New ways of reaching audiences
New ways of reaching audiences in a fragmented media landscape
Tuesday 16 June, 12.30-1.30pm. Online Zoom.
The media landscape has changed beyond recognition over the past few years. We have seen a dramatic decline in engagement for traditional media. Young people now rely on social media as sources of news and rarely read newspapers. Content creators and influencers are becoming increasingly relevant. Add to that the potential of AI to disrupt the news industry and public relations professions are being faced with baffling choices. How can we operate in this fragmented environment? Should we focus on mainstream education sector media, cultivate influencers or look for new channels? This online ‘lunch and learn’ session will feature presentations by people who are reaching their audiences in different ways.
Panellists
Simon Hinde, Programme Director for Media and Publishing at London College of Communications, will present an overview of the media landscape in 2026. This will cover the fragmentation of media outlets, the decline in print readership, trends in news consumption and the importance of trusted sources.
Grace Carruthers, Senior News and PR Manager at Oxford University Press, will explain how the OUP uses various communication channels in its annual ‘Word of the Year’ campaign. (Last year’s word was ‘ragebait’.) Whilst previously the campaign focused on traditional media, it has evolved over the last few years to use different formats and is now a fully integrated , spanning multiple channels. https://corp.oup.com/word-of-the-year.
Susan Higgins, Director of Communications at the Edge Foundation will share how after Covid, the Edge Foundation shifted from a traditional PR model towards building its own content platforms, networks and communities to create richer engagement and stronger connections with stakeholders across research, policy and practice in education. She will argue that organisations need to rethink their approach and move beyond press coverage alone to engage their audiences.
Emily Barnes, Associate Director and creative lead at Fanclub PR, led the Tackling Hygiene Poverty schools campaign that won the CIPR’s Excellence Award in the Education sector in 2025. When research revealed that 80% of UK teachers were witnessing a rise in hygiene poverty, Fanclub PR and laundry brand smol created a campaign that set up free mini-laundrettes in schools. The campaign achieved significant media coverage and an all-important response from the government’s Child Poverty Taskforce.
https://www.fanclubpr.com/our-work/smol-suds
Biographies
Simon Hinde has had a long career as a journalist, including roles at working on the Sunday Times, Daily and Sunday Express, Yahoo, AOL and Sky. He has appeared many times on radio and television as a commentator and pundit, including the Today programme, Newsnight and Sky News. He joined London College of Communication in 2013 as Programme Director for Media and Publishing. https://www.arts.ac.uk/colleges/london-college-of-communication/people/simon-hinde.
Grace Carruthers leads high profile media and reputation-building campaigns with global reach for Oxford University Press. She specialises in integrated communications, combining traditional media relations with digital storytelling and providing trusted advice to senior leadership.
Susan Higgins is a senior communications and education communications specialist. In her role as Director of Communications at the Edge Foundation, she combines strategic thinking with creative, practical delivery tactics. She is a member of the CIPR Education and Skills Group.
Emily Barnes has worked at Fanclub for 12 years, leading mission-led challengers in the consumer space to drive change. Most recently, she led the campaign that won the 2005 CIPR Excellence award in the Education Category.
Contact: Anne Nicholls
Email: [email protected]