12 Bingeworthy PR Podcasts
Let’s explore PR podcasts.
In the fast-moving world of PR, staying on top of industry news, trends, and best practice is critical.
But this is easier said than done. Between media pitching, interview scheduling, press release writing, and media coverage analysis, there’s little time for learning.
However, time-intensive trade shows, whitepapers and webinars aren’t the only way to stay in the know.
There’s a ton of public relations podcasts out there, packed with valuable nuggets of industry wisdom, news, and insight. Covering everything from internal comms to public affairs, they can be consumed passively, in bite-sized chunks, while you’re on the go. What better way to level up your PR knowledge?
If you’re looking for recommendations, you’re in the right place. Grab your headphones, settle in, and give these 12 top PR podcasts a listen.
Beyond the Noise
If you keep your finger on the pulse of happenings in the PR world, you’ll be familiar with PRWeek. A go-to source for industry news, analysis, and opinion, the monthly trade mag is essential reading for PR pros.
If a monthly dose isn’t enough, Beyond the Noise offers more of the same.
The fortnightly PR Week podcast sees New Society’s Frankie Oliver and guests dissect the week’s biggest stories, news, views, and industry gossip.
Barbie, AI, and ITV’s This Morning are just a few of the trending topics they’ve put under the microscope.
Don’t have 40 minutes to spare? Make a beeline for the Noise in Brief episodes. You’ll get a no-nonsense, 15-minute roundup of everything that matters in the world of PR and communications.
Listen to Beyond the Noise.
Hacks & Flaks
Why are certain news stories kept out of the press? When does a scandal make or break a career? And how do you really know what is, or isn’t fake news?
These questions and loads more are answered by Petrie Hosken and a regular panel of hacks and flaks on this eye-opening, weekly PR podcast by strategic communications consultancy, Trafalgar Strategy.
The panel, which includes former Number Ten spokesman and ITV News journalist, Giles Kenningham, gives listeners the inside scoop on how hacks (the media) and flaks (PR bods) work in tandem to make the news, and how the relationship has changed in the digital age.
The sub-60-minute episodes cover everything from celebrity PR disasters to the future of sports reporting.
An insightful look into how the PR sausage is made, this entertaining cast is a must for PR greenhorns.
Listen to Hacks and Flaks.
Fuse
Looking to fine tune your global communications skills? Don your earphones and learn from the best in the business.
Fuse is a monthly PR and marketing podcast from the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), one of the largest and most influential professional PR bodies.
In each 30-minute episode, PR veterans Dan Gold, Farzana Baduel, and a rotating crew of professionals from the world of PR, communications, and marketing, chew over the trends, challenges, and opportunities in the ever-changing landscape of global communications.
Conversations cover a broad range of topics from navigating cultural differences, to the importance of DE&I for global businesses.
If you’re looking for cutting-edge insight and innovative ideas, you can’t go wrong with Fuse.
Prefer to watch your casts? The PRCA has got you covered.
Listen to Fuse.
When It Hits the Fan
In the words of John Cleese, ‘and now for something completely different.’
PR is not all sunshine and rainbows. Disaster can strike at any time. And when it does, you need to know what to do.
Enter When It Hits the Fan.
Published by the indomitable BBC Radio 4, this quirky PR podcast is ‘for anyone who’s ever wondered about the origins of a monumental PR cock up’.
The show is presented by two of the most experienced names in the crisis comms game; David Yelland, one-time editor of the Sun, and Simon Lewis, former troubleshooter for the Queen.
Each week, they go behind the scenes of the latest crises to find out how and why the proverbial s*** hit the fan. They explore the different strategies deployed by crisis managers and spin doctors to manage the fallout, and shed light on the media machine and how it operates.
In the first two episodes, the duo put Prince Harry and Elon Musk under the microscope.
Tune in for a gripping listen.
Listen to When It Hits the Fan.
For a deeper dive into crisis comms, read: Crisis Management in Public Relations.
Engage
Engage is an audio offering from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), the world’s leading professional body for PR professionals.
Created by PR practitioners, for PR practitioners, the quarterly PR podcast brings together a range of expert voices from across the industry to offer insight and analysis on the challenges and opportunities facing the PR and comms profession.
The panellists thrash out topics such as the lack of diversity in the PR sector, the growing importance of responsible business, and the challenges of dealing with misinformation and fake news.
The episodes may be few and far between, but they pack a punch. Plus CIPR members get 5 CPD points just for listening. Bonus.
Listen to Engage.
Unfamiliar with CIPR? Read: The CIPR: Everything you need to know.
Calm Edged Rebels
Now in its seventh season, the award-winning Calm Edged Rebels is a repository of internal comms goodness.
Listen in for lively, unedited conversations between real-life friends and internal communication (IC) experts Jenni Field, Trudy Lewis, and Advita Patel.
In their roundtable discussions, they share their thoughts, insights, and advice on a plethora of challenges facing IC professionals, from imposter syndrome and negotiation to employee engagement and leadership.
