Housing Europe’s Post

I recently began a new chapter back in the UK as Head of Global Communications for Shift, a human rights not-for-profit that works around the world to ensure people’s right to a good life is at the heart of how business is done. This new role comes after nearly five years with the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. First as strategic communications manager for the Green Minister of Climate Change in Jacinda Ardern’s Government, and then as Director of Communications for the Green Party, which covered a historic, record-breaking 2023 election campaign.     I gave my crazy, chaotic, unpredictable, and at times infuriating job with the Greens everything I had. I made myself sick, worked far too many 18-hour days, sacrificed time with family, and lost more sleep than I care to think about. I’ve agonised over every single word I’ve written in speeches, media releases, and on social media.    Biased though I may be, strategic, co-ordinated, and consistent communications are critical to delivering the change we so desperately need. The framing, messages, values, and narratives we choose help shape how people understand the world. When we get it right, it’s possible to inspire hope and motivate people to act. For five years at the Greens, I was obsessed (to a fault) with trying to get it right! There is no doubt the job took its toll. But over the last five years I have done some of the things I am most proud of in my entire life. None more so than being part of the best comms team in NZ politics. Bryson Rooney, Tallulah Farrar, Florence Hillyer-Brandt, Pearl Little, Louis John Day, Gordana Rodden, and Johnny Blades, are among the best, most intelligent, and tirelessly passionate people I have ever met. Everything we did, we did it together.    At its best, politics is a place where meaningful change can be won. It can be slow, messy, and endlessly frustrating. It is exhausting. It demands everything of us. But harnessing the power for good in our politics is essential to delivering something better than we have right now. For too long, politics has been made inaccessible, incomprehensible even, as a deliberate tactic to force people to turn away from it in frustration. When people are made to feel that it is impossible to make a difference, they eventually stop trying. Which is precisely why we must keep doing what we do. If we walk away, they win. Many of the challenges we face right now are a symptom of rotten politics. However, I firmly believe that people with values, passion, and real commitment to making life better for others, are the cure. So, let’s go hard. We are in a fight for the future - and the only way to win it is together.

Today’s #WeLeadComms honoree is Illinois-based Ghanaian communication instructor and graduate student Daniel Sherrick Apambila. In his words: “I am a graduate student and a communications instructor at Illinois State University. One of my core responsibilities as a teacher is to help young and wild communicators improve their public speaking confidence through speech delivery.   “I am a proud @IABC member where I currently serve as an active committee member on the Professional Development Board—I assist in overseeing IABC’s professional development platforms and set strategies regarding IABC’s educational offerings to members and non-members. "I am interested in organizational communication and digital technology education. My current research project focuses on #internalcomms, enterprise social media, and employee engagement. I am interested in how these elements intersect to promote organizational success. “My interest in organizational communication and digital technology education devolved from my previous work experience as a national service personnel at the Public Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Headquarters. During this tenure, I effectively used digital communication tools to enhance the relationship between the Ghana Police Service as a security organization and the public, with the goal of fostering positive societal change for national development. “This experience has endowed me with the expertise and proficiency to excel in my chosen field as an organizational communication and digital technology expert, employing state-of-the-art technological tools to strategically communicate with various stakeholder groups to strengthen relationships by building trust, fostering transparency, and ensuring that stakeholders feel valued and informed about a company’s business operation. "I have worked as a Fact Checker and Content Verifier at Penplusbytes Media Company—a not- for-profit civic organization running the African election project using new digital technologies to drive good governance and transparency. “As a Fact Checker and Content Verifier, I managed the All Media Tracking Center (AMTC), which is a centralized data base system for tracking public comments on social media platforms to identifying negative developments that pose a threat to the peace and stability in a well-functioning democracy. "After identifying a negative development, I do a thorough cross-check of facts to ascertain the veracity of what is being posted before I will escalate the case to the appropriate institution for action to be taken against it. “With my knowledge and experience, I aim to assist start-up organizations in navigating complex challenges in managing stakeholder relationships, especially in disruptive situations in this digital communicative landscape.” +++ Are you looking to become certified in communication management? Then the Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence has the course for you. https://lnkd.in/ew7c-tfN

Here's my 2024 LinkedIn Rewind, by Coauthor.studio: 2024 taught me that being a communications professional means nothing if you don't use your voice when it matters most. When Kenya needed voices to stand against injustice, I discovered that my communications expertise wasn't just for crafting corporate narratives, it became a tool for social change. This year transformed how I view my role in society. Key realizations from 2024: • Professional skills amplify social impact • Silence serves no one • True change requires both expertise and courage • Collective action beats individual achievement every time Three posts that captured this journey: "Our movement is leaderless because each one of us is a leader" - On finding strength in collective action during the Finance Bill protests https://lnkd.in/dvBHvRQy "If demanding justice and a better future is treason, then so be it" - When staying silent was no longer an option https://lnkd.in/dGF32FCj "Never in a million years did I think that I would ever let my political views be known" - On breaking free from self-imposed limitations https://lnkd.in/dD455HJH But the real impact came from merging professional expertise with civic duty. Communications is a powerful tool. If used correctly and with integrity, it can shift how society looks at and addresses issues. It might not look like it, but if this year has taught me anything, it's that every skill gained in corporate communications CAN become a tool for change. 2025 will be about deepening this integration of professional impact and social responsibility. If you've been following the news, the fight for transparency, accountability, and justice in Kenya continues. I can't wait to use my strategic communications expertise to amplify and support the voices that echo what's people's hearts and minds. Not just in Kenya but worldwide. To every professional wondering if speaking up will hurt their career: your voice matters more than your career trajectory. Use it to advocate for what you believe in. Speak YOUR truth. #Kenya #LinkedInRewind #2024Wrapped

We publish a weekly newsletter each Monday that reaches more than 4,500 communications leaders and practitioners. It's a mix of management and communications research and insight. Here are three stories from yesterday's edition that we think you should be following. 1⃣️ Community as a powerful public relations strategy Organisations leverage communities to address societal issues, drive culture change, and empower stakeholders. This was the topic of a keynote by Sarah Waddington CBE CDir ChartPR at PRAXIS this weekend. From The HEINEKEN Company's Worlds Apart campaign to Sanofi's Olympic volunteer community, we see impactful examples of how bringing people together can create understanding and change. 2⃣️ Levelling the playing field for charities A report by Strike Communications Ltd emphasises how strategic communications can help charities overcome resource limitations and build trust. In the £88 billion UK charity sector, clear brand identity, transparency, and creative engagement are crucial for long-term success. Practitioners have a significant role to play in helping these organisations amplify their impact. 3⃣️ Innovation in Government communications The UK Government Communication Service has published new guides on innovation strategy, ethical innovation, and the use of generative AI in government communications. These resources provide practical guidelines for practitioners to ethically harness new technologies whilst maintaining high standards across various sectors. If you haven't subscribed yet, please follow the link and sign up 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e3zBJeMp

Advocating 'RESPONSIBLE COMMUNICATION' as 18th SDG As Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and Secretary General of African Public Relations Association (APRA), I bring you updates on our actions in the framework of the global call for responsible communication. On Wednesday, 24th of July 2024 at the United Nations Building in New York, precisely at 12 noon, Prof. Justin Green, President and CEO of Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management (GA) led the GA delegation to present our proposal to the UN team, led by Melissa Fleming, the Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Global Communications of the United Nations (Justin and Melissa are in the photo below). The GA is an assembly of over 360,000 persons and entities (including NIPR and APRA) in 126 countries. The UN Global Principles for Information Integrity focuses on empowering people to demand their rights, including the right to free expressions and to hold opinions. However, as reiterated on 24th June 2024 by Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the challenge of "false narratives, distortions and lies” remain existential threat. Communication is intrinsic to humanity and foundational for human interaction and social development because ideas are exchanged, relationships are cultivated, individuals and organisational goals attainment are enhanced, and social democracy is supported and sustained through the instrumentality of communication, but these values are threatened by inappropriate communication. Therefore, the GA's call to action aims to highlight the critical importance of responsible communication in achieving sustainable development; advocate for the inclusion of a new SDG focused on responsible communication; and provide a strategic framework for implementing this new SDG. In the opinion of GA, 'responsible communication' means: 1. Open dialogue about global challenges, such as climate change, poverty reduction and democracy. 2. Consider dialogue as the most powerful weapon. 3. Freedom of opinion and press. 4. Ethical approach to organizational and institutional communications, based on facts. 5. Fight against fake news, misinformation and any kind of propaganda. 6. Educate individuals to use their ‘communication powers’, especially through social media responsibly. 7. Public and private support for rigorous and accountable journalism. 8. Support diversity, inclusion and gender equality. 9. Empathy to those who suffer from hunger, poverty, lack of opportunities, war, forced migrations and all discriminations. 10. Positive and inclusive language. The link below contains details of GA's submission. Please fill the form at the closure of the narrative to enlist your organisation or institution in this advocacy. https://lnkd.in/dNUzNAab

Non-governmental organizations play a pivotal role in addressing social, environmental, and humanitarian issues worldwide. However, their ability to create meaningful change often hinges on their visibility, credibility, and ability to engage stakeholders. This is where PR becomes an indispensable tool. Public relations empowers NGOs to communicate their mission, build relationships, and mobilize resources effectively.

ARE YOUR #COMMUNICATIONS #ACCESSIBLE? Not sure or don't know where to start - this incredible resource compiled by Christine Fleming has got you covered. I've going to shamelessly steal this paragraph from the intro to explain why you should read (and action) the suggestions in the piece: "At its core this means respecting and understanding that people’s ability to access and process messages is as varied as they are. By embracing these differences we can work towards creating and making things as user friendly as possible. Ultimately this will benefit not just those with specific needs but all of us, as it will provide choices that could open doors for everyone." As #communicators, we need to make sure that no-one is excluded or left behind from our messaging. But to think of this in the relatively narrow lens of the improvements we make being confined to this person or that person is to miss a bigger picture. Let's take the relatively simple example of plain English (and my heart SINGS) to see www.hemingwayapp.com mentioned!). Think of a classic novel, something by Jane Austen let's say. The language used there may not be helpful for folks with a reading age of 9 to engage with the text; or for someone with English as a 2+ language; or those folk who, for other reasons, are excluded by long, flowery and complex prose. Equally, someone with a PHD who has just worked a 70 hour week, is coralling children, coping with a bust washing machine and other life trials may be "technically" able to engage with the text, but do they have the cognitive capacity to take its meaning and act on it? As communications folk, whether in #LocGov, #NHS / #PublicHealth, #BehaviourChange, #PR / #Marketing in any industry, we're probably not writing Austen-like prose. However, that's not to say that we don't sometimes create Austen-like complexity. Check out annual reports, website "news" stories, research findings and other general culprits! So, this excellent guide really is for everyone. Thanks Christine & all of the contributors! https://lnkd.in/eqbfSJJc

Drum roll please 🥁 it’s time for the Cause Communications six-month round-up. This is a list of the publications, outlets and platforms where we’ve secured coverage for our clients in the first six months of this year (plus 15 days of July, full disclosure). A lot of this coverage is as a result of ideas that Sam Carlisle and I developed and then pitched to journalists. Sometimes, journalists came to us needing our clients' help to develop a story or idea. None of them would have been possible without our brilliant contacts book, our ability to spot a story, our ongoing and long lasting relationships with the families and young people who share their stories, our combined decades of experience in national media, our dedication to making it work every time, and huge amounts of teamwork, emails, meetings and phone calls with our wonderful clients. *Takes a deep breath* The Times (Thunderer and news feature) Today programme Rip Off Britain LBC Radio (x 3) Sky News Climate Show Metro The Guardian BBC 5 Live (x 4: Nihal Arthanayake, Nicky Campbell phone-in, Gordon Smart and Chris Warburton weekend breakfast) Daily Telegraph Sunday Telegraph ITV London BBC Breakfast Sky FYI (x2 shows, including a brilliant special edition about disabled children) First News The Sun The i Good Morning Britain BBC Access All podcast Press Association The Big Issue Schools Week Best magazine Yahoo News BBC Newsround Daily Express Good Housekeeping BBC Look North BBC website Plus loads of sector press as well as regional press, radio and TV plus various green, parenting and consumer sites. Phew. That’s only the first part of the year. SO much more to come in the second half with some really exciting projects. Also, a big thanks to Aimi Jones who started working with us this year. Her strategic expertise has really had an impact. 🗞 Do you want to generate excellent national, earned media coverage for your charity or social cause, and put your message in front of the audience that really needs to hear it? We’re really good at exactly that - just message me or Sam for a chat.

🗣️ Empathy, creativity and contextualization are crucial to describing social changes and impact in a way that resonates. In this blog, we share 3 practical insights for removing barriers in making dissemination, communication and reporting efforts meaningful and understandable: https://lnkd.in/eVjGiWP3 ✍️ If you want to receive insights and tips to make research communication sign up to our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e7BGMEt9

We asked one of our judges, Catherine Arrow, to give her thoughts relating to the question "How do you see the future of the public relations industry taking into account artificial intelligence and why do you think it is important to reward public relations projects?". Please take a look at what she had to say about it. "The future of public relations will be defined by how well practitioners navigate the evolving relationship between humans and artificial intelligence. AI offers tools for hyper-personalised communication, data-driven insights and enhanced efficiency but it is humans who shape its ethical use, build trust and foster critical relationships. Practitioners play a pivotal role as the bridge between AI capabilities and human values, ensuring technology serves, rather than dictates, communication outcomes - and that their organisations are of good intent when AI is put to work. In the "Five Futures of Public Relations" series, I highlighted the need for innovation in practice to prioritise adaptability, inclusivity and transparency. These frameworks are essential as ‘everyday AI’ influences society and sparks innovation while we are challenged to uphold our ethical responsibilities. Public relations remains relationship driven and the human-AI relationship will shape how we build trust and deliver authentic engagement in the years ahead. Recognising exceptional public relations work demonstrates existing best practice and helps to light the way forward. Awards celebrate creativity, strategy and impact, encouraging practitioners to lead with purpose and explore our new frontiers responsibly. As our profession evolves, celebrating excellence ensures we continue to set standards that advance the role of public relations as a force for good in society."