Miriam is joined by guests:

• Sarah Key, leader of the content team at NHS Blood and Transplant, and
• Tim Ridgway Chart.PR, the Strategic Stakeholder Engagement Manager at Surrey County Council.

Drawing on campaigns delivered across healthcare, local government, policing, and the charity sector, the panel discuss how practitioners can identify objectives, segment and map audiences to tailor messaging, and secure stakeholder buy-in. Listeners will hear about established planning approaches including the OASIS framework and PESO model, and the case for establishing strategies before reaching for tactics.

The panel concludes by examining how communicators can test novel approaches in their campaigns without chasing trends, what audiences reaction to influencer and AI-generated content reveals about the value of credible voices, and why evaluation and measurable indicators of performance belong in a campaign from its outset.

• Listen to the episode on Spotify
• Find out more about the CIPR Engage Podcast
• CIPR members can log 5 CPD points for listening to this episode

• Communication that assumes shared language and cultural knowledge
• Low representation in the stories, imagery and messengers organisations use
• Distrust rooted in past experiences of exclusion
• Short-term campaigns that do not build lasting relationships

The study sets out to understand why digital communication fails to reach these communities and how public relations professionals can build messaging people trust. Drawing on 10 in-depth interviews with PR professionals, media leaders, accessibility specialists, academics and community founders, survey responses from practitioners and community organisations, and three applied case studies across Scotland, it identifies where inclusive communication succeeds and sets out practical steps to reach audiences who may be overlooked.To address these barriers, the report provides a Digital Inclusion PR Toolkit, a resource that aims to embed inclusion into everyday PR practice. It includes readiness checks, guidance on inclusive language, frameworks for co-creating communication with communities, and a measurement approach that weighs trust and confidence alongside reach.

Read and download all of the CIPR's Research Fund reports.

The report - Impact Beyond Borders: Expanding Global Access for Young African Communicators - was authored by Adedoyin Jaiyesimi Chart.PR, MCIPR and sponsored by the CIPR Research Fund. It draws on a survey of more than 200 respondents across 11 African countries, 10 focus group discussions with 40 young professionals in Nigeria, Kenya and Zimbabwe, and one-on-one interviews with the presidents of four national PR associations and the chair of the CIPR International Group.

The study sets out to understand why young African professionals are excluded from global PR and communications training and how international associations could widen access. Reviewing how training is provided across the sector, it identifies where engagement is strongest and sets out practical steps to reach those still being missed.

The research identifies three main barriers that limit the access young African professionals have to global training and certification:

• Financial constraints and affordability
• Limited awareness and visibility of what associations offer
• A mismatch between global course content and African market realities

To address the barriers, the report proposes the ARC model, a framework built on three pillars: accessibility, relevance and collaboration. Accessibility addresses the cost, format and payment of training. Relevance concerns how well course content reflects African markets. Collaboration calls for partnerships between global bodies and African associations, academic institutions and PR communities.

• Read more CIPR Research Fund reports.
• Download the full report.

Two candidates are standing for election as the CIPR's 2027 President-Elect:

• David Hamilton Chart.PR, FCIPR - Executive Director of Engagement, Marketing and Communications at the British Film Institute (BFI)
• Anne-Marie Lacey Chart.PR, FCIPR - Degree Programme Director and Senior Lecturer at Newcastle University

The successful candidate will serve as President-Elect in 2027 before becoming CIPR President in 2028 and Past-President in 2029. Candidate statements are available to read on the CIPR's website, and a virtual hustings will take place on 15 September from 12:00-13:00 BST where members can pose questions to David and Anne-Marie.

Five candidates are standing for two seats on the Institute's Board of Directors, for a term running from January 2027 to December 2029:

• Hajira Amla Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Adam Barrett MCIPR
• Paul Compton Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Aimee Postle Chart.PR, Dip CIPR
• Naomi MG Smith Chart.PR, FCIPR

Voting in both contested elections opens on 16 September 2026 and closes on 28 September 2026, with results expected on 1 October. Eligible CIPR members will receive voting instructions by email from Mi-Voice, the Institute's electoral services provider.

Eleven candidates stood for election to the CIPR Council. With fewer candidates than available seats, all eleven have been elected unopposed and will serve a term running from January 2027 to December 2028:

• Bridget Aherne Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Peter Campbell Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Catherine Condie Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Shaun Gibbons Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Andrew Hesselden MCIPR
• Lisa James Chart.PR, MCIPR
• John Mayne Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Paula McNulty Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Lorna Muir MCIPR
• Samantha Seewoosurrun Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Samantha Wilding Chart.PR, MCIPR

• Register for the virtual hustings on September 15, 12:00-13:00BST.
• Read the candidate's statements.

Now in its sixth successive year, the PR Research Fund supports independent research into questions facing the public relations profession. The 2026 projects cover ethics in internal and science communications, hidden disabilities, and the effects of secondary trauma on practitioners.

Successful applicants will receive grants of up to £2,000 and access to CIPR training courses to strengthen their research methods.

The projects commissioned under the 2026 Research Fund are:

• Living the Values: embedding ethical values through internal communications, by Katherine Bradshaw Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Invisible but Impactful: creating a more inclusive PR profession for people with hidden disabilities and long-term health conditions, by Samantha Livingstone Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Ethical and practical considerations in research communications, and how STEM PR professionals can provide fair and inclusive opportunity to diverse groups, by David Schley Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Vicarious and secondary trauma in PR: when telling the story takes a toll, by Crispin Thorold Chart.PR, FCIPR, FRSA

• For more information about the Fund, please visit our website
• Read the CIPR's latest Research Fund reports online

In the letter, the coalition - made up of Unlock Democracy, Transparency International UK, Spotlight on Corruption, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations - argues that reforming the 2014 Lobbying Act would be an early and concrete way for the new Prime Minister to make good on his pledge to fix a "broken" Westminster and begin rebuilding public trust in politics.

