The Grayling Media Podcast

In this special end-of-year episode of the Grayling Media Podcast, Heather Blundell (UK CEO, Grayling) is joined by Alex Goss (Head of News, The Sun) and Darren McCaffrey (Sky News) to review the defining media, political and cultural moments of 2025.

Together, they discuss:

• The BBC’s crisis and the future of public service broadcasting
• The stories that truly ignited public anger
• The Budget fallout, growth fears and business confidence
• Reform, Farage, Starmer and a fractured political landscape
• The collapse of legacy media models and what replaces them
• AI, authenticity and why trust now matters more than polish
• The winners and sinners of the media in 2025

A must-listen for business leaders, communicators, policymakers and anyone trying to understand how power, media and public opinion really work in Britain today.

Women’s football and the creative industries might seem worlds apart, but for young people trying to break in, the challenges are surprisingly similar: limited access, narrownetworks, and few visible role models.

In this episode, former England footballer and founder of The Rachel Yankey Foundation, Rachel Yankey, joins Luca Hussain, Head of Programmes and Impact at Creative Mentor Network, and Grayling's Senior Counsel Tanya Joseph for an honest conversation about confidence, representation, and creating opportunity where it’s too often out of reach.

 They share stories from grassroots football and the creative sector, exploring how visibility, mentorship, and supportive networks can make all the difference.

Learn more about the organisations featured:

Creative Mentor Network

The Rachel Yankey Foundation

Grayling UK

Grayling’s latest podcast dives into the regional media findings of our Truth, Trust and Tribes in a New Media Age report, produced in partnership with More In Common.

Join panellists Rob Parsons (Executive Editor forLocal Democracy Reporting Service at Reach Plc), Alex Turner (Joint Managing Director of The Business Desk) and Katie Eborall (Director and Head of North at Grayling) as they unpack how local journalism is evolving, what’s driving regional newsroom priorities, and why comms professionals need to rethink their approach to media engagement outside the M25.

Download the Truth, Trust and Tribes in a New Media Age Report.

Is truth losing its appeal?

Building on our inaugural 2024 report, Grayling’s 2025 edition – Truth, Trust and Tribes in a New Media Age – delves deeper into how power, politics, and Britain’s evolving relationship with truth are reshaping today’s media landscape.

Grayling's UK CEO Heather Blundell joins Sam McAlister – former Newsnight producer behind the Prince Andrew interview and author of Scoops – for a sharp discussion on power, media, and Britain’s shifting relationship with truth.

Together, they unpack the UK’s crisis of truth, where only a third of people say they believe in objective facts, and explore how trust, technology, and tribalism are redefining how we seek and share news.

In partnership with More in Common, we surveyed 2,000 people across Britain to uncover new insights into how audiences find trustworthy information, interpret truth, and engage with media.

👉 Read the full report here.

Heather Blundell (CEO, Grayling UK) and James Clothier (Head of Crisis, Grayling UK) joined Phillip Grindell to discuss how reputation management has become essential protection.

Key insights: Most crisis failures stem from human behaviour under pressure, not poor messaging. Female executives face different reputation attacks requiring specific strategies. Social media breaks stories before traditional media responds. Video responses are replacing written statements as authenticity matters more than polish.

Heather revealed that proactive reputation management creates a competitive advantage, not just damage limitation. The conversation covers timing challenges, the importance of an external perspective, and why lawyers often make statements worse by stripping out emotion. They discuss how social media has transformed crisis response - young people get news from Snapchat, stories break on Twitter first, and video content is becoming essential.

The practical advice focuses on being honest, letting the light in, and demonstrating genuine change rather than just promising to "learn lessons."

Heather Blundell’s Biography: 

Heather is the award-winning UK CEO of Grayling, a global PR firm,  responsible for 200 employees across nine offices. 

She has spent more than 16 years as a trusted adviser to some of the world's largest companies and prominent CEOs, guiding them through periods of significant change, disruption, and complex reputation and crisis issues.

Heather is also a regular media commentator in the national media.

 James Clothier

James is Head of Crisis at Grayling UK, responsible for leading the crisis and reputation practice, alongside the firm's corporate division. 

Before joining Grayling, James spent two decades in senior editorial positions at The Sun and the Daily Mail.

Phillip Grindell Biography:

Philip Grindell MSc CSyP

Philip is the founder & CEO of Defuse®
Philip has become one of the UK’s most trusted leaders & advisors when it comes to fixated persons & threats to prominent people. 
Philip served as a senior Scotland Yard Detective for the Metropolitan Police for almost 30 years in specialist roles, including time spent seconded to British Intelligence on counter-terrorist investigations. 
Philip set & ran the Parliamentary Liaison & Investigation Team (PLaIT). The team responsible for the protection of politicians in the UK Parliament.

Philip has a MSc in Security Management and is a Chartered Security Professional

https://www.linkedin.com/in/specialists-in-protecting-prominent-people-and-brands-from-targeted-threats/Subscribe to 'Defuse News', for their weekly update of the week's events on their website.

In this episode of the Grayling Media podcast, we explore one of the most pressing and complex issues facing Britain today: the impact of smartphones and social media on younger generations — particularly Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Host Tanya Joseph is joined by Anna McShane, Director and Founder of The New Britain Project, and Neil Kleiner, Managing Director of social-first agency Movement, to unpack new research findings, shifting public attitudes, and the evolving responsibilities of governments, brands, and parents alike.

Together, they discuss:

- Key insights from the New Britain Project's latest report on online safety

- How brands are adapting to ethical and empowering content creation

- The role of regulation vs. personal and parental responsibility.

Whether you're a policymaker, parent, educator, marketer, or simply someone navigating the digital age, this conversation offers valuable insights on shaping a safer, healthier onlineworld.

🔗 Access the full report here: https://www.newbritain.org.uk/social-media

🎧 Listen and subscribe for more expert perspectives.

🎧NEW EPISODE: Listen to Grayling's sharp analysis of the Spring Statement with a brilliant line-up of political and economic experts. 

Mehreen Khan, Economics Editor of The Times, and Grayling's Senior Advisers, John Lehal and Tanya Joseph, debate the impact and significance of the statement, and what it means for the country - including the challenges aheadamidst continued economic uncertainty. 

Catch it here!

Did you know that at the current rate, women won’t reach pay parity with men until 2158? Or that 40% of countries have seen gender equality stagnate or even reverse since 2018? The truth is, we’re far from achieving true gender equality, and in some ways, we're moving backwards.

Join Lucie Cave, Chief Creative Officer at Bauer Media and Entertainment Editor at ITV, Rebecca Holman, Digital Director at Grazia, and Heather Blundell, UK CEO of Grayling, as they discuss the growing backlash against DE&I initiatives, the urgent need for businesses to rethink their approach to diversity, and why having the right voices in the room isn’t just a moral imperative, it’s key to long-term business success.

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Grayling UK Website

Welcome to Grayling UK. We are the most integrated, networked agency in the UK, where diversity of thought is embedded in everything we do.

Kicking off 2025, Grayling has unveiled its 2025 trendsreport: Creating Advantage in an Uncertain World, featuring insights from business leaders.

In the first Vantage Point podcast of the year, Lucy Siegle, leading environmental journalist and Harry Wallop, award-winning consumer journalist join Heather Blundell, Grayling UK CEO to discuss key themes from the report.

They dive into the shifting media landscape, share top tips for building an authentic brand, explore how consumers will shape business decisions, and reveal their hopes and priorities for the year ahead.Download the full report here.