How do you lead a communications strategy when the consequences are a matter of life, death and national inquiry? In this episode of PR in the Real World, Sarah Keaveny, Head of External Communications at Manchester Metropolitan University, shares the raw realities of frontline public sector PR.
Sarah Keaveny’s career is defined by pressure and purpose. Starting as a crime reporter at the Bury Times, Sarah learned early that "human stories" are the heartbeat of impactful journalism. She takes us through 14 intense years at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, where she managed the comms for tragic live incidents, including the line-of-duty death of a firefighter. We delve into the long-running reputational pressure of the Manchester Arena Inquiry and the essential role of humility and evidence when an organisation must prove it has genuinely changed.
The conversation also explores Sarah’s work on the multi-award-winning ‘Is This Okay?’ campaign, a viral initiative tackling violence against women and girls. Sarah breaks down how to spark behaviour change on a shoestring budget and why she has now pivoted to proactive, strategic comms in the Higher Education sector. This episode is an essential guide for anyone navigating high-stakes reputation management while maintaining their own resilience.
From a PR and communications perspective, this episode covers:
- The Transition from Newsroom to Frontline: Using reporter instincts (determination and tenacity) to manage emergency service comms.
- Managing Live Crisis Incidents: Building a 24/7 "newsroom-style" comms team within the Fire and Rescue Service.
- Reputation & The Arena Inquiry: Proving "genuine improvement" through evidence, data and the courage to ask awkward internal questions.
- Behaviour Change at Speed: The strategy behind the ‘Is This Okay?’ campaign; launching a viral movement in just four weeks.
- Bystander Theory in PR: Engaging men and boys specifically to challenge societal attitudes and low-level harassment.
- Strategic Pillars in Higher Education: Moving from 80% reactive work to 80% proactive strategy using the OASIS framework.
Sarah shares a staggering statistic: Manchester Met contributes more to the local economy than both Manchester United and Manchester City combined. She also offers personal reflections on leadership, "poker faces," the value of national networks like FirePro and why reconnecting with her alma mater has brought her career full circle.
This episode is relevant for professionals working in:
- Crisis Communications: Especially those in "blue light" services or local government.
- Public Sector PR: Navigating political stakeholders and multi-agency responses.
- Behaviour Change Specialists: Interested in low-budget, high-impact social campaigns.
- HE Professionals: Looking for insights on external engagement and purpose-led storytelling.
Links and references
Is This Okay? Campaign: https://isthisokgm.com/
Mayor of Greater Manchester – Is This Okay? campaign launch: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/news/mayor-launches-latest-stage-of-campaign-to-tackle-gender-based-violence-with-hard-hitting-film/
Greater Manchester Gender-Based Violence Strategy: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/safer-and-stronger-communities/gender-based-violence/isthisok
Manchester Metropolitan University: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/
Manchester Metropolitan University – About: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/about-us/
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service: https://manchesterfire.gov.uk/
More PR in the Real World: https://www.vivapr.co.uk/viva-podcast/
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