The EIC's independent review, commissioned by outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, was published on 9 July and calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the UK's lobbying rules. Its recommendations include:

• expanding the statutory register to cover all lobbyists, including the in-house lobbyists who currently fall outside the rules entirely;
• widening the scope of the rules beyond ministers and permanent secretaries to include special advisers;
• removing the VAT exemption that allows for unregistered foreign lobbying;
• requiring meaningful disclosure of lobbying activity, including the subject of meetings and correspondence; and
• creating a single, searchable database bringing together both those who lobby and those who are lobbied.

The coalition says committing to these reforms would deliver on Labour's manifesto pledge to clean up politics and support the Prime Minister's own promise to overhaul a Westminster system that has "failed the public for too long".

The letter - published in full below - notes that the reforms could be legislated quickly and already command support across the political spectrum, from parliamentarians, transparency campaigners, and from within the professional lobbying industry itself. It warns that recent lobbying scandals, which have damaged public trust in both Parliament and the business community, have been able to occur under the "failed" 2014 Act.

LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER

Dear Mr Burnham,

Committing to implement the Ethics and Integrity Commissions (EIC) recommendations on lobbying reform

You have said plainly that Westminster is broken and that your task is to fix politics. As you succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Prime Minister, committing to overhauling the UK's lobbying rules would be an early and concrete way to follow through on that promise and begin rebuilding trust in our politics.

We write on behalf of a coalition of organisations from across civil society and industry that has come together to make the case for reforming the 2014 Lobbying Act. Collectively, our research lays bare how weak these lobbying rules are. Public trust in politics is fragile, and the opacity surrounding the relationship between the political and business worlds only contributes to that scepticism.

The recent Ethics and Integrity Commissions review presents a significant opportunity for reform. Commissioned by the outgoing Prime Minister, its independent review into lobbying, disclosure, and access to government published its recommendations 9 July. It calls for a comprehensive overhaul of the UK's lobbying rules, including:

• expanding the statutory register to cover all lobbyists, including the in-house lobbyists who carry out the overwhelming majority of lobbying and currently fall outside the rules entirely;
• widening the scope of the rules beyond ministers and permanent secretaries to include special advisers;
• removing the VAT exemption, that allows for unregistered foreign lobbying;
• requiring meaningful disclosure of lobbying activity, including the subject of meetings and correspondence; and
• creating a single, searchable database bringing together both those who lobby and those who are lobbied.

Committing to implement their recommendations in full would deliver directly on Labour's manifesto pledge to clean up politics, the very promise that led to the Commission being set up. It would also give practical effect to your own commitments to fixing a broken Westminster system that has failed the public for too long.

Few reforms would prove that intent as clearly or as quickly. Accepting the Commission’s recommendations would ensure the public can see who is influencing the government and on whose behalf. It could be legislated quickly and already has support across parties, from organisations concerned about lobbying transparency and from within the professional lobbying industry itself.

Recent lobbying scandals have damaged the public's view of Parliament and the business community and have been able to happen under the failed 2014 Lobbying Act. This is a well-timed opportunity to change that and, in doing so, improve our policy-making process. We hope you will give it your serious consideration.

Yours sincerely,

Tom Brake CEO, Unlock Democracy

Hazel Cheeseman Chief Executive, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)

Duncan Hames Senior Director of Policy and UK Programmes, Transparency International UK

Susan Hawley Executive Director, Spotlight on Corruption

Alastair McCapra CEO, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)

• Steve Baker - former minister and Chief Provocation Officer, The Provocation People
• Professor Paul Dolan - Professor of Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics and Chief Provocation Officer, The Provocation People
• Dr Alison Edgar MBE - Motivational Business Speaker
• Dr Rebecca Harding - CEO, Centre for Economic Security
• Amil Khan - Co-founder and CEO, Valent
• Dwain Reid - Business Growth Specialist
• Louise Thompson Davies - Global Head of External Communications at Jaguar Land Rover

• Find out more and book your tickets for the CIPR's 2026 Annual Conference

Episode 22 - Ageism in PR - examines why and how experienced practitioners get pushed out of the profession, drawing on the findings from the CIPR-funded report ‘An age-old problem: What can we do to tackle ageism in PR?’ It is the first in a new series produced in partnership with the CIPR's Diversity and Inclusion Network and its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Champions, who work across the Institute's sectoral and regional groups.

The episode covers how ageism appears in hiring, in access to training, and in a stereotype that casts older practitioners as a “safe pair of hands” rather than a creative one. It considers business models and cultural norms that treat senior experience as a cost, the practitioners who feel pushed into freelancing as a result, and the way ageism can compound other forms of discrimination, particularly for women and people from diverse backgrounds.

Host Abha Thakor Chart.PR, FCIPR, journalist and Chartered Manager, is joined by:

• Jenny Manchester MCIPR, author of the report ‘An age-old problem: What can we do to tackle ageism in PR?’
• Avril Lee Hon.FCIPR, independent communications consultant and Chair of the CIPR’s Diversity and Inclusion Network and the Taylor Bennett Foundation.

The episode closes with practical steps to build age-friendly workplaces, returning to the employers' checklist published alongside Jenny's report and setting out where the industry can begin: clearer criteria and scoring in recruitment, checking who actually takes up existing policies such as those on menopause or caring responsibilities, and training line managers to work across generations.

• Listen to the episode on Spotify or Apple Music
• Find out more about the CIPR Engage Podcast
• CIPR members can log 5 CPD points for listening to this episode
• Read the CIPR-funded report - An age-old problem: What can we do to tackle ageism in PR?
• Find out more about the CIPR's Diversity and Inclusion Network
• Explore the Centre for Ageing Better's Age-Friendly Culture Toolkit and Age-friendly Employer Pledge

Commissioned by the prime minister and published this morning, the report - Lobbying, Business Appointment Rules and Disclosure - makes the case for fundamental reforms to the UK’s lobbying regime in line with the CIPR's position and long-running campaign. The CIPR provided written and oral evidence to the commission, and its research is referenced throughout the report.

