I’m thrilled to have Sabrina Miller, whitehall correspondent at The Sunday Telegraph, in the OTR hot seat this week to take us behind the scenes of one of Britain's biggest Sunday newsrooms. She explains how her week is structured, why Tuesdays are her prime pitching day and how comms teams can dramatically improve their chances of landing a weekend splash.

Sabrina, can you talk us through the structure of your week considering you work for a weekly Sunday paper? How is that different or the same from being on a daily paper? The Sunday lobby routine is really unique. Every Tuesday afternoon I have a meeting with the editor, news editor and political editor where we discuss our themes of the week and pitch any ideas we have. It’s a really open space where we share our not yet fully-formed thoughts. The challenge is always trying to predict the future and think ahead at where the week is going and how you can contribute something original and insightful to that conversation.

But if you’re a comms person and suggest something on Tuesday morning that will hold to the end of the week and is really off-diary, then that is always massively appreciated. It means I can readily present it to the editor and get an early firm yes or no. On Tuesday’s I am also at my most receptive to new ideas and pitches especially with new contacts because I have time to check out the details and make sure I am happy with it.

On Wednesday and Thursday I essentially have free rein to pursue my own ideas and investigations and grow my network. These days vary week to week. It may mean long lunches. It could also involve attending conferences, doing door knocks, sending FOIs, reading Government documents, working on some longer term investigations, or joining politicians on the campaign trail. I have a huge amount of freedom which is something I really enjoy but there is also a lot of pressure to be productive and deliver new agenda-setting stories every week. And if you don’t deliver something interesting on Sunday it is plain for the world to see.

By Thursday afternoon and Friday I need to seriously think about filing. So I will start finishing off my copy, making sure I have sent all my right of replies and had everything legalled. As the news agenda is so fast paced at the moment it is hard to massively plan ahead especially with some of the more live stuff. You can start the week thinking the main issue of the week is a Government U-turn on welfare and end the week with Donald Trump threatening to invade Greenland. I aim to file maybe between two to four off diary stories per week. The idea is that at least one of these is good enough to be on the front.

Then Saturday is essentially a live news day. It’s typically a bit more reactive but also exciting because splashes are often finalised on a Saturday. It also involves ringing up a lot of MPs and special advisers on their weekend!

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What do comms people need to keep in mind knowing the rhythm of a week is different for a weekly paper? Speak to me early in the week. I have quite a lot of availability on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to meet up and build a genuine relationship and it is something I genuinely believe is essential. But unless you’re pitching Watergate or something really live, I am not massively receptive to new ideas on a Friday and Saturday because I am already locked in.

If you’re in doubt about whether I am using your story, call me.

If a communications team wants to land a major Sunday story, what should they be thinking about? I don’t think this will massively differ from a daily newspaper. Exclusives are obviously king (especially for the Sunday paper). If there is a strong news hook that is even better. If we have a good relationship then I definitely take more time to think about how I can make the story work. I enjoy working collaboratively with good contacts and sources and speaking ideas through on the phone. Comms professionals are the experts in their field so I rely on the ones I trust for pointers and direction.

I am interested in all types of stories (everything is political) but it definitely helps if a comms team reads the news, reads The Telegraph and reads the sorts of stories I have done before too.

Have social media and 24-hour news made it harder to hold stories for Sunday publication? And then what happens if you get out-scooped during the week The Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph is an amazingly collaborative place to work. If it is a genuinely good story and I am worried about being scooped then I can get it placed in the daily. For example, after the Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated by the US and Israel I wrote an exclusive story with a colleague (which was featured I believe on a Wednesday or Thursday) about university students mourning his death.

I also went to Ukraine for an investigation featured in the daily newspaper so it’s really not territorial, which is great because I hate getting scooped more than anything.

But I do think journalists probably need to start thinking about social media more (other than X). It’s not something I am doing properly yet and that is definitely a mistake.

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Quick fire…

One word to describe Westminster? Madhouse

Politician you’d most want to interview? Current politician? Probably Shabana Mahmood. I think she’s really impressive and I don’t think she’s done many sit downs…

Most overused political phrase? An anonymous Government insider said…

If you could only have access to one of these for the rest of your life, which would you choose: X, WhatsApp or email? You’re killing me! How can I choose between X and Whatsapp? Gun to my head… probably Whatsapp (as long as I can keep my disappearing messages on a la Starmer)

What topics are you most interested in right now? How can people can contact you? If you send me an email on sabrina.miller@telegraph.co.uk I can send you my number. Whatsapp is best.

Remember folks, keep this just between us! We’re off the record.

Thank you for reading Off the Record! We want to make our newsletter as helpful as we can, so please get in contact if there’s anything specific you want to see.

Send your questions and conundrums to info@offtherecordmedia.co.uk to be featured as part of our Q&A series where we answer your burning questions, dissect a real pitch that failed to land or help talk you through how to respond to a difficult request.

We offer media masterclasses for brands/PRs/organisations looking to sharpen their storytelling, improve their relationships with journalists and boost their media coverage. If you’re interested, please email us at info@offtherecordmedia.co.uk

• You can follow Off the Record on Instagram and TikTok.

• You can follow Steph Spyro on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X and BlueSky.

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The media landscape is changing at pace – and keeping up with the latest developments and moves will give every comms expert an advantage over their rivals. Every week take a look at the media business from mainstream and ‘legacy’ media to cutting edge tech and the latest trends and developments – and how you can use that know-how.

Like buses, big news seems to come all at once. And this week saw two seismic developments that will change the face of the UK media significantly.

The first, the agreed merger (although getting it past the regulators may take another 18 months) of Sky and ITV’s broadcasting arm. The second the complete rebuttal of Prince Harry and others claims of hacking and illicit news gathering at the High Court.

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Both are worth considering for the significant way they are going to change the media landscape in the years to come - for good and bad.

Sky’s £1.6billion merger with ITV is an effort to combat entertainment giants such as Netflix and Disney in an age where size is everything. The move will allow the new business to capitalise on both the subscription model and free to air markets and allow significant savings across the board. It’s been spurred by the continued drop in ad revenue that ITV is managing to pull in. Last year its top line earnings were £234million and that is trending downwards as streaming services and social media platforms gobble up ad revenue.

