Journalism and PR - News Media and Public Relations in the Digital Age

Public relations and journalism have had a difficult relationship for over a century, characterised by mutual dependence and – often – mutual distrust. In recent years, developments in corporate PR and in political communications mean that the news media outlets are less and less important to the persuaders. The communications business is often able to bypass the gatekeepers.

The internet, especially social media, has made reputation more precarious – but it has also given companies, governments and public figures channels of communication of their own. The need to proclaim and protect the brand – personal, corporate or political – means that public relations is now a top-table profession… whilst journalism struggles for survival.

This unique study illuminates and analyses a new media age.

“Journalists often flinch from an inconvenient truth: that without the PR industry their publications and bulletins would be poorer. Lloyd and Toogood offer a timely and perceptive analysis of the fast-changing media market in which both journalists and PRs are having to learn new tricks.”
     - Stefan Stern, Financial Times Columnist and Visiting Professor at Cass Business School, London

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Author biographies:

John Lloyd, Senior Research Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, is a contributing editor at the Financial Times, a columnist for Reuters.com and for La Repubblica of Rome.

Laura Toogood was awarded her PhD in Social Informatics from University College Dublin in 2010. She has since combined her research interests with professional work in the digital and media industries and is currently Managing Director of Private Clients at Digitalis Reputation in London.

This publication was launched on 2nd Dec 2014: RSA - Public Relations: The Master Now

Speakers; Ed Williams, CEO, Edelman UK, Trish Evans, senior lecturer in PR University of Westminster, John Lloyd, senior research fellow at RISJ & Matthew Taylor, RSA Chief Executive

Watch a replay of the lecture via the RSA YouTube channel or listen to the podcast of the lecture via the RSA website.