The report sets out 22 recommendations to improve the transparency and accountability around lobbying. Chief among them is the call for a register of lobbying activity to replace the existing register of consultant lobbyists, arguing that "[a]ny individual or organisation carrying out lobbying activity should be required to register and submit information returns on their lobbying activity". This would mean in-house lobbyists would be required to register their lobbying activity in Westminster for the first time, closing a significant loophole and recognising a key part of the CIPR’s “Lobbying for Good Lobbying” campaign.

• Registration of lobbying targeting special advisers and civil servants at director general or director level
• Scrapping the exemption for organisations below the VAT threshold
• Scrapping the exemption for communication that is incidental to a business’s main activities
• A one-stop, AI-enabled digital register

• Read the Ethics and Integrity Commission's report
• Find out more about our Lobbying for Good Lobbying campaign
• The CIPR has published three reports into Westminster's lobbying regime - No Rules Britannia?, Failure by design, and Easy Wins, Empty Gains

• Read the CIPR's 2025 Annual Report
• Register for the CIPR's AGM online

• Sam Ellis, Senior Public Affairs Manager, Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL)
• Tony Langham, Executive Chair and Co-Founder, Lansons | Team Farner
• Jon McLeod, Partner, DRD Partnership
• Angharad Mountford, Senior Communications Manager, Schillings
• Charlotte Sansom, Associate Director, PR & Communications, EMEA, Dechert LLP

Tin Man, the British Beer and Pub Association, Golley Slater, Mediator, MHP Group, and Sanctuary were the big winners on the night, each taking home two awards as nearly 500 PR and communications professionals joined magician and presenter Ben Hanlin at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London to celebrate the best work in PR over the last 12 months.

Among the double winners, the British Beer and Pub Association's campaign to secure a Government U-turn on behalf of the nation's pubs won both the Change Communications Campaign and Public Affairs Campaign awards, while Tin Man added a Mark of Excellence in the PR Consultancy of the Year category to its two campaign wins.

That title went to Ready10, while Viva retained its crown as Small PR Consultancy of the Year. Words+Pixels was named Specialist PR Consultancy of the Year, and Deloitte UK and Sanctuary took home the In-House PR Team of the Year awards for the private and not-for-profit sectors respectively.

Individual talent was also recognised as Emilija Juseviciute of Essex County Fire and Rescue Service was named Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year, sponsored by JGA, and Tuesday Media won the award for Independent PR Practitioner of the Year.

This year's awards, sponsored by Specialist Speakers, featured 33 categories.

• See the full list of winners online or below.
• All the photos from the evening can be viewed and downloaded online.

Corporate and Business Communications Campaign

WINNER: MHP Group with Coca-Cola: The Bosses

Mark of Excellence: Companies House with Changes to UK Company Law - Identity Verification

Internal Communications or Employee Engagement Campaign

WINNER: Currys x The fresh Group with Currys - Right First Time

Change Communications Campaign

WINNER: British Beer and Pub Association with The nation’s pubs; the Government's U-Turn

Consumer Relations Campaign

WINNER: Smarts with Asda - Love is in the Aisles

Mark of Excellence: Bottle with Bottle x Stannah LiftStyle Icon

Public Sector Campaign

WINNER: Kindred with Probation in Verse

Mark of Excellence: Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner with #NailDomesticAbuse

Social Purpose Campaign

WINNER: Tim Reid Media with Tim Reid Media - Chinook Justice Campaign

Mark of Excellence: The Heard with STRUT SAFE: STRUT STOP

Public Affairs Campaign

WINNER: British Beer and Pub Association with Saving pubs: achieving a rare Government U-Turn

Mark of Excellence: Tendo with Turning EV Charging Accessibility Into Law

Not-for-Profit Campaign

WINNER: Mediator with Uncried Tears of Men

Mark of Excellence: Story Shop & The Maclean Brothers with The Maclean Brothers Pacific Row

Healthcare and/or Wellbeing Campaign

WINNER: Mediator with Uncried Tears of Men

Mark of Excellence: Kindred with No More Stiff Upper Lip

Integrated Campaign

WINNER: Weber Shandwick with Knorrplay is the new foreplay

Beauty, Fashion and Lifestyle Campaign

WINNER: Umpf  with The Wonder Wall: Supernova Spectacle at St David's

Environmental Campaign

WINNER: Sara McCracken Consulting Ltd with 1.2 million people acting for climate and nature.

Mark of Excellence: Words+Pixels with Back Market: The Last Shot Gallery

Low Budget Campaign

WINNER: Tin Man x London Luton Airport with The Lilo-brary

Mark of Excellence: Klaxonn with FLATPACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

STEM Campaign

WINNER: UKCEH with First UK Rice Trials

Sport or Entertainment Campaign

WINNER: VCCP with Allwyn x VCCP: The Scratch Car

Mark of Excellence: Working Word & Welsh National Theatre with A new Welsh National Theatre

Travel, Transport or Tourism Campaign

WINNER: Tin Man and Tourism New Zealand with Tourism New Zealand x The Hardest Geezer

Education Campaign

WINNER: 23red with Mumentum

Mark of Excellence: McCANN with McCANN x Arden University - Silence Your Critic

Best Use of Media Relations

WINNER: Story Shop & The Maclean Brothers with The Maclean Brothers Pacific Row

Best Channel Delivery

WINNER: Bank of England with Bank of England’s Mind Your Money Campaign

Mark of Excellence: Companies House with Changes to UK Company Law - Identity Verification

Best Long-term Campaign

WINNER: Golley Slater with Inspiring Genius Decisions During Apprenticeship Week Wales

Mark of Excellence: Hard Numbers with Gigamon: Rewriting the security narrative of Hybrid Cloud