And, of course, like the print media, the number of people watching traditional scheduled TV is plummeting, particularly outside big events such as the World Cup. ITV’s biggest programme remains Coronation Street, with around four million viewers, but like seeing someone in the street holding a newspaper, those viewers are nearly all over 50 and often much older.

The implications for comms professionals are significant. A successful commercial broadcaster is part of a diversified media. How successful the merger will be may take a while to work out. But without doubt this is the biggest change to commercial broadcasting since ITV was launched in 1955.

But I wanted to make some observations on what is undoubtedly the most vulnerable part of the business, its news rooms.

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I’m so excited to share that Off the Record is launching a new Q&A series!

It will tackle a real-life communications dilemma. Whether it’s how to pitch a tricky story, handle a journalist’s unexpected call, dissect a real pitch that failed to land, respond to a difficult request or navigate a media crisis, we’ll answer the everyday questions you’re grappling with.

Here’s how it works: send us your real-world predicament (that will be featured anonymously) and either I’ll answer it or draft in support from a journalist in another specialism if needed to explain exactly how they’d handle it, what they’re thinking on the other side of the phone or email and what gives you the best chance of success.

We’ll feature one every three weeks (so our practical tips and interviews with other journalists aren’t going anywhere)!

The aim is to improve understanding, strengthen relationships and make life easier for both journalists and comms professionals. So, what’s your dilemma? Send it in, and we’ll tackle it. Think of it as the comms world’s agony aunt... where journalists answer the questions you’ve always wanted to ask but never quite dared.

I got an email last week at info@offtherecordmedia.co.uk from a comms pro with nearly 25 years of experience who wanted advice on “one of the thorniest issues to navigate”.

None other than whether it’s acceptable for PRs to give journalists a deadline to respond to an exclusive… “or is that overstepping the mark?”

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Here’s an extract of the email: “You offer a journalist an exclusive (bearing in mind as a PR you’re under some pressure to deliver, often within a timescale) and then you don’t hear back. You might send a follow up, but if you still don’t hear, you would probably try elsewhere. But how long do you reasonably leave it, considering the journalist may be on deadline or may need to wait until the next editorial meeting to pitch it etc.?

“Sometimes they very helpfully send a one line holding email along the lines of, “Thanks, this is interesting - can you leave it with me” but often they don’t, and as a PR you can get in hot water if you give them a few days and having heard nothing you pitch elsewhere - and then the first journalist comes back and is thoroughly p****ed off!

“I’ve had this where I gave a journalist on a national a week, and chased, and when I’d heard nothing, I pitched to another national who said yes straight away - and then the first journalist came back and said her editor had said yes and they’d like to do it. Very awkward and relationship damaging!

“I had to explain I hadn’t heard and had tried elsewhere and I’m sorry but they’re running with it - and she said I hadn’t given her long enough. But as a PR if you give two or three people more than a week to reply, your story risks going stale and your client is probably wondering what on earth’s going on.

“I would love to hear your tips on this. Should PRs give journalists a deadline to respond - or is that overstepping the mark?”

So, here’s what I think:

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The media landscape is changing at pace – and keeping up with the latest developments and moves will give every comms expert an advantage over their rivals. Every week take a look at the media business from mainstream and ‘legacy’ media to cutting edge tech and the latest trends and developments – and how you can use that know-how.

He’s not even in Number 10 yet but Andy Burnham is already causing disquiet among some ranks of the media.

And the reason is nothing to do with his plans to nationalise water or railways, or to devolve power to the regions.

Instead, it’s the old chestnut of mass media regulation that is threatening the peace. A sign of what a Burnham administration might mean for the MSM was highlighted last week in a basement meeting in Westminster, where actor and leading light of press campaign group Hacked Off Hugh Grant held court.

The mood among activists was optimistic, with the thinking being that state regulation of the media might be closer than ever if Burnham becomes PM later this month. Grant told fellow activists: “As we switch leadership of the Labour Party, switch prime ministers, there’s a chance finally to get something done.”

There is a good reason for their enthusiasm. Burnham, as we touched on last week, has said he wants to revive Leveson 2, the part of the press standards inquiry probing the relationship between journalists, the police and corporate governance failures at news organisations. In March he was reported as saying: “I haven’t given up on [Leveson part two]” and would do it “if he had the influence”.

Much of what a new inquiry would look at feels very historic now, particularly in a digital age, but a new probe would be awkward and is likely to be broadened to include the role of comms and PR and the influence they have over coverage. For communications teams, any renewed inquiry would raise questions about transparency, access, lobbying, media relations and the increasingly blurred lines between journalism, influencers and corporate communications. And that’s before the impact of AI.

There is also likely to be a push to make mainstream print and online titles come under state regulation – perhaps as part of a deal to help prioritise trusted sources of news on social media and YouTube. In the past Burnham was a proponent of Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, legislation designed to force news publishers to join a state-backed regulator. Under the measures, publishers would have been liable to pay all legal costs in libel or privacy lawsuits, even if they won, unless they were a member of such a regulator.

Burnham’s links with press campaigners are long standing. Grant and his fellow activist actor Steve Coogan campaigned with him in the Makerfield by-election. And a key member of Burnham’s team is Anneliese Midgley MP who called for a debate about renewed allegations from the investigative journalist Nick Davies, who originally exposed the phone hacking scandal.

With judgment in the High Court case of Prince Harry and others against the Daily Mail expected within weeks, this may be the last chance for campaigners to get the prize they have long sought.

Then there’s what already seems to be a rocky relationship with the media.

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Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me enormous pleasure to introduce Nick Wallis. In many ways, this is more of a reintroduction because chances are you already know his work... even if you don’t realise it.

Nick is the investigative journalist whose relentless reporting brought the Post Office scandal into the national spotlight and helped expose one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in modern British history. I have followed his work since I joined the industry in 2019. As a cub reporter who had just dipped her toe into journalism for the first time, he was probably the first UK reporter I looked up to.

In this edition, he shares what comms pros often misunderstand about investigative journalists and the lessons organisations still haven’t learned from major crises.

What is the biggest misconception communications professionals have about investigative journalists? That we’re not onto something potentially very serious.

