Natasha Clark

This marks a big step forward for our titles. The launch of news apps for the St Helens Star and the Wirral Globe, with full access for our digital subscribers. I firmly believe it is one of the most positive strides we’ve taken towards shaping our digital future. The Star and Globe were born as large-scale ‘free’ distribution newspapers half a century ago. They remain at the heart of their communities and provide a vital service, providing trusted news and information for our readers - connecting them with their communities. Both titles have had to evolve over the past decade and we’ve seen this through the enormous audience growth of the websites and the ongoing development of the print titles (which has driven newspaper sales). As we look to expand our growing number of digital subscribers and loyal audience, these apps are the next significant step, offering an improved user experience for subscribers that includes access to all online news and content - and digital e-editions of the weekly newspaper editions. We have some introductory offers on at the moment (£5 for 5 months), so give our apps a try and let us know your feedback. https://lnkd.in/e9EWA2Uy #news #digitalsubscriptions #journalism

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I came across this post and couldn't agree more. The idea of "placing" media doesn't and shouldn't exist. Effective media relations are about building relationships, understanding journalists' needs, and delivering compelling stories. It's a strategic process that requires skill, persistence, and a deep understanding of our audience. If we place media in a way that lacks authenticity, the company and brand might as well pay for advertising. Let's continue to advocate for authentic and impactful communication strategies.

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Congratulations to all the nominees at this year's British Podcast Awards. There are undoubtedly some interesting shows in the mix, and I hope that they use the nomination as a big professional springboard. But... By my - back of a fag packet, admittedly - calculations, 30% of this year’s nominees at the British Podcast Awards were produced or distributed by the BBC (48 of 162 show nominations). A single publisher representing almost a third of nominations is monolithic, and this is without most of its radio shows which are repackaged as podcasts. That's a massive bloc for most creators to compete with, and that's before even thinking about what Global, Sony, Amazon etc are doing in the marketplace (spoiler alert: taking up a lot of the remaining 114 nominations). The awards are under no obligation to recognise creative diversity. I wouldn't want them to patronise smaller podcasters or networks. And it's hard to know whether the homogeneity of the list is a product of jurors lack of omnivorous consumption, or the fact that independent publishers are not submitting to the awards (possibly a function of the very steep increase in the costs). There are some omissions from this list that are so glaring that I have to assume that the shows/companies didn't submit for consideration. Maybe I'm being too jaded. Full disclosure: Podot only submitted one show this year, and it wasn't nominated (we submitted into the Wellbeing category, which is a bad fit anyway). But inevitably the British Podcast Awards will come to represent a Best in Class list of UK podcasting, especially for those outside the narrow industry walls. I have to say, I look at some of those categories and I struggle – as a critic and consumer, rather than creator – to believe that these shows really represent the best of the business.

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British economists worried about the accuracy of official labor market data have a new concern: doubts about the number of unfilled jobs. The low cost of advertising for staff online and other factors may have left more slots advertised for longer than in previous years. The result could be inflating the aggregate number of vacancies across the UK, according to employment experts and economists. The trend will make it more difficult for the Bank of England to measure tightness in the labor market, a key question for policy makers weighing when they can ease interest rates from a 16-year high. Read our story in Bloomberg News with Tom Rees https://lnkd.in/d_jm6hVt

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Trade press doesn't tend to get the respect it deserves, which is a real shame as some of the best journalists in the UK ply their trade working for niche publications. Read my take on the importance of B2B media outlets below, you'll be shocked by some of the major stories and scandals broken by trade journalists months or sometimes years before the nationals 👀

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About 7 million is the straw poll readership of the most favoured UK magazine. So… if your business was featured in such a magazine, what could it do for your business reputation and revenue from a free publication? But, how do you get a journalist to write up on your business? We at ExpertSources, www.expertsources.co.uk can help by getting you registered for over 7,700 regional, national and international journalists and professional media members to see your profile, and to be privy to contacting you directly! You would win by increasing your reputation, your revenue, but you would be helping journalists simultaneously by providing them with extra media opportunities with your expertise, to enable them to finish their work on or even before deadline. Media folk, join here FREE OF CHARGE https://lnkd.in/gWTuBX5 to find real experts easily and quickly. And Experts, if you can talk factually on any topic in any sector through your experience, career or education, and you could really do with a boost in revving up your business revenue by potentially gaining valuable media publicity, join here https://lnkd.in/dbnVv_m for a HUGELY REDUCED FEE. #Publicity #Media #MediaProfessionals #Journalist #Journalists #MediaExposure #Revenue #PR #PublicRelations #Expert #Experts #Charity #University #Business #Journalism #Editorial #Podcast #Vlog #Magazines #TV #Radio #SocialMedia #ROI #Business #StartUp #Entrepreneur #Success #BusinessSuccess #Revenue #YourDream #Reputation #Journalism   Photo by Seb Reivers on Unsplash

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Very interesting history attached to this property https://lnkd.in/ehrhSp-G

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An interesting media manifesto from the News Media Association, ahead of the UK #GeneralElection. It’s a decent start but needs a lot more work. Its current demands include: 1) Compensation for publishers agreeing to feed large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT 2) Special measures to protect local media (especially against the bulldozer of BBC coverage) 3) And legislation to guarantee press freedom Yet, there's nothing about training. For me, that’s a big miss. We need to nurture the next generation of reporters. I also worry that there’s no mention of diversity or inclusion. One of the biggest failings of journalism today is that everyone sounds (and looks) the same. We need fresh, new voices. But what else is missing? #JournalismMatters https://lnkd.in/eP2dTGxr