Best Use of Content

WINNER: MHP Group with Santander UK with Fixing the Broken Chain

Best Event

WINNER: DTEK with “Carol of the Bells” at a Destroyed TPP

Best In-House Campaign

WINNER: King's College London  with Science at King's

Best Long-term Client Care

WINNER: Golley Slater X Skills, Higher Education and Lifelong Learning team at Welsh Government with Golley Slater x SHELL Welsh Government

Issues, Crisis or Reputation Management

WINNER: National Grid Electricity Distribution with National Grid's Crisis Response to Storm Goretti

Best Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Campaign or Initiative

WINNER: Sanctuary with Behind the Mask - Disability History Month

Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year

WINNER: Emilija Juseviciute, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service

Mark of Excellence: Louis O'Halloran, Inflect

Independent PR Practitioner of the Year

WINNER: Tuesday Media

Mark of Excellence: Verity Cash, Alphabet Communications

In-House PR Team of the Year - Private Sector

WINNER: Deloitte UK

Mark of Excellence: QBE Insurance

In-House PR Team of the Year – Not-for-Profit/Public/Charity Sector

WINNER: Sanctuary

Mark of Excellence: Quadram Institute

Specialist PR Consultancy of the Year

WINNER: Words+Pixels

Mark of Excellence: Kindred

Small PR Consultancy of the Year

WINNER: Viva

PR Consultancy of the Year

WINNER: Ready10

Mark of Excellence: Tin Man

The milestone was reached following the Institute’s latest assessment day on 18 June where Candice and 19 other members were awarded chartered status. It means that 49 members were chartered in the second quarter of this year - including members from Croatia, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Ghana, and the UK – and takes the total number of Chartered PR Practitioners to 1,008.

The Institute was awarded a Royal Charter in 2005 and with it, the ability to designate chartered practitioner status, the highest badge of professionalism within the PR profession. It has chartered the most recent 500 members within the last four years, demonstrating a growing demand for and increased value of professional recognition.

Chartership is a demonstration of a professional’s expertise and knowledge of public relations practice across strategy, ethics, and leadership. 

The CIPR has marked reaching 1,000 Chartered Practitioners with a new Chartership Wall, where chartered members relate through stories, videos and personal reflections why they pursued Chartership and the impact it has had on their careers.

Q2 Chartered PR Practitioners

• Martin Alohan, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Winstone Antonio, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Stewart Argo, Chart.PR, FCIPR
• Jo Barker, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Suad Bawa-Paintsil, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Ivan Biošić, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Juliana Asabea Boateng, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Thomas Borwick, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Claire Brough, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Jennifer Cairnduff, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Ian Campbell, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Debra Chand, Chart.PR, MCIPR, Dip CIPR
• Rudo Charuma, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Patience Chimondi, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Eunice Chivhunga, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Peter Cooper, Chart.PR, MCIPR, Dip CIPR
• Paula Curtin, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Andy Downton, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• David Eyre, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Mary Patricia Flynn, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Amy-Jo Fowler, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Neil Fullbrook, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Moya Galal, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Joanna Gardiner, Chart.PR, MCIPR, Dip CIPR
• Tokunboh George-Taylor, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Rhys Gregory, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Alister Heywood, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Janine Hogan, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Katy Hughes, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Dan Ibeziako, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Katherine Kennedy, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Katy Melhuish, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Judi Morris, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Olivia Morton, Chart.PR, MCIPR, Dip CIPR
• Tapfumaneyi Mugari, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Stewart Mupaya, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Louise Pay, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Imthiaz Rehman, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Helen Reilly, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Rebecca Roberts, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Candice Robinson, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Nia Rolfe, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Christine De Souza, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Nita Shayachimwe, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Michael Smith, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Mia Squire-Christopher, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Jessica Taylor, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Natalie Trice, Chart.PR, MCIPR
• Julia Walsh, Chart.PR, MCIPR, Dip CIPR

• Visit the CIPR's Chartership Wall to hear from Chartered members about the difference the status has made to their confidence and careers.
• The CIPR have announced a Chartership package that enables members to save nearly £200 on the Chartership assessment fee by adding it to their membership subscription at a discounted rate and committing to becoming chartered within two years.
• Find out more about Chartership or email our membership team with any questions.

A volunteer with Scouts since 2012, Rhian became Chief Volunteer for Wales in 2019. During her time in post, she guided Scouting in Wales through the Covid-19 pandemic, supported the introduction of Squirrels, and marked 100 years of Scouting in Wales. She now serves as a Trustee of the Youth United Foundation, representing Scouts and other youth organisations on its UK board.

Rhian has volunteered with the Institute for more than 20 years, chairing its Cymru Group from 2018 to 2022 and more recently serving on its Council. She was awarded the CIPR’s Sir Stephen Tallents’ Medal in 2023. Rhian has held senior communications roles across the public and private sectors, and currently works as Head of Communications and Engagement at South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The ban, announced this morning by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, covers platforms including Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X. The government will also restrict access to higher-risk features, including disappearing messages and livestreaming, and act to prevent strangers contacting children on gaming platforms. 
 

The Institute's central objection is that the new rules misplace responsibility. By targeting young users rather than the platform design that exposes them to harm, the approach leaves the underlying addictive features largely untouched – a concern shared by the National Crime Agency and the NSPCC, both of which have warned that restrictions of this kind risk pushing children towards less regulated, more dangerous online spaces.

The new guide - The Responsible Use of AI in PR - is available to both CIPR members and non-members, and translates the Global Alliance's Venice Pledge into practical guidance, taking each of the Pledge's seven principles and exploring the issues and dilemmas practitioners may encounter when applying them in practice. 

It offers a practical checklist covering how to assess AI tools before use, what to consider when handling data, how to review outputs, the questions to ask before publishing AI-assisted or generated content, and the wider responsibilities involved in commissioning and deploying AI systems.