The Post Office story became one of the biggest scandals in modern Britain. Talk me through the moment you realised it was much bigger than a miscarriage of justice affecting just a handful of sub-postmasters? There were two big moments. The first was in 2018 when Alan Bates announced he had got more than 500 people together to take on the Post Office at the High Court which was a significant number, but a relatively small fraction (61) of them had criminal convictions. The biggest moment for me came in 2020 when a line in the “notes for editors” part of a Post Office press release said it was looking at “other” convictions. I went back and asked how many “other” convictions. They told me it was at least 500, which blew my mind. We’d spent more than a decade wondering if we might one day find out if there were more than 100 people claiming they’d been falsely convicted. It was at that point I started calling the Post Office story “a scandal you can see from space”. I took the story straight to the Daily Mail but because we were in the middle of the Covid pandemic it made page 27.

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One of the things that stands out about your work is the trust you’ve built with sources over many years. What’s your approach to developing and maintaining those relationships? You have a duty of care to everyone you deal with which involves explaining everything you can about the implications of putting their story or information into the public domain. People can sometimes invest a huge amount of emotional energy in a story and you are tied up with that in their minds. You have to work out how to remain professional whilst also being empathetic towards people who have likely been through more than you ever will and are now potentially suffering the effects of having to revisit the story for your benefit. We don’t teach journalists about this enough. You also have a duty to handle personal information carefully and never, ever betray a source, whatever the consequences.

In your experience, what mistakes do organisations make when responding to highly emotional public debates or crises? It is firstly about spending as little money as possible, then it’s about self-preservation. They never consider first the harm they might have done.

For communications professionals, what’s the biggest lesson from the Depp v Heard saga about reputation in the social media age? Everyone believes their own story. If those stories appear to be departing from the established facts, less may be more.

What makes a communications professional genuinely useful to a journalist Anyone willing to give context off the record. We need to understand the story in the round to stop us making mistakes.

Quick-fire…
Most underrated journalism skill? Turning up half an hour early.

Most important quality in a communications professional? Responsiveness.

Biggest journalistic lesson from the Post Office story? If there are questions which remain unanswered, it’s probably worth pursuing.

What are you reading, listening and watching at the moment? Reading - I’ve just finished Hounded by Jenny Lindsay, which is superb. I am currently reading James by Percival Everett. I couldn’t sleep last night so I got through quite a bit of it.

Watching - I watched Dear England on Saturday, but apart from that it tends to be live sport and the News.

Listening - I’m on a bit of a Damned roll at the moment, but if you want something modern - Sharon van Etten. I’m never too far from The Cure, though.

Best place for people to contact you? I’m very easy to find. If anyone wants me to come in and talk to their comms or leadership teams about the Post Office scandal, how to navigate the gender wars without upsetting everyone, or journalism in general, I’d be grateful if people did come and find me. I need the work!

Contact Nick here.

Remember folks, keep this just between us! We’re off the record.

Thank you for reading Off the Record! We want to make our newsletter as helpful as we can, so please get in contact if there’s anything specific you want to see.

We offer media masterclasses for brands/PRs/organisations looking to sharpen their storytelling, improve their relationships with journalists and boost their media coverage. If you’re interested, please email us at info@offtherecordmedia.co.uk

• You can follow Off the Record on Instagram and TikTok

• You can follow Steph Spyro on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X and BlueSky

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The media landscape is changing at pace – and keeping up with the latest developments and moves will give every comms expert an advantage over their rivals. Every week take a look at the media business from mainstream and ‘legacy’ media to cutting edge tech and the latest trends and developments – and how you can use that know-how.

A problem, and perhaps a solution, has emerged from the final days of the Keir Starmer administration.

The problem is one we have discussed a lot in recent months – the plunging numbers of hits online that mainstream media is getting on key social media. It means less eyeballs on stories and less revenue for publishers. The implication for comms teams is that the hard work you put in to get publicity is increasingly being seen by fewer people.

More evidence of the issue came this week after research showed the majority of the UK’s largest local news websites have seen a decline in audience and minutes spent with their content in the past year. Among the 75 biggest local news titles in the UK, just 16 grew their audience year on year. The average monthly audience at the 75 local news brands analysed fell by 19%, from 2.3 million in April 2025 to 1.5 million.

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The stats are a little depressing. We have already seen that national titles have been badly hit but local journalism has been one of the few bright spots.

There also seems to be another interest group worried about the figures – the Government. This week, the day after the Prime minister announced he was standing down, a green paper was published outlining a “new strategic direction for UK media”.

And maybe it offers a possible solution to that Google algorithm problem that is plaguing all publishers.

It seems ministers genuinely want to shore up the news media and public service broadcasters primarily by demanding that YouTube and Meta prioritise what the paper calls “trustworthy” sources. That explicitly identifies the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and other major broadcasters and potentially will include publishers. The Government said “a range of national and local news publishers” could be among those given prominence.

How that would exactly look is not clear but it would mean that trustworthy publishers and broadcasters may come up first in searches and have their material promoted over less authoritative sources.

It’s not the first intervention into the industry we have seen from this Labour government. Back in March, it pledged to pay up to £12 million to local media outlets over the next two years to support innovation and help fill what it calls “news deserts” – the 37 local authority districts with no dedicated print, online, TV or radio outlets, affecting 4.4 million people.

It seems ministers have a genuine concern about the health of the country’s media – particularly at a time when conspiracy theorists, bad actors and troublemakers are growing in numbers and reach. Misinformation and provocation online have sparked rioting, false fears and increased distrust in elected authorities and public bodies.

The plan is to ask big tech like YouTube and Meta to make the changes voluntarily but regulation and legislation have not been ruled out, accrding to Department of Culture, Media and Sport Minister Ian Murray.

We will keep an eye on what happens but there are three things comms teams should watch…

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“Can you let me know why this isn’t one for you?”

It’s a question many journalists receive after passing on a story… and it’s a fair one to ask.

Most comms pros aren’t looking for a lengthy critique, just a quick steer on why something didn’t land can be incredibly useful. One line can help shape future pitches and build a better understanding of what journalists are looking for.

