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The latest public sector news, opinion and features.
Got a story? Contact Ian Griggs on 020 8267 4893 or ian.griggs@haymarket.com.
News and news analysis
Exclusive: WPP reveals top post-pandemic comms challenges for governments
Government comms teams are under renewed pressure due to the pandemic, with societies left divided and the emergence of ‘listening fatigue’ in relation to health messages, according to a major new report released by WPP today
Cabinet Office censured by judge over lack of transparency on FOI requests
New allegations have been made against the Clearing House run by the Cabinet Office to deal with FOI requests, in the wake of a ruling against the government department.
Case study: #NoFilter Army Cadets campaign takes aim at social media
A #NoFilter local recruitment campaign by the Army Cadets, stressing the value of real-life adventure over that of filtered imagery on social media, has boosted applications fourfold and is now set to go national.
Met Police appoints interim comms chief ahead of Helm’s departure
Ruth Shulver will become interim director of comms at the Metropolitan Police later this month, PRWeek has learned.
Ex-Government comms chief moves to Scottish Qualifications Authority
Former Scottish Government comms chief John Booth has started a new job as director of comms at the SQA, PRWeek has learned.
GB News: an opportunity for the PR industry or ‘Gammon TV’?
GB News, the hotly-anticipated new broadcast channel with a right-wing take, launched last night to muted fanfare due to an unfortunate scheduling clash with a first-round match in the European football championships.
'I'm vaccinated': Dating apps join Government coalition to promote vaccines
The COVID-19 vaccination status of people who use dating apps is being used to pair potential couples, in an unlikely foray by the Department of Health and Social Care into the world of online dating.
Exclusive: Pegasus veterans launch hybrid healthcare agency
Former Pegasus heavyweights Jo Spadaccino and Stuart Hehir have today launched healthcare agency Stirred, PRWeek can reveal.
‘Russian’ PR firm offered influencers money to discredit Pfizer vaccine
A PR agency with reported links to Russia offered European influencers money to discredit the Pfizer vaccine to their followers on social media channels.
Bad policy was reason for Government ‘comms disaster zone’ during pandemic, says Cummings
Decisions made by the Prime Minister and senior members of the Government precipitated a “communications disaster zone”, Dominic Cummings claimed during an appearance before a parliamentary select committee this afternoon.
‘Thousands will die’: Dominic Cummings doubles down on COVID-19 herd immunity claim
In a hotly anticipated appearance before a parliamentary select committee this morning, Dominic Cummings doubled down on his claim that the Government’s official plan until the middle of March was to achieve herd immunity.
Code of conduct launched to safeguard wellbeing of comms professionals
Allegory, Cirkle, Smarts and 23red are among the agencies backing a code of conduct, launched today, that is intended to improve the wellbeing of people working in comms and advertising.
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Public sector specialist Big Partnership boosts senior leadership
Public sector specialist Big Partnership has boosted its senior team with a series of promotions, the agency announced today.
Case study: Calls to Crimestoppers surge following NCA gun crime campaign
Calls to Crimestoppers about illegal guns jumped by nearly one-fifth in the wake of a campaign by the National Crime Agency earlier this year, entitled ‘Know the gun, know the law, know the consequences’.
Opinion and features
I don’t like Newsnight, but the harassment of Nicholas Watt sickened me
I don't like the BBC's Newsnight. And perhaps not surprisingly, as a former Sun journalist who worked for the tabloid for 25 years, my politics are often diametrically opposed to the editorial position taken by its producers.
A link between contracts for agencies and their net zero plans has been made – and it’s here to stay
Any agency leaders who thought they didn’t need to worry about climate action will have had something of a shock last week.
The 'summer of recovery' presents an extra challenge for NHS comms
As the national COVID-19 vaccination programme continues apace, the NHS must beware the risk of a reputation gap as it works to resolve the backlog of treatment for other conditions that built up during the pandemic
Ghosted, paid late, misrepresented: the client/agency relationship is at its lowest ebb
There isn’t an agency out there that hasn’t had a rough ride with a client at some point, but post-pandemic (if one can even call this 'post') the tide seems to have turned toward an even tougher stance with agencies.
A Pride campaign by a bunch of straight people? Sure, Jan
I don't want to be 'that guy' complaining about Pride campaigns – I'm in awe of brands that get it right and I don't want to shame anyone into wanting to show support, but…
The BBC must work fast to restore its reputation and stave off privatisation
The BBC’s response to the Martin Bashir scandal has been to announce a “Review of Editorial Policies” and an investigation into the re-hiring of Bashir by the Corporation in 2016.
Defining ‘levelling up’ will be the biggest post-COVID-19 comms challenge for No. 10
Whether it's been badged as "rebalancing the economy", or as Theresa May's short-lived "industrial strategy", the concept of 'levelling up' has been at the centre of political and economic thinking for years.
Videoconferencing has been a lifeline, not a curse, for the industry – let’s keep it
Zoom fatigue has taken its toll over the past 12 months, with the hours spent at screens straining eyes and draining hearts, but, as the world begins to open up, evidence is rapidly amassing that business as usual will look very different in the future.
The tricky internal and corporate comms challenge of jabs for jobs
With light at the end of the lockdown tunnel, we now know we’ll need some kind of COVID-19 ‘vaccine certificate’ to go on a foreign holiday (remember those?), but not to huddle in a wet pub garden with five friends.
Companies should spare the media budget – climate change is an internal comms job
Do you have agency to act on climate change? I don’t mean do you have an agency to help you act on climate change – that would be a sales pitch too far. I mean: do you have ‘agency’ to act on climate change?
Uncharted waters: how to be a client's first PR or comms agency
As a consultancy starting work with a new client, you may or may not rate the client’s previous agency, but at least its work provides a starting point from which to improve, replicate or overhaul – but what happens when the client has never had consultancy support before?
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Communications Senior Executive Hanbury Strategy London (Greater)
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Current or ex Special Advisers (government or UHNWI) Elva Partners London or Dubai
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Campaign Director (integrated communications) Elva Partners London (Central), London (Greater)
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Associate - Policy Communications (UK) Global Counsel Central London, 5 minute walk from Bond Street tube station.
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Head of Communication and External Affairs Westminster Foundation for Democracy Whitehall, London or remote-based (home working).
Recent public sector people moves
Movers & Shakers: Metropolitan Police, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, APCO Worldwide, Shelter, FleishmanHillard and more
PRWeek's round-up of industry hires, departures and promotions.
Pagefield adds clients and senior hires from Edelman, Newgate and more
Pagefield has strengthened its senior team with a raft of hires and announced a fully flexible working model, PRWeek has learned.
Foreign Office deputy comms director joins AI firm Faculty
AI technology company Faculty has appointed Janine Lloyd-Jones as its first marketing and communications director to help drive the company’s next phase of growth.
Movers & Shakers: HBO, Mayor of London, Sanofi, H+K, Porter Novelli and more
PRWeek's round-up of industry hires, departures and promotions.
Mayor of London appoints comms chief
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, who won a second term in office at the weekend, has promoted Sarah Brown to become his director of comms.
Movers & Shakers: Bupa, Government Communication Service, FleishmanHillard, Hanbury and more
PRWeek's round-up of industry hires, departures and promotions.
Engine MHP+Mischief boosts health team with hires from Sanofi and Government
Engine MHP+Mischief has hired Sanofi’s former head of corporate comms, Louise Farmer, and the Department for Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) chief press officer, Jaber Mohamed.