It is intended to be used as a reference when developing organisational AI policies, evaluating tools, or briefing teams and clients.

The guidance will be reviewed and updated periodically by the CIPR's Professional Practices Committee (PPC) to reflect new developments in AI capabilities, emerging case law, and evolving professional standards.

• Download the CIPR's best practice guide on The Responsible Use of AI in PR. [Member download | Non-member download]
• Visit the CIPR's AI in PR Hub for more resources, expert insight, and training courses on AI in PR and communications

The member-exclusive guide - AI and Digital Ethics for Communicators - is a practical playbook that explores the five responsible and ethical roles communicators play in ensuring ethical AI practice within an organisation is visible, clear, and accountable.

The playbook includes:

• guidance on effective AI prompting
• a list of ethical checks for AI-involved communications tasks
• practical do's and don'ts
• a lightweight governance kit
• a series of scenario cards for team discussions, training, and on boarding

• CIPR members can log 10 CPD points for reading the guide
• Download AI and Digital Ethics for Communicators
• Find out more about the CIPR Inside Group

Recorded at the Institute’s Annual Conference, Episode 21 - Leadership & Impact - features interviews with the event’s expert speakers who share their reflections on the topics of their talks, the questions they posed, and how their thinking applies to the day-to-day realities of communications leadership.

Episode 21’s speakers cover topics ranging from the cognitive cost of over-reliance on generative AI and the new expectations of multi-generational workforces, to change management and the case for stepping into independent practice.

Steve Bryant, Co-Chair of the CIPR Podcast Editorial Board, is joined by:

• Karen Blackett CBE on the ingredients of good leadership across a 33-year career.
• Dr Jack Lewis, neuroscientist, on the cognitive cost of leaning too heavily on generative AI.
• James Peach, global marketing leader behind Uber, Coca-Cola, and Innocent, on what modern leadership demands of intergenerational teams.
• Lucy Holliday, Senior Employee Communications Manager at the Financial Times, on the company's award-winning AI transformation programme.
• Josephine Hansom, who recently represented young people at the House of Lords on building empathy across generations.
• Naomi Goodman, MHP Group, on leading teams through change without absorbing its disruption.
• Sara Naylor, Co-Chair of CIPR's Independent Practitioners Network, and Ben Veal, Founder of Second Mountain Comms, on the opportunities and ethical considerations of independent practice in the age of AI.
• The CIPR’s 2025 President Advita Patel, current President Farzana Baduel, and President-elect, Dan Gerrella.

Released as the CIPR confirms its 2026 Annual Conference – Organisation Resilience: Leading Communications in a Changing World – Episode 21 offers a chance to revisit the most useful thinking from 2025’s gathering before the profession turns its attention to what's next.

• Listen to the Engage podcast on Apple and Spotify
• Find out more about the CIPR's Engage podcast
• CIPR members can log 5 CPD points for listening to this episode

The paper - Easy Wins, Empty Gains - examines each of the nine recommendations on lobbying reform made by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in their 2021 Upholding Standards in Public Life - Standards Matter 2 review. It assigns a red, amber, or green rating to each recommendation depending on how effective it would be at delivering transparency. Only four of the nine recommendations are rated as green. The paper is published as the Ethics and Integrity Commission is undertaking its lobbying, disclosure and access to government review, as instructed by the government.

The paper forms part of the CIPR's continued campaign to improve transparency in Westminster's lobbying laws and follows new polling that reveals an overwhelming support for the Institute's position from the industry.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life was replaced by Ethics and Integrity Commission in 2025.

• Find out more about the CIPR's Lobbying for Good Lobbying Campaign
• Download the CIPR's new white paper, ‘Easy Wins, Empty Gains’

The nomination period for all three bodies runs from Wednesday 29 April to Friday 22 May 2026, closing at 17:00 BST. Elections will take place in September 2026, with all terms beginning on 1 January 2027.

President-Elect 2027

The President-Elect serves as first deputy to the President, beginning a three-year term in January 2027: one year as President-Elect, one as President, and one as Vice President.

The President is the most visible leadership role in the Institute, representing the CIPR to government, media, and the wider industry.

Board of Directors

Board members serve a three-year term commencing January 2027 and hold legal responsibility for the governance of the Institute. The role offers substantial non-executive governance experience, with exposure to financial oversight, risk, and long-term strategy, and is a valuable route into wider trustee and director positions.

The Institute’s latest skills assessment identified a need for experience in governance, equity, diversity and inclusion, and digital or cyber security. To stand for election, candidates do not need to be CIPR members, or to have prior experience as a director or trustee.

Council

The Council advises the Board on the Institute's strategic direction. Those elected will serve a two-year term, from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2028.

Serving on Council gives members direct input into policy, professional standards, and strategy, alongside a peer network that spans sectors and career stages. Council meets four times per year for three-hour sessions, with a mix of in-person and online meetings.

• Learn more about CIPR elections
• Find out more about serving as President, a Board Director, or on Council

Now in its 42nd year, the prestigious awards will see 145 organisations and professionals compete across 33 categories. This year the In-House PR Team of the Year Award has been split into two categories recognising the best Private Sector Team and the best Not-for-Profit, Public, or Charity Sector Team. Three further new categories also join this year's awards

• Change Communications campaign
• Best In-House campaign
• Best Equity, Diversity and Inclusion campaign or initiative

Tickets are now available to purchase for the live awards ceremony on 1 July 2026 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. Read the full shortlist below.