But many writers are battling overflowing inboxes, tight deadlines and multiple stories at once. This means that even the best-intentioned reporter won’t always have time to respond.

That doesn’t mean feedback is impossible to get.

There could be plenty of reasons why a reporter might not respond to you. It could have been bad timing. It could have been the wrong publication. It could have been overtaken by bigger stories that day.

The good news is that there are a few things you can do that make it much more likely a journalist will take the time to come back to you.

Over the years, I’ve noticed certain approaches increase the chances of me replying with some feedback.

1. Be specific in your feedback request. Avoid asking broad questions such as “Why wasn’t this for you?” Instead, focus on one particular aspect of the pitch. The easier you make it for a journalist to answer, the more likely you are to get a response. A reporter who doesn’t have time to write a detailed critique may still be able to reply with a quick sentence if you’re asking about something specific. For example: “Was the subject line strong enough?”, “Is this a topic you’d normally cover?” or “Would having images or additional assets have made a difference?”

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The media landscape is changing at pace – and keeping up with the latest developments and moves will give every comms expert an advantage over their rivals. Every week take a look at the media business from mainstream and ‘legacy’ media to cutting edge tech and the latest trends and developments – and how you can use that know-how.

I was reminded of the joy of meeting people in the flesh last week when more than 50 of you came along to our inaugural Off the Record live event.

I’ll be honest, I’d been a little apprehensive beforehand. Just normal concerns ahead of a new venture: who will turn up, how will the panel of experts go down with the audience, will we get enough questions and what will people think?

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Suffice to say, my fears were misplaced. The place was buzzing, everyone was engaged with great questions and incisive answers from a fantastic panel of journalists. And best of all? The networking afterwards, where journalists and PRs mixed freely with a glass of something in their hand, discussing the serious matters of the day – and also plenty of easy banter and chat.

Thanks to everyone who came along – Steph and I appreciate the support so much.

But it also made me think about why those times we get to meet fellow professionals are good to do. They are interesting and thought-provoking and they lead to more opportunities and better relationships.

Look, I know in our post-covid digital world that dragging ourselves into an office can be hard work. And even at my age there can be a bit of apprehension when meeting new people.

But at a time when it sometimes feels we are all in our individual silos (and with AI set to automate so much of the workplace) it’s important to remember the very real benefits of human contact. So here are a few thoughts, just to remind you why the personal touch is so important.

Building trust and credibility: Journalists receive hundreds of pitches every week. Meeting face-to-face helps a PR professional become a known, trusted source rather than just another email address. Believe me, it can absolutely make a difference.

Understanding what journalists actually need: The danger can be PR teams pitch stories they think are interesting rather than stories journalists need.

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The World Cup is finally here! We caught up with ESPN’s senior football writer James Olley to get the inside track on what stories score with journalists when the world's biggest sporting event is underway.

From cutting through the noise and covering breaking news to the PR pitches that catch his eye, James shares his playbook for navigating the tournament and what comms pros can learn from the media frenzy surrounding it.

What makes a World Cup story cut through when every media outlet in the world is competing for attention? The pace of a World Cup is relentless, especially this one with 48 teams and four matches every day in the group stage. So the best stories either sit above that hamster wheel and give an overarching context or break down one aspect of it into a relatable nugget of information. There are some big issues at this tournament - border control, ticket prices etc - so clear, extreme examples of those (Omar Artan) always cut through.

How much of your coverage is planned months in advance versus reacting to unexpected moments? This is a constant balancing act. Some of the broader topics you can plan for are assigned in advance - an England preview, examining the stadia/pitches in use, lighter topics like predicting the matches or ranking the teams - but the best newsrooms always leave space to pivot quickly based on breaking news.

How has social media changed the way ESPN approaches World Cup coverage compared with previous tournaments? It is changing conventional thinking around priorities. The considered written word now competes with video, live blogs and live shows for attention. For example, a major story could break and the expectation of reporters would be to file news, record and send a video and then perhaps join a live show - whether that is on YouTube or one of ESPN’s linear channels - to discuss and react to it. But ESPN prides itself on making sure we’re right rather than just rushing out unverified information so there is always a balance to be struck between speed and accuracy.

Are younger audiences consuming World Cup content differently from traditional TV viewers? Of course. Social media is driving this. I’ve read that the number of younger viewers ready to spend a full 90 minutes watching the actual matches is in decline. Highlights packages and bitesized information is usually the route in for so many younger people. And then the longer form reads hopefully keep them there. There’s a danger in chasing that younger audience that they are patronised or talked down to - that’s why I believe the long-form pieces are really important so that range of coverage is available to all.

How does coverage differ for hardcore football fans versus casual viewers who only watch the World Cup? This is often about tone. General fans usually want something lighter and more accessible, invariably focused on the biggest teams and the big names. More rudimentary terminology, the big picture items broken down. Hardcore fans want the detail, whether that is tactical or personal. The story behind the story. We’re very fortunate at ESPN that they believe strongly in sending reporters to matches, press conferences, tours, tournaments to really enable pieces to benefit from the granular detail you can only get from being on the ground. That hopefully enables us to service both the casual fan and the sports nut in equal measure.

What separates helpful PR support from noise during a major tournament? Don’t tell us what is interesting. And don’t overwrite. Good PR reflects the rhythm of journalism: breaking news, reaction and features. Timing and relevancy to those three stages maximises the chance of coverage. Also, offering access to experts is generally better than interviewing experts on a journalist’s behalf and emailing their opinions. It widens the opportunity you are offering.

Quick fire…

While reporting on football, do you prefer hot weather or cold? Hot weather

Watch a match in-person or on TV? Always live - why let someone else control what you can see?

Would you have rather been a reporter or player? A lot of reporters are players doomed to remain amateurs and I’m no different

Prediction to win the World Cup? Spain

Reach out to James on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.

Remember folks, keep this just between us! We’re off the record.

Thank you for reading Off the Record! We want to make our newsletter as helpful as we can, so please get in contact if there’s anything specific you want to see.

We offer media masterclasses for brands/PRs/organisations looking to sharpen their storytelling, improve their relationships with journalists and boost their media coverage. If you’re interested, please email us at info@offtherecordmedia.co.uk

• You can follow Off the Record on Instagram and TikTok.

