market economies are damaging nature * New Malcolm Gladwell book * Lockdown Unconference www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: An end of year thank you letter With Stephen and Sarah Waddington * Communicators * Media * Writing we’ve admired * Communities of change * Membership organisations * Ones to watch * Best books * Reasons to be optimistic www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

As the US election count continues the US media has found its voice and is calling out the President’s lies. Sarah is proofing the fifth edition of #FuturePRoof. Stephen has been investigating search listening. Organisations face scrutiny over their purpose as COVID-19 continues. The ICCO and PRII Conferences spotlighted opportunity for public relations in helping organisations emerge from the crisis and manage BREXIT The Pros Winter Series on 2 December is a date for your diary.

The latest #FuturePRoof practitioner survey finds one in five PR teams hit by COVID-19 infections. Sarah handed over #FuturePRoof to the BAME community for her latest book. It's CIPR election time. We’re both backing Pete Holt for President in 2022. Stephen plotted COVID-19 against a well-known crisis planning model and spoke to crisis communication experts. Asif Choudry and the team at Resource pulled off a fantastic #CommsHero event 

In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: • Agencies and communication teams continue to navigate a challenging environment, but their work has never been more valued • The UK’s reputation internationally is under scrutiny because of Brexit negotiations • Demos finds society more divided than ever before. • Sarah has two new #FuturePRoof books in the works: a special BAME edition and an exploration of how NHS communicators responded to COVID-19

We discuss: Cultural grief following the tragic and unlawful death of George Floyd in the US and how organisations should respond, with reference to Katrina Marshall’s thoughtful article for #FuturePRoof, published on #BlackoutTuesday  Why the white community needs to educate itself about the #BlackLivesMatter movement and practical steps we can all take, with thanks to guidance from BME PR Pros founder Elizabeth Bananuka Some news about the launch of Stephen’s new professional advisory firm.

#FuturePRoof podcast: Business interventions for COVID19 The #FuturePRoof COVID-19 survey finds industry bosses continuing to come to terms with rapid change and uncertainty. The CIPR and PRCA have been lobbying central Government. The last two weeks have seen massive technology onboarding across society. This hyper connectivity is creating its own issues. The UK lockdown has led to a series of thoughtful, reflective articles.

With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: It’s been a long week as COVID-19 impacts the UK The challenge of shifting a workforce to virtual working How to manage uncertainty, leadership and practical steps to take Job security and finding PR and marketing work Dealing with disinformation: social media and messaging The crisis response starts in the community www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

With Stephen and Sarah Waddington • Press and social media regulation following the Caroline Flack story. • Not your cup of tea? Where is the limit for brand banter? LNER and Yorkshire Tea. • Noisy news cycle: Boris baby has bumped big news stories down the agenda. • Coronavirus: clarity, consistency and honesty are critical to allaying public fear. www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

City PR firm Tulchan has appointed former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson as an advisor. You can’t legislate and lobby Are you helping your organisation prepare for Brexit? We talk about the opportunity for PR practitioners It’s not just social media that is being used to share disinformation. Journalists need to be critical voices and name sources A new #FuturePRoof project aims to give PR a voice in the fast growing market of influencer marketing.

Sarah spent her summer holidays writing a guide to countering disinformation for professional communicators The CIPR Election is underway and both Sarah and Stephen are backing Mandy Pearse for President in 2021 Stephen is working with Scott Guthrie and Vuelio to write a guide to earned and owned media governance for influencer marketing Home Secretary Priti Patel, has pitted police social media managers against front line officers this week We share our summer reading lists.

In the June edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast Sarah and Stephen Waddington celebrate the latest State of the Internet Report by analyst Mary Meeker. The 300+ page annual report is packed with insights on internet adoption, devices and platforms; the internet ad market; content formats; and observations on disruptive business models and markets.

• Protecting your creative ideal and intellectual property. • The PRCA Census 2019 which finds the PR industry in the UK is worth £15billion and employs 95,000 people but isn’t making progress on diversity and socioeconomic issues. • The Cision Global State of the Media Report 2019 with insights for pitching to time-pressed journalists • The influence of the Trump playbook in local politics in the North East • Books: Airhead by Emily Maitlis and The Joy of Work by Bruce Daisley

In this edition Sarah and Stephen discuss: Tim Berners-Lee and the Internet at 30; the House of Lords Select Committee report on Internet regulation; Senator Elizabeth Warren‘s blast at tech platforms in Presidential bid; Facebook and Instagram outage; the Organ Donation 'opt out' bill receives Royal Assent; Red Nose Day backlash; International Women’s Day washing; #CommsSchool on how to blog; and environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

In this latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we ask whether the Fyre Festival was less a PR disaster or more bad business. We explore the Edelman Trust Barometer and find good news for employee advocacy. Professional blogging is changing as people find news ways to create content and build networks. There’s a new initiative from the CIPR on procuring professional services and the PRCA has launched a virtual agency group. Stephen’s created a virtual school to help students build their...

Sarah Hall and Stephen Waddington talk about the highlights of BledCom 2018, the 25th international public research symposium. Presentations and panel discussions tackled the conference headline - A World in Crisis: The Role of Public Relations. Sarah and Stephen talk about PR for good and bad, media, professionalism, organisational purpose, education and the relationship between academia and practice.

In this edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast Sarah Hall and Stephen Waddington discuss: the value of earned media and the Royal Wedding; Twitter timeline troll tweaks; WPP post-Sorrell; the impact of tech on PR skills; Facebook’s dating app; Google Home Assistant and other robots; Childish Gambino’s This is America; the Government Communication Plan 2017/18; a new Platinum podcast with Prof Anne Gregory and Dr Jon White on PR as a management discipline; and the Cluetrain Manifesto.

In this edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast Sarah Hall and Stephen Waddington discuss the CIPR; Facebook; Wetherspoons; #AIinPR; and the #FuturePRoof NHS project.