• Book your ticket to attend the Excellence Awards live ceremony

CIPR EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2026 SHORTLIST

Corporate and Business Communications Campaign

• Companies House
  Changes to UK Company Law - Identity Verification
• Currie & Brown
  Building Certainty Brand Campaign
• Luther Pendragon and London Market Group
  Creating a New Financial Services Market Worth Billions
• MHP Group
  Coca-Cola: The Bosses
• MHP Group with E.ON UK
  The Home Age
• Skipton Group
  Skipton Group Home Affordability Index: reshaping affordability conversations
• Sodali & Co
  Winning a contested takeover through integrated communications
• Sodexo UK & Ireland
  Making Sodexo UK & Ireland Famous for Food

Internal Communications or Employee Engagement Campaign

• 44 Communications and ITV
  A recognition campaign that united ITV's global workforce
• Air Astana supported by Definition
  Going Global
• Arup
  From blank canvas to shared strategy
• Currys x The fresh Group
  Currys - Right First Time
• Gallagher Communication
  Driving Clarity and Engagement Across a Global Transformation
• HMRC
  Connecting to purpose: creatively driving engagement and transformation
• Sopra Steria
  Orange Award Scheme
• Survitec
  Strategic Vision, Value-Driven Future

Change Communications Campaign

• 44 Communications and Greene King
  Turning digital change into a shared human experience
• British Beer and Pub Association
  The nation's pubs; the Government's U-Turn
• Gallagher Communication
  Driving Clarity and Engagement Across a Global Transformation
• Karbon Homes
  Empowering residents to transform waste management culture
• Manchester Airport
  Manchester Airport Transformation Programme – 'Your New T2'

Consumer Relations Campaign

• Bottle
  Bottle x Stannah LiftStyle Icon
• Golley Slater X Transport for Wales
  Yes, this is really train food
• Mischief
  Avanti: Your Presence is Presents Enough
• Ready10 & McDonald's
  The Draw How You Feel Meal
• Red Consultancy
  Mind the Grab
• Smarts
  Asda - Love is in the Aisles
• Smoking Gun
  Fry & Mighty: Taking back market share
• Weber Shandwick
  Knorrplay is the new foreplay

Public Sector Campaign

• Barley Communications
  Fighting AI cloning scams for National Trading Standards
• Kindred
  Probation in Verse
• Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner
  #NailDomesticAbuse
• MHP Group with The Met Office
  The Power of Weather Intelligence
• Mid Sussex District Council
  As Easy As 1,2,3 Rolling Out Food Waste
• National Grid Electricity Distribution
  National Grid's Winter Campaign: Don't Hang About
• Oxford City Council
  Explaining local government on Instagram and TikTok
• UK Civil Aviation Authority
  Protecting passengers and improving safety over Christmas

Social Purpose Campaign

• Blurred and coalition partners
  I Am Not A Typo
• Four Agency Worldwide x Centre for Ageing Better
  "It isn't ageing, it's ageism"
• HUNTER: UK, Forsman & Bodenfors, Goodstuff and NRG
  See What She Sees
• Skipton Building Society
  FROZEN OUT – Skipton Building Society, Age UK and National Energy Action
• The Heard
  STRUT SAFE: STRUT STOP
• Third City
  Pain Unmasked
• Tim Reid Media
  Tim Reid Media - Chinook Justice Campaign
• Vodafone with Tin Man and Chalk Strategy
  The Chatbot Bytes Breakfast Club

Public Affairs Campaign

• British Beer and Pub Association
  Saving pubs: achieving a rare Government U-Turn
• MHP Group with E.ON UK
  The Home Age
• National Farmers Union of England and Wales
  Stop the Family Farm Tax campaign
• Sodali & Co
  Delivering regulatory change to support UK farmers
• Tendo
  Turning EV Charging Accessibility Into Law
• The Blakeney Group
  Winning Tax Change Worth Millions for Live Music
• The National Housing Federation
  Securing a generational £40bn+ investment in affordable homes
• University of Bath
  Driving Action on Spice-Spiked Vapes in Schools

Not-for-Profit Campaign

• Forster Communications & Inflect
  Robbed: Big Tech's Little Victims
• Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity)
  GOSH Charity's activation at St Paul's
• Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity)
  GOSH Charity's School Photo Day
• Kindred
  No More Stiff Upper Lip
• Mediator
  Uncried Tears of Men
• Red Consultancy & Whizz Kidz
  Childhood Can't Wait
• Story Shop & The Maclean Brothers
  The Maclean Brothers Pacific Row
• WWF-UK
  A Prescription for Nature

Healthcare &/or Well Being Campaign

• Kindred
  No More Stiff Upper Lip
• Langland
  Wander Wise
• Mediator
  Uncried Tears of Men
• North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board
  Increasing urgent dental care online appointment bookings
• SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health)
  The Nook from SAMH
• Third City
  Pain Unmasked
• Tin Man x Innocent
  Fruity Couture: Giving Big Knit Energy

Integrated Campaign

• Democracy PR
  Top Of The Plots for Gardena
• Lesniak Swann for Promat by Etex
  Structural Steel: Get the Full Picture
• MHP Group
  Coca-Cola: The Bosses
• Mischief
  Avanti: Your Presence is Presents Enough
• Story Shop & The Maclean Brothers
  The Maclean Brothers Pacific Row
• Teneo
  #AxeTheRacingTax: British Horseracing Authority Campaign
• Third City
  Strengthen your Pension
• Weber Shandwick
  Knorrplay is the new foreplay

Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Campaign

• Ideas Network
  Nomadic Watches - The Art of Watchmaking
• Umpf
  The Wonder Wall: Supernova Spectacle at St David's
• Words+Pixels
  FRAMELESS: The Art of Expression

Environmental Campaign

• Barley Communications
  Deep Decline: Communicating the environmental impact of overfishing
• Barley Communications and Keep Britain Tidy
  Fight Fly-tipping Fortnight - #RubbishDeal
• Dorset Council
  Using playful characters to spark serious climate action
• Portland Communications
  The One Ocean Science Congress
• Sara McCracken Consulting Ltd
  1.2 million people acting for climate and nature.
• Tin Man and London Luton Airport
  The Lilo-brary
• University of Oxford
  Climate and the environment at Oxford
• Words+Pixels
  Back Market: The Last Shot Gallery