• You can follow Steph Spyro on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X and BlueSky.

  Share

The media landscape is changing at pace – and keeping up with the latest developments and moves will give every comms expert an advantage over their rivals. Every week take a look at the media business from mainstream and ‘legacy’ media to cutting edge tech and the latest trends and developments – and how you can use that know-how.

The big kick off is just hours away and for the next 40 days Brits along with most of the world will be glued to their screens for the World Cup.

As a veteran football fan, the tournament never ceases to put a smile on my face, even if the run up to this year’s event has been overshadowed by rows about the cost of tickets and travel to the games.

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And, of course, World Cup 2026 is being played out across a geopolitical landscape of the war in the Middle East, Trumpenomics and concerns about the growing benefits and threats of artificial intelligence.

It won’t stop millions staying up late to see the 104 matches in the tournament, even if a few of us might need an atlas to work out exactly where Cape Verde and Curaçao are.

But for a big chunk of the summer, football is going to dominate the news and social media (the Makerfield by-election is the only other story in town) so it’s too big to ignore for PRs and comms experts.

I’m sure many of you have polls, surveys, case studies and responses already lined up – but how can you stand out from the crowd?

Here is Off the Record’s essential guide to the World Cup and getting coverage:

• The World Cup will provide some much needed light relief: Look, it’s always a big thing. But with everything going on at the moment – with wars and politics and the economy and the national mood in the UK – publishers and content providers are going to grasp the tournament with both hands. It’s cheerier, it’s hopeful and it’s a chance to dream of better days. At least until England (or Scotland) get knocked out. Suffice to say, don’t underestimate how big the World Cup can be and think how you can get your brands into the mix.

• Be ready to react: The timing of the tournament provides opportunities – many games are late at night or in the early hours UK time which means follow-up stories will still matter in the morning. Work on data, research and case studies ahead of upcoming games. Whether your work is around the environment, holidays, health or the economy. There will be stories! It might be a human interest story, it might be a comparison or contrast with the environmental conditions in one of the competing countries or it might be about the issues of dynamic ticket pricing.

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If you know anything about my journalism, you’ll be aware of the 14 penguins in the basement of Sea Life London Aquarium without fresh air or daylight.

After more than two and a half years of campaigning, Aquarium giant Merlin Entertainments has pledged to phase out gentoo penguins at its UK facilities following our high-profile campaign. The owner of Sea Life London Aquarium confirmed it is permanently ending gentoo breeding in Britain. They will also build a larger enclosure for its penguins, and give them access to daylight.

I found out about the penguins back in 2024 when the animal welfare charity Freedom for Animals emailed me raising awareness of their plight. Some had been in there since 2011. Others have never seen the sun. That single press release set in motion one of the most sustained and impactful campaigns of my career.

I’ve just scoured through my inbox to see whether Freedom for Animals had emailed me before then. I don’t see any evidence that they had. One cold email led to me writing more than 50 news stories in the Daily Express. Our stories got headlines across the UK and world.

The crusade to “free the 15” has been one of my favourite examples of campaigning journalism. The Daily Express has led the charge on issues ranging from inheritance tax changes affecting farmers to the campaign that helped force a Government U-turn on winter fuel payments.

Other news organisations have embraced campaigning journalism too, from The Telegraph’s Save Our Pubs crusade to Sky News’s reporting on Britain’s maternity crisis. The penguin crusade has been an incredible education in thinking like a campaigner, which isn’t always natural territory for a journalist.

What began as a single email from an organisation I had never worked with before grew into a sustained, multi-year story that repeatedly got attention in a very saturated news agenda.

So, in this edition, I’ll explain what makes journalists take up a cause… and how you can dramatically improve the chances of your campaign becoming one they can’t ignore. I’ve come to believe there were eight key ingredients to making it a highly successful campaign.

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The media landscape is changing at pace – and keeping up with the latest developments and moves will give every comms expert an advantage over their rivals. Every week take a look at the media business from mainstream and ‘legacy’ media to cutting edge tech and the latest trends and developments – and how you can use that know-how.

The problems modern journalism faces: slumping newspaper sales; a diluted advertising market; changes to Google algorithms and the brilliance of AI.

We have discussed all of them (and no doubt will do so again).

But with the World Cup barely a week away, there’s another issue that is worth highlighting – and it is the daftest and most depressing of the lot.

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Advertisers’ blocklists of words are designed to mean that companies can have their adverts on brand-safe pages online.

Now I have some sympathy with businesses in the broadest sense. British Airways naturally don’t want an advert for cheap flights on pages covering a plane crash.

But because of the automated nature of the placing of advertising online, that requires systems which search for troublesome words and then veto ads on pages where it finds “offending” copy.

It came into its own during the start of the Ukraine war when advertisers baulked at being linked with the graphic coverage of Russia’s invasion. So, stories featuring words such as Kyiv, Russia, missiles, and killed would see no advertising.

Since then the blocklist fad has broadened further. So much that one advertiser’s blocklist reportedly has 34,000 words (in multiple languages) on it which are not acceptable.

Which brings me back to the World Cup, the greatest sporting event of every four years.

Except what should be a brilliant opportunity for publishers to report live from the event with live blogs, match reports, analysis and breaking stories, is likely to be marred by advertising bans. Let me explain.

According to Mantis – Reach’s brand safety and contextual advertising platform – almost half (45%) of the publisher’s Euro 2024 final coverage was blocked from receiving advertising having been wrongfully deemed “not brand safe”. Why? Because of the blanket blocklisting of phrases like “shootout” or “attack”.

Jo Allan, CEO of Newsworks, the marketing body for the UK news industry, says the situation has got worse in the last six years. Newsworks launched a campaign Back. Don’t Block to persuade advertisers to support journalism not to commercially censor it. She says: “Blocklists have got even longer. They’ve proliferated and spawned. More have sprung up, and they keep growing. Words get added and rarely removed. It’s impossible to know just how many there are and frankly, it’s a frightening prospect.”

It’s so bad that Newsworks have relaunched their campaign.

Advertiser blocklists are directly penalising trusted journalism and the commercial, long-term sustainability of the media, at a time when global press freedom is at a low ebb, according to the World Press Freedom Index.

They hit mainstream media when fake news and less honest media players often escape the draconian restrictions

And blocklists also treat the audience like idiots. Do ordinary people really think that, for instance, because Nescafe or Land Rover have an advert on a webpage next to a court case or a report of the war in Iran, that they are actively (or indeed passively) supporting violence or crime? It’s just nonsense and it’s damaging.

Frustratingly there is research showing that I’m right on this and brand safe is a con.

But yet it seems to make a limited difference. A recent poll by The News Alliance – a cross-industry coalition to support trusted news and journalism – found that 47% of agencies and 42% of advertisers say they will not relax their brand safety settings.

So, something a little different today. A small call to arms for PRs and comms pros to see if you can use your clout to help out. Here are a few things you might be able to do.

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Stuti Mishra, The Independent’s Asia Climate Correspondent, is in the Off the Record hot seat as we kick of June.

She describes what reporting on environmental issues across Asia is like, as well as what makes a climate story resonate with UK readers. She dives into planning around COP and the importance of strong visuals.

Stuti, do you get to travel across the region often and if not, how can comms pros help facilitate stories for you? Honestly, not as often as I would like. I’m based in New Delhi, in India, which means I cover an enormous region like Asia-Pacific largely through phone, email and a lot of creative source-building. What genuinely helps is when comms teams think beyond the press release: connecting me directly with people on the ground, offering local contacts where relevant or flagging stories in places I simply don’t have existing contacts.

If you have someone in, say, rural Bangladesh or a fishing community in the Philippines who can speak to what’s happening when a larger story breaks, that’s gold. Don’t assume I can just hop on a plane.

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What helps to make a climate story from Asia feel relevant to a UK audience? Human impact, money, supply chains and weather. UK readers are more connected to Asia’s climate crisis than they realise - the clothes they wear, the food they eat, the floods that delay their deliveries - all of it connects people worldwide. If a story has a thread I can pull that lands somewhere tangible for someone in Manchester or Edinburgh, it works. Human stakes also matter enormously. A statistic about sea level rise is forgettable but a family who has moved three times in a decade because of it is not.

Do you think the environment is having a tough time in the UK media at the moment? Has appetite changed in recent years? It goes in waves, and right now the wave is a bit choppy. Cost of living, geopolitics and political volatility have crowded the news agenda. Climate doesn’t disappear from it, but it has to work harder to get in, which means the “this is happening somewhere far away” frame almost never cuts it anymore. What still lands is climate as an economics story, a health story or a security story.

How far in advance should comms teams pitch around major climate moments like COP or extreme weather seasons? For COP, I would say six to eight weeks ahead for features and analysis because I’m already thinking about my coverage plan by then and late pitches get lost in the noise. For breaking stories like a cyclone or a heatwave then the same day or within hours. If you have someone relevant to a story that’s already moving, get in touch immediately because I am most probably on a live blog or filing the same day.

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What kind of access is hardest to get when reporting on climate issues in Asia? Government officials who’ll speak frankly, every single time. There’s an enormous gap between what the data shows and what ministries are willing to say on the record. I would also add: communities most affected by climate impacts like displaced people, subsistence farmers and coastal fisherfolk who are hard to reach without serious local infrastructure. If you can bridge that gap, I’m genuinely interested.

What sorts of climate stories are you actively looking for but rarely receive? The range is bigger than people assume. Working for a general news focused outlet, I am always across the big headlines like disasters, policy moments or emissions data. But between I’m also actively looking for stories that don’t wait for a crisis to matter. New solutions and technologies. How the flow, or absence, of climate finance from the global north is shaping what’s possible in the global south.

Health impacts from pollution and environmental degradation that could be a warning for others. And quieter stories like choices ordinary people make every day that are being shaped by a changing climate, often without them framing it that way. If it connects environment to money, health or how people live, I would be interested in knowing about it.

How much does visual content matter when deciding whether to pursue a story? A lot, especially for features. We’re a digital-first publication and strong images or video can be the difference between a story getting space or not. If you have it, lead with it.

Do you prefer being pitched broad trends or very specific case studies? Specific cases with a broader hook. Give me the person, the place, the detail - and then tell me why it matters beyond that village or that company.

Best place for people to get in touch with you? Email is always best — stuti.mishra@independent.co.uk. But things do get lost in my inbox so feel free so also reach out again or ask me on LinkedIn, though I don’t check it every day, so if something is time-sensitive, email is the way to go.

Remember folks, keep this just between us! We’re off the record.

Thank you for reading Off the Record! We want to make our newsletter as helpful as we can, so please get in contact if there’s anything specific you want to see.

We offer media masterclasses for brands/PRs/organisations looking to sharpen their storytelling, improve their relationships with journalists and boost their media coverage. If you’re interested, please email us at info@offtherecordmedia.co.uk

• You can follow Off the Record on Instagram and TikTok.

• You can follow Steph Spyro on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X and BlueSky.

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The media landscape is changing at pace – and keeping up with the latest developments and moves will give every comms expert an advantage over their rivals. Every week take a look at the media business from mainstream and ‘legacy’ media to cutting edge tech and the latest trends and developments – and how you can use that know-how.

A rare and mystical event happened this week – almost on a par with one of those comets that swings by the earth once or twice a generation.

A new newspaper launched in the UK.

The left-wing Canary hit the shelves in 6,500 newsagents (price £1.20) offering a different perspective to “corporate media” and explaining that “the threat of a Reform government in 2029” was a driving force behind the launch. It has plans to expand its operation in June and unlike the rest of the media has been recruiting staff. It ultimately wants to reach a point where it can sell 100,000 copies a day.

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It’s a bold move. The last UK national newspaper launch, Trinity Mirror’s positive newsbrand The New Day, was in 2016 and lasted a mere two months before the bosses made the decision to stop the presses.

And in a previous life, as I’ve mentioned before, I was part of the team that set up The Sportsman - a sports betting and horse racing paper that was taking on the Racing Post. It lasted about seven months before the funders pulled the plug.

This launch is interesting and, dare I say it, just slightly more likely to survive than its predecessors. It’s not commercially driven like other launches (included in that list Murdoch’s California Post earlier this year which we covered here).