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We're about to have an election in the UK. One of the main talking points of this political cycle has been how many people get their information, not from debates or manifestos, but through analysis on political podcasts. It got me thinking about what makes a "good" political podcast, the difference between audio and TikTok, and how I feel about the role of podcasting in this controversial and sensitive space. During this process, I came out with another takeaway: Podcasts wouldn’t be the phenomenon they have become without politics. The industry likes to point to the success of true crime as the catalyst for podcasting’s mainstream popularity. But speak to some of the hosts who have made it big in the last five years, and they’ll point, often begrudgingly, to Joe Rogan as the reason they can make podcasting their full-time career. You might take umbrage with this for moral reasons. Fine. I switched to Tidal when Rogan was bought by Spotify. But the political divisions we see in society have been easily capitalized on by political podcasts across the ideological spectrum. If the aim is to create a vacuum where only one ideology exists, why not start a podcast? Not all political podcasts are nurturing polemical silos. Many attempt to at least understand where the other side is coming from. And while they risk offending everyone and satisfying no one, there is bravery in championing a bipartisan approach. In my recent list for Podcast Review, I chose a range of shows that occupy different positions on many things, but they share a common theme: curiosity towards difficult issues. What is your favorite political podcast? https://lnkd.in/eKCy7Cxb

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Labour has avoided grand economic plans in this election, despite a huge poll lead, thanks to the long shadow Liz Truss's mini budget crisis. Starmer and co will inherit a tricky bond market situation as it seeks to boost growth: debt issuance is running at the second highest level on record, while estimates of interest cost are bouncing around and can quickly wipe out any 'fiscal headroom'. Yet the Bank of England will soon be cutting interest rates, and investors are showing strong appetite for UK bonds even with borrowing running high. My chart-based piece: https://lnkd.in/eh7Z2x2t

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The news today that more people (a whole 1%) are getting their news from online sources rather than the TV is interesting but not entirely a surprise... after all, we are so much more digitally engaged and device-focused than ever. However, the stats that stood out to me were based on the growth of social media as a news source for young people aged 16-24 - Instagram is used by 40% of this group as a source for news and 33% turn to TikTok. I am guilty of becoming engrossed in both these platforms, but I am informed enough on what to pay attention to and what to block/mute/ignore. This is even more pertinent as this article from The Guardian also stresses how much misinformation and inaccurate news is shared online around milestone moments like the General Election: https://lnkd.in/ejeXGJdD Even Fiona Bruce has been quoted as saying: "..it’s worrying that social media is being increasingly used as a news source. It’s not just a problem for journalists, it’s a problem for all of us. And once a fake story is out there, it’s almost impossible to correct. I know, I’ve tried. Good luck trying to get anything taken down from X." This likely comes back to educating the younger generation on reputable sources for news to start, and making them aware of the commentators to take heed of and who not to... What are your thoughts? Is it possible to get on top of news sharing on social media? What role should the PR community take when it comes to this?

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It's increasingly hard to do proper #reporting in this modern era of ubiquitous content but I've been doing some proper digging around #BritishBasketball and have uncovered some remarkable things recently – including probably the biggest revelation to date, published this morning. Inspired by the amazing #journalism of Paul Brown and Philippe Auclair for Josimar, I've chosen to focus on the #basketball angle to focus on the stories which matter to that, albeit smaller, but very passionate and engaged #audience. Sadly, there is no outlet I've found which feels it's prudent or worthwhile to pay for #investigativereporting on British basketball, even with massive consequences facing one of the most popular sports amongst younger demographics in the UK – therefore I've chosen to publish stories on X/Twitter on my own account. My involvement in this story, from the start, has been about trying to do what is best for basketball in this country, after having entered the space within the last few years and been blown away by the remarkable dedication of so many individuals to making the sport function properly. Like (too) many of them, for me, financial remuneration comes second to doing something where you can do something for pure reasons – and it allows you to ensure that your #ethics and #standards measure up to your own expectations. The current state of #governance of basketball in the country is beyond farcical and the sport faces a catastrophic financial and reputational implosion, fairly imminently. Somebody has to tell that story – especially amid silence from the British Basketball League about the scandal(s) surrounding the game. Fans deserve better – and I'll strive to do what I can to help bring the truth to light.

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People Want real Change - Sunak v Starmer: Green groups call on broadcasters to ensure climate change features in TV debates: https://lnkd.in/eqxDwp3N #elections #UK #UKelections #TVdebates #climatechange

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Good to see this important Creative PEC research on class inequalities in the creative industries generating discussion.

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More from Project Story: the difference between the classic journalists' story 'man bites dog' and stories which are 'dog bites man' - and how it can teach us about our failure to include voices and perspectives beyond our own...

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PUBLIC CONTRACTS RANT. Quite often, especially with anything media related, I see contracts advertised that often have no details, no contact forms or otherwise. But thats never stopped me looking for said contracts through other means beyond public contracts scotland. The problem I keep seeing, is that this is because the contracts have already been given to agencies, outwith Scotland. Who are then subcontracting it, or worse, franchising it. This seems to be side stepping all fairness when it comes to public procurement, and putting barriers in the way of local businesses to be part of that. When we add in how often we see complaints of quality, because of this structure (like school photos). Its pretty obvious its not working.

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