Professional, thoughtfully structured, and easy to listen to, there’s value packed into every bite. And, with each episode coming in at just under 40 minutes, it’s an easy way to get your daily dose of IC inspiration.
Listen to Calm Edged Rebels.
Social Minds
From internal comms to social media. Next up, we have Social Minds.
Eve Young and Theo Watts are the hosts of this industry-leading social media podcast. And it’s a gem.
The self-confessed digital nerds scrutinise the latest social media headlines, demystify social-first trends, and pick the brains of some of the world’s most successful social media marketers in the weekly digital public relations podcast.
Their promise to listeners? No buzzwords, jargon, or fluff. Instead, you get real case studies, genuine experts, and actionable insights.
If you’re after a riveting listen, listen to the interview with Ryanair’s Head of social media, Michael Corcoran. He shares the secrets behind the airline’s winning social strategy and reveals how the brand earned 111 million organic impressions in a month through TikTok memes and reactive Twitter gags. Impressive stuff.
Pushed for time? The Social in Six episodes offer a bite-sized roundup of all the latest social news.
Listen to Social Minds.
Socially Unacceptable
Henry Ford once said, ‘failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.’
The sentiment is echoed, albeit less elegantly, by Chris Norton and Will Ockenden in the tagline for their fledgling Socially Unacceptable: ‘it’s time to step up your marketing game and turn your f*ck-ups into a catalyst for success’.
This fledgling podcast approaches PR from a slightly different angle. Rather than celebrate PR successes, it focuses on failures.
Each episode sees Chris and Will tease out the untold stories of brand founders that have ‘faced their fair share of f*ck-ups and turned them into opportunities for growth’.
Guests reveal what led them to fail, how they fought their way back, and the lessons they learned along the way.
Wherever you are in your career, this motivational public relations podcast will equip you with skills and strategies to deal with setbacks and come back stronger.
Prepare to be inspired and empowered. All in the time it takes you to eat your lunch.
Listen to Socially Unacceptable.
Want to know what not to do in a crisis? Read: Seven Deadly Sins of Crisis Communications.
PRmoment
Industry news and inspiration. Campaign analysis. Jargon busting. Life story style interviews with some of the leading lights in UK PR.
The PRmoment podcast has it all.
The brainchild of PRmoment, a popular PR news and opinion website packed with ‘short, sharp, insightful content’ to keep busy PR pros in the know, the eponymous pod offers more of the same.
Hosted by Ben Smith, founder, and CEO of PRmoment, there’s a ton of value crammed into each 30-minute episode.
Senior PR pros, journalists, and media experts from across the industry talk candidly about their rise to PR superstardom, highlighting the challenges they faced on the way up. They also share their ‘hindsight secrets’; advice they wish they’d had when they started their careers.
Covering everything from AI in journalism to the fraught relationship between PRs and journos, this pod makes for fascinating listening.
Alongside the long-form episodes, they publish 20-minute ‘update’ episodes that focus on PR jobs, Rajar results, and the latest mergers and acquisitions on the UK PR scene.
If you’re looking for a 360° view of the industry, the PRmoment podcast is for you.
Listen to PRmoment.
For Immediate Release
Formerly The Hobson & Holtz Report, For Immediate Release is the longest running PR & communications podcast still broadcasting. And it’s one of the best.
Each month, comms veterans Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson analyse and comment on the latest happenings in the industry from both sides of the pond. Shel dials in from sunny California, and Neville, from his Berkshire base in the UK.
A host of industry experts join them to weigh in on conversations revolving around the latest trends in PR and social media. Think sloganeering, AI, Meta’s Threads, and podcasting. There’s also a dedicated technology report from Dan York, Director of Internet Technology at Internet Society.
An insight-packed pod delivered by pros at the top of their game.
Listen to For Immediate Release.
PR Resolution
Stella Bayles, author, speaker, and director of PR technologies at ‘CoverageBook’, hosts this straight-talking pod, that aims to give ‘you the information you need to find your own PR direction’.
In each episode, Stella teams up with an industry expert to explore an emerging topic in PR. Together, they break down the key concepts, bust prominent myths, and cut through the jargon to provide listeners with practical advice in an accessible and entertaining way.
Baffled by AMEC measurement? Struggling to get your head around share of voice? Flummoxed by data literacy? Give this pod a listen.
Informative, amusing and always under an hour, it’s an indispensable resource for PR newbies.
Listen to PR Resolution.
The Media Insider
Having worked as a journalist for 15 years, and run a successful PR business for five, presenter, Helen Croydon knows a thing or two about crafting a winning pitch.
On her monthly podcast, she shares her unique learnings from both sides of the PR industry, and picks the brains of commissioning editors, journalists, and producers at high-profile media outlets to get the inside track on how their newsrooms work, how they plan content, where they find interviewees, and what they look for in a pitch.
Prospect, Management Today, Raