Chartered Institute of Public Relations

Crisis management has sat squarely in the communication function.

These days, does it belong there? A new book-length report from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Communication Network believes it's a leadership governance issue.

And experts who don't actually exist are actually being quoted liberally in a variety of A-list media outlets, creating reputation issues for everyone from the media outlets themselves to the PR agencies that unwittingly provided the quotes.

Dan York is here to discuss an effort to close AI's language gap, some updates to how some outlets are addressing video, smart glasses, and Thread's expanded podcast toolkit.

When we talk about crisis communication, I think most of us still tend to picture what happens once a crisis is actually underway.

The holding statement, the spokesperson, the media response, the frantic internal calls, the question of whether the CEO should go public, how quickly the organization says something, what it says, and whether anyone manages to make the situation worse or not.

But a substantial new handbook from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Crisis Communications Network, published in association with the UK Institute of Directors, argues that this way of thinking starts far too late.

The handbook is called Crisis Communication for Boards, a Handbook for Good Governance.

He's held senior leadership roles in agencies including Meteor, Ketchum, Rainier, PR and Speed and has advised organisations such as The Economist, HM Government, Intel, Microsoft, The Press Association, the NHS, Tesco and Virgin Media Business.

He's also a former president of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and founder of the CIPR AI NPR panel.

Stephen co-founded Socially Mobile, a social enterprise supporting public relations practitioners from underrepresented and lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and has written or edited more than 50 publications on public relations and management, including the new AI for Public Relations, Brand Anarchy, Chartered Public Relations, exploring public relations and management communication and share this.

What an unbelievable career so far.

I've always been optimistic.

I've always been positive for the industry.

I'm president of the CIPR.

But through my PhD, I had to go and read critical accounts of the industry.

Yeah.

Victoria then went on to run a communications business for 30 years, training organisations for the CIPR on making internal communications drive strategic goals.

And she was named CIPR Communicator of the Year in Yorkshire.

Since then, she's gone to set up an organisation called NextUp, and she now advises boards and senior leaders on skill shortages, workforce change, and how to unlock the value of experienced talent.

including how AI can capture and scale critical expertise.

You know, I come from the era where getting pick up in other publications is what you were after.

Whereas that's something that's slightly being lost in the kind of era of everyone just wanting to drive their own traffic.

But I was just like, why aren't they picking it up? But then as we did it, we did actually get support from the PRCA and the MCIPR who sort of, as we uncovered more of it, I mean, in particular, the PRCA have been very supportive.

And I think, you know, they're, they, I mean, they, like me, see this as an opportunity to produce a higher value service to sort of, you know, change the perception of PR and, you know, be, you know, be that professional services thing.

Although, you know, I mean, having sort of dabbled both sides of the fence, I mean, I would say that the difference is that when my accountant tells me, oh, you owe three grand in capital gains, I actually listen to him.

That was partly why I was recruited to the university, actually, because it wasn't just... what's my experience and what do I know, but it was what's my links and my networks with industry.

So I'm a CIPR member.

I'm a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

I'm a chartered practitioner.

I'm also a fellow.

And I should probably also say for the purpose of the recording, I am standing for election to the role of CIPR president-elect in 2027 as well.

I'm very impressed.

Very impressed.

For six of them, she's also been the resident PR expert at Oxford Said Business School.

In 2026, she's the CIPR president, and since April, she's co-hosted the BBC Radio 4 programme, When It Hits The Fan.

Where did she find the time? Farzana, welcome.

So, Farzana, welcome to PR in the Real World.

Yeah, interesting.

Talk to me a little bit about some of the risks sides that you see as well.

And again, the CIPR put out some guidance earlier this year about saying that practitioners should stay accountable for the work that they do when they put their name on it.

Yes, I think what happens is PR has sort of lucked out really with social media.

She's the co-host of When It Hits the Fan on BBC Radio 4, which is a show and a podcast about PR and power and reputation.

And this year, she's the president of the UK's Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

She's been a huge supporter of our podcast, and it means a lot.

Farzana.