Low Budget Campaign

• Cambridge University Press & Assessment
  What the Skibidi!? Cambridge Dictionary campaign
• Klaxonn
  FLATPACK WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Oxford University Press and Midas
  Teaching the AI-Native Generation
• Pic PR
  The Butterfly Resort
• Strike Communications
  Bring Turner Home
• The Heard
  STRUT SAFE: STRUT STOP
• Tin Man x London Luton Airport
  The Lilo-brary
• Viva
  The Secret Menu Bolton Food and Drink Festival

STEM Campaign

• Bradshaw Advisory Ltd
  Launching Holtec UK: from unknown to nuclear partner
• Canny Comms
  From engineering breakthrough to investor conversations
• Portland Communications
  The One Ocean Science Congress
• Quadram Institute
  Britain's Got Science Talent
• TFD - Think Feel Do
  TFD for IYQ: The Quantum 100
• UKCEH
  First UK Rice Trials

Sport or Entertainment Campaign

• Story Shop & Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026
  Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 One Year To Go
• Umpf
  Trinity Leeds Campaign Visible from 'Smiles' Away
• VCCP
  Allwyn x VCCP: The Scratch Car
• Working Word & Welsh National Theatre
  A new Welsh National Theatre

Travel, Transport, or Tourism Campaign

• C/O Cymru Collective & Visit Wales
  Feel the Hwyl. Only in Wales.
• Golley Slater x Bluestone National Park Resort
  Turning Bluestone into the UK's Staycation Favourite
• LK Communications
  Experience Pennsylvania Live
• National Express & 72Point
  Long-Distance Love
• Pagefield
  Hitachi Rail – Railway200
• Pic PR
  The Butterfly Resort
• Railway 200
  A record-breaking national celebration
• Tin Man and Tourism New Zealand
  Tourism New Zealand x The Hardest Geezer

Education Campaign

• 23red
  Mumentum
• Brandnation and Soreen
  Wordplay
• Inspire Education Group
  Driving the Green Skills Agenda: A Regional Campaign
• Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner
  #NailDomesticAbuse
• Mansfield College - University of Oxford
  Rewriting the capital campaign playbook
• McCANN
  McCANN x Arden University - Silence Your Critic

Best Use of Media Relations

• Asda
  A Valentine's Proposal for less than £1
• British Beer and Pub Association
  Saving a national treasure: media delivers pubs' victory
• Imperial War Museums
  VE Day 80th Anniversary PR campaign
• Jam X Raisin UK
  The Newsroom That Simplified Saving
• Kindred
  No More Stiff Upper Lip
• LK Communications
  Luxury in the Limelight
• Story Shop & The Maclean Brothers
  The Maclean Brothers Pacific Row
• Tin Man and Tesco
  The Tesco Wedding Gift Registry

Best Channel Delivery

• Bank of England
  Bank of England's Mind Your Money Campaign
• Companies House
  Changes to UK Company Law - Identity Verification
• Montfort Communications & Hosking Partners
  Building Hosking Partners Brand Through a Digital-First Approach
• Tin Man and Tourism New Zealand
  Tourism New Zealand x The Hardest Geezer

Best Long-term campaign

• Aberfield Communications
  Establishing TCFG as a Star Performer in Grocery
• Golley Slater
  Inspiring Genius Decisions During Apprenticeship Week Wales
• Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity)
  GOSH Charity's Build it. Beat it. Campaign
• Hard Numbers
  Gigamon: Rewriting the security narrative of Hybrid Cloud
• Manchester Airport
  Manchester Airport: A Decade of Transformation
• Postcode Lottery
  Delivering Good News to the Nation
• SP Energy Networks
  Winter Awareness Campaign
• VCCP Roar
  Shining a Brighter Light on Inequality

Best Use of Content

• Aberfield Communications
  Content as crafted as the coffee itself
• BAE Systems Digital Intelligence
  Unleashing the Power of Perspective
• DCA Public Relations
  Because I Cannot See
• Lumo and Hull Trains
  Lumo & Hull Trains: The Poppy Selling Marathon
• MHP Group with Santander UK
  Fixing the Broken Chain
• The University of Bath
  Research With Impact
• Third City
  Strengthen your Pension
• Words+Pixels
  Back Market: The Last Shot Gallery

Best Event

• DTEK
  "Carol of the Bells" at a Destroyed TPP
• Go North East
  GoElectric26
• Golley Slater x Welsh Government
  Wales' Roadtrip to Excellence
• Inspire Education Group
  Launch of the Centre for Green Technology
• Liberty Communications
  Liberty Communications: Promoting the Portuguese Tech Ecosystem
• PT Pupuk Indonesia (Persero)
  Semalam Tuntas: Cultural Storytelling for Sustainable Food System
• Third City
  Spot the Top
• Translink
  Translink Metro Menu

Best In-House Campaign

• Companies House
  Changes to UK Company Law - Identity Verification
• Defence Equipment and Support
  Reflections: stories of Remembrance, sacrifice and legacy
• King's College London
  Science at King's
• Royal Free Charity
  Brave New Heights
• Specsavers
  Specsavers Creative Roots: nurturing tomorrow's creative talent

Best long-term client care

• Barley Communications
  Communication that matters
• Distinctive Communications
  Distinctive client relationships: Brilliant basics create bold impact
• EatMoreFruit Communications
  Beyond the brief: A decade of partnership
• GingerMay
  GingerMay & MGID: A Partnership Built on Resilience
• Golley Slater X Skills, Higher Education and Lifelong Learning team at Welsh Government
  Golley Slater x SHELL Welsh Government
• Luther Pendragon
  Luther Pendragon: The Quiet Powerhouse
• Performance Communications
  Trust built over decades drives lasting client partnerships
• Twig Strategic Communications
  Beyond the brief: Nineteen years of relationship-first consultancy