Yes, it would like to make money but the aim, as the editor explains here, is to attract the older, largely working-class audience not being served by print media in the UK (around 11 million people the Canary believes do not vote consistently and are not politically engaged by “corporate media”).

So, why is it likely to survive and even thrive?

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Pictures in a press release can be just as important as the words themselves. I’ve seen brilliant stories with all the ingredients for a double-page spread end up squeezed onto a single page because the accompanying images weren’t strong enough. I wrote about it on LinkedIn a few weeks ago.

Sometimes a media outlet will send its own photographer but that’s far from guaranteed. If you’re organising a stunt, campaign or overseas story, it’s vital to invest in a good photographer who can capture sharp, high-quality images that editors will want to use.

We’re planning to do a whole edition soon on what makes a great media picture, so I’ll save the deeper dive on that for another day. For now, this is all about how to properly sell the photos you already have in a press release… complete with real examples from my inbox. I’ll also cover the best formats for sending images to journalists and picture desks. In other words: I’m giving away all the trade secrets!

I’ll do a separate edition on video soon too, because that’s becoming increasingly important to modern newsroom storytelling. So stay tuned because there’s plenty more to come.

But for now… back to pictures!

The easier you make a journalist’s life, the better your chances of coverage. If we have to request access, hunt for captions or chase credits then you’re already creating friction.

Great pictures won’t rescue a weak story but weak pictures can absolutely hold back a great one.

Should you refer to the pictures at the top of your email?

This is something I’ve often been asked in the last few months and the answer is ABSOLUTELY YES! If you have fantastic images, shout about it! I work for a tabloid so pictures are especially important to my outlet but they also matter to broadsheet titles and online-only publications too. Broadcasters will like anything visual too but are likely to be more interested in moving pictures.

I would say it’s worth mentioning great images high up in an email pitch. Second to fourth paragraph would be absolutely fine. No need to include it in the very top sentence of a pitch.

Example 1: This organisation put this in the fourth paragraph of an email pitch. It would have been ideal to link to the images where they’re referenced too.

Example 2: Another organisation highlighted this sentence in yellow - although admittedly this sentence was in the 11th paragraph so a tad bit too low down I think.

Example 3: This charity opted to use bullet points fairly high up in a pitch to mention videos and pictures to link to their new campaign

These all work well because they were mostly quite high up in a press release. The yellow highlighter, bullet points or bold formatting were used to shout about the accompanying attachments. If a journalist is short on time and skimming a release, all of this can be incredibly helpful.

What format should you send images in?

Now, let’s get into the actual format that reporters like to receive images in. WeTransfer? Dropbox? PDFs?

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Hello hello! It’s Steph here! I’ve taken over Dan’s usual Thursday spot while he enjoys a break. We’re doing something different this week… a good ol’ fashioned Q&A.

I thought I’d answer a few questions about the nuts and bolts of how I prefer to receive pitches, what topics I’m most interested in currently and how to make visit work best for me.

I dive a bit into how video has changed my reporting and a bit about how to make Sunday for Monday stories for for me.

I’d suggest all comms pros ask journalists these sorts of questions when you have a chat with them over lunch or coffee. Every reporter has their own way of doing things but if you understand how they work or their preferences, you’re on your way to a better relationship!

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It’s quite common to find former journalists in the comms world. What’s much rarer is to find a comms pro who has made the switch to journalism… but that’s exactly what we have here today!

Meet Aaron Newbury! He’s a former press officer for the Conservative Party and now has the pleasure of spending his working hours sitting beside me in the Daily Express’s Parliamentary office where is he a reporter.

Aaron is one to watch. He’s fresh to the world of reporting (after six years in on the other side of the fence) but he’s taken to it like a duck to water. There is no doubt in my mind that his former job makes him an ever better journalist because he can spot spin a mile off.

So, having seen things from both sides…

Aaron, what are the biggest misconceptions each side has about the other? Press officers are naturally cautious when dealing with “hostile” outlets, namely those that didn’t endorse their team last election, and as such they tend to believe that journalists from those outlets always have an angle and are just trying to trip them up.

On the flip side, press officers are not always trying to be evasive or not answer the question. A lot of the time they might just not see the story in the same way a reporter does, or could simply not be aware of a change in position - of different data being out there that disproves what they’re saying.

If you had to go back to being a press officer with the experience you’ve now had as a reporter, what would you do differently? I’d go back with much more of an understanding of how online media works, and the importance of making people available to speak to the press more easily. Often you end up acting as a gatekeeper when you’re a press officer, and a lot of the time that gate stays closed. But it is often to the detriment of the person you’re working for.

How has your time in communications influenced the way you deal with PRs today? I think it’s fair to say I can sniff out when I am being spun a line - after all I used to do it. Newbies often make it very obvious, a literal change in their tone of voice, refusal to send things on WhatsApp or email (preferring a phone call).

Real pros find a way where their interests align with the story you are writing or a campaign your paper is running. They work with a reporter and are open about doing it, not trying to throw them off a scent, but offer them another one they can both run after.

Having seen both sides, do you think journalists and communications professionals understand each other well enough? No. Communications professionals are there to sell a product, protect a brand or advance a campaign. Journalists are there to find the truth and present it to their readers.

Anything else you’d like to add? Remember that journalists, and press officers at the end of the day, are just trying to do their jobs. That means remembering they are people as well! One of my favourite moments during my time as a press officer was when a team of journalists from the political lobby had to wake up at silly-o-clock to get a coach and head across the country with only one lonesome press officer (me) herding them in.

Nobody knew who they would be interviewing or where they were even going. So we found out their favourite snacks, and stuffed the coach with them. A small thing for sure, but one that made the early morning a little less of a chore. (Steph here, I’m pretty sure I was on board that battle bus journey and found a KitKat waiting for me. I’m also happy to confirm that to this day, it seems he still remembers several reporters’ favourite treats! Oh, and as for the politician…it was then Prime Minister Rishi Sunak we were off to see.)

Quick fire...

Inbox zero or 10,000 unread emails? Zero!

Three words that guarantee you’ll open a pitch? “Exclusive for your”

Three words that guarantee you’ll ignore a pitch? - “Have you seen?”

How many tabs do you have open right now? -12

Best place to contact you? - Email first (aaron.newbury@reachplc.com) and then WhatsApp.

Remember folks, keep this just between us! We’re off the record.

Thank you for reading Off the Record! We want to make our newsletter as helpful as we can, so please get in contact if there’s anything specific you want to see.

We offer media masterclasses for brands/PRs/organisations looking to sharpen their storytelling, improve their relationships with journalists and boost their media coverage. If you’re interested, please email us at info@offtherecordmedia.co.uk

• You can follow Off the Record on Instagram and TikTok.

• You can follow Steph Spyro on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X and BlueSky.

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The media landscape is changing at pace – and keeping up with the latest developments and moves will give every comms expert an advantage over their rivals. Every week take a look at the media business from mainstream and ‘legacy’ media to cutting edge tech and the latest trends and developments – and how you can use that know-how.

The FBI has reportedly opened a criminal investigation into Atlantic journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, following an article she published last month about the bureau’s director Kash Patel and concerns about his unexplained absences and alleged excessive drinking. Kash has also launched a $250million lawsuit against Fitzpatrick and the publisher for defamation.

It comes as we are starting to see more state and big corporation intervention and obstruction to journalism and publishers.

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Last week the editor of the Wall Street Journal said powerful figures were increasingly threatening to sue media outlets before they have even published a story. Emma Tucker, whose title is being sued by Donald Trump over its reporting of his relationship with the late child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, said the tactic of threatening to sue newspapers before they had published a story had become an established PR strategy of the powerful.

President Trump’s dislike of MSM has been well documented but we are seeing increasing difficulties in the UK.

It’s not quite like the US yet but it’s certainly true that many publishers and broadcasters are having to fight off a range of legal claims, including for breach of copyright, defamation and vexatious complaints to regulators such as IPSO.

It made me think about the risks to comms pros and the world of PR at a time when litigious players are threatening legal action at the drop of a hat. There is no doubt that although the risk is smaller than for publishers, they can potentially be dragged into the legal net.

And it’s particularly pertinent when the opportunity to be the creator/publisher is open to PRs more than ever – whether it is messages on X or Facebook, video on YouTube or appearances on podcasts.

It’s also an issue close to my heart as one of my other roles is chair of the law board for the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

We offer bespoke legal courses for Comms Pros – please drop us a line if you are interested. But for those who don’t want a law lecture just yet, here are a few thoughts.

• Defamation: Traditionally the biggest legal threat to journalists. The test of whether someone can sue for libel is: has it been published, are they identifiable, is it defamatory. So, a tweet is going to count as being published along with any other social media post (ask Sally Bercow, the wife of the former Speaker of the House of Commons who was one of hundreds who were sued for tweeting about a member of the House of Lords who had been wrongly accused of sexual offences). Remember you can libel businesses – and they are likely to have the money to take action. And is it defamatory – use the common sense test. If it makes people think worse of a company or individual, then it will meet the threshold.

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Fishermen and farmers have long been some of my favourite people to interview. Without fail, every single one I’ve spoken to has been punchy and passionate. There’s never any mincing of words (a journalist’s dream). Due to the nature of their jobs, it’s always made for great pictures. I guess that is a pretty good summary of what makes the perfect case study.

These real-life stories of an individual or a group is a vital tool in a reporter’s arsenal to illustrate a broader issue or trend. I’m biased, of course, but I think it’s something the Daily Express does brilliantly. As a tabloid, we have a knack for taking nitty gritty topics and “humanising” them, often with the help of case studies.

These human features also provide evidence. Policies, statistics and trends can often feel abstract. A well-chosen case study turns those abstractions into something tangible. It answers the question every reader is asking: What does this actually mean for someone like me?

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The government’s inheritance tax raid on farmers, which the Daily Express led the calls for U-turn on over 18 months, was a perfect example of the power of case studies. Families spelling out the real-world impact of the tax policy changes were brilliant to showcase what the effect of the policy changes would be. As for that U-turn? It did eventually come one sudden December day last year.

Some case studies sit beside a main article while others sit as solo stories. The answer to which road a news editor chooses to go down is not simple. It depends on the issue, the relevance of it to the publication’s audience and the strength of the story/interview. The farmers were such a key campaign for the paper that we often highlighted powerful case studies as individual stories across the paper and even as our front page articles. But, more often than not, you’ll see them featured beside the main news story.

Before I get into my top tips for things that make the best case studies, I would point out that some media outlets use them more than others. It is always worth offering one up if you have the access to people willing to speak.

So, now, what are case study essentials? The things that are non-negotiable? The things that make a journalist more likely to use a case study?

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The media landscape is changing at pace – and keeping up with the latest developments and moves will give every comms expert an advantage over their rivals. Every week take a look at the media business from mainstream and ‘legacy’ media to cutting edge tech and the latest trends and developments – and how you can use that know-how.

Have you voted today? Or have you already marked your cross on the ballot paper in the lazy way like I do with a postal vote.

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I’m quite geeky on democracy – so much so that in the 37 years I’ve been on the electoral register I’ve never missed a vote, including in a European election on my 18^th birthday.

I’m thinking turnout today will be pretty high for a local election, unless you’re a diehard Labour supporter. And even then, a vote to keep others out may well be incentive enough.

As someone who has worked in media and government, it feels like interesting days. Both sectors are seeing sea-changes that are shifting the shape of politics, culture and society.

So, before a vote has yet been counted, here are my six hot takes on what these local elections will mean for the comms industry and what they signal about the wider state of the UK – and what might follow.

• The changing face of Brits’ views. Old ways of voting have changed. The two main parties have seen the percentage of the electorate supporting them dwindle in the last five years – such that both now are getting under 20% of the vote. But it is also indicative of a wider societal way of life. Party loyalty is almost dead (some 60% of voters have changed who they vote for in the past 10 years compared to around 10% pre-2010). We are seeing that variety and change in people’s interests and what they care about. Brand loyalty similarly is out of the window. That’s definitely true in the media but also everyday life. Loyalty to a product is being swept aside by concerns around cost, customer service and quality.

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