Issues, Crisis, or Reputation Management

• DTEK
  The Light Holds On
• National Grid Electricity Distribution
  National Grid's Crisis Response to Storm Goretti
• NIE Networks
  In the Eye of the Storm

Best Equity, Diversity and Inclusion campaign or initiative

• Four Agency Worldwide x Centre for Ageing Better
  "It isn't ageing, it's ageism"
• Imperial College London
  Imperial As One Media Academy
• Sanctuary
  Behind the Mask - Disability History Month
• Taylor Bennett Foundation
  Summer Stars: Transforming access for diverse PR talent
• West Yorkshire Combined Authority
  'I Took A Seat'
• Words+Pixels
  FRAMELESS: The Art of Expression

Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year

• Emilija Juseviciute, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service
• Ericka Anicas, Northbourne Advisory
• Hannah Waters, Tendo
• Louis O'Halloran, Inflect
• Megan Russell, London Northwestern Railway & West Midlands Railway
• Sam Ard, CWA
• Yasmin Tampion, Colt Data Centre Services

Independent PR Practitioner of the Year

• Aberrant
• Georgia Turner Communications
• Tillymint Marketing & PR
• Tuesday Media
• Verity Cash, Alphabet Communications

In-House PR Team of the Year – Private Sector

• British Beer and Pub Association
• CWG
• Deloitte UK
• NCC Group
• QBE Insurance
• Skipton Building Society Public Relations Team
• Sodexo UK & Ireland
• UK Power Networks

In-House PR Team of the Year – Not for profit/Public/Charity Sector

• Beatson Cancer Charity
• Inspire Education Group
• LNER
• Lothian Buses
• Ministry of Defence Guard Service
• Quadram Institute
• Sanctuary
• Wheatley Group

Specialist PR Consultancy of the Year

• Barley Communications
• Battenhall
• Cartwright
• Kindred
• Stakked
• The Flywheelers
• Vested
• Words+Pixels

Small PR Consultancy of the Year

• 1284 Communications
• Aberfield Communications
• Honest Communications
• Inflect
• Stakked
• Strike
• The Heard
• Viva

PR Consultancy of the Year

• Golley Slater
• MHP Group
• Ready10
• Stakked
• The Jargon Group
• Third City
• Tin Man
• Words+Pixels

Susan takes over from Ruth Matthews who is retiring after more than 11 years in the role and is responsible for maintaining standards across the different CIPR qualifications delivered in the UK and overseas by CIPR Accredited Teaching Centres (ATCs). The Chair of Examiners has a strategic advisory role to ensure that CIPR Awarding Body assessment processes and course regulations are fit for purpose including responsibility for developing assessment processes, course regulation and policy to ensure alignment with best practice in the area of Awarding Body services.

Susan is Deputy Vice-Principal (Science, Engineering and Business) at the University of Dundee and a Chartered Practitioner and Fellow of the CIPR. Her recruitment is for an initial three-year term and her tenure will begin in June 2026.

Conducted by Opinium, the poll of 250 UK public affairs professionals reveals that 66% of lobbyists support expanding the lobbying register to include both consultant and in-house lobbyists. The poll comes in the wake of allegations involving Peter Mandelson, which have prompted the Government to instruct the Ethics and Integrity Commission to conduct an urgent review into lobbying transparency.

Under the 2014 Lobbying Act, only consultant lobbyists are required to disclose their correspondence with ministers and Permanent Secretaries. With in-house lobbyists exempt, along with any communication with MPs, Special Advisers, Lords and other senior civil servants, the register – designed to let the public see who is seeking to influence whom – is estimated to capture fewer than 4% of lobbying activity. Businesses not registered for VAT and those that can show lobbying is only a small, incidental part of their activities, are also exempt.

Today’s poll reveals that:

• 80% of lobbyists believe correspondence with MPs should be captured, rising to 84% for the Lords
• The poll also revealed support for capturing the lobbying of Director Generals (civil service) (76%); Directors (Civil Service) (80%); SpAds (76%); Opposition leaders (81%); Members of the shadow front bench (80%); Select Committee Chairs (78%); APPG Chairs (79%)
• 72% believe that expanding the registration and transparency requirements would be proportionate 

Almost two-thirds (63%) of lobbyists lack confidence that, under the current regime, breaches of lobbying rules will be identified and acted upon. These figures build upon previous research published by the CIPR, which found that the six key exemptions in the Lobbying Act ensured that fewer than 4% of investigations into suspected unregistered lobbying resulted in a civil penalty being imposed.

The research has been published as part of the CIPR’s Lobbying for Good Lobbying Campaign, which seeks to overhaul Westminster’s lobbying laws. To improve public confidence in politics, which 81% of lobbyists say has been impacted by recent lobbying scandals, the CIPR is calling for:

• A register of all lobbying activity that includes in-house lobbying as well as consultant lobbying
• The lobbying of special advisers and senior civil servants to be included in the register
• The removal of the VAT exemption and the incidental lobbying exemption

These new members join a community of nearly 300 Corporate Affiliate members, each committed to the continued professional development of their PR and communications teams and upholding the highest ethical and professional standards in their work.

The latest corporate members to join the CIPR are:

• Belfast Metropolitan College
• Cadence Industrial & Technical Communications
• CIPD
• Concerto Global Public Affairs
• Environment Agency
• Government Legal Department
• Landell Mills
• Low Carbon Contracts Company
• NHS Forth Valley
• Northern Ireland Assembly
• NorthStar Insights
• S4C
• SailGP / F50 League GB Limited
• WiseOnWater Ltd 

• For more information on becoming a CIPR Corporate Affiliate, to view the full list of CIPR corporate members, or to download our Corporate Affiliate brochure, please visit our website.
• Call +44 (0)7884 875599 or email our team to discuss the benefits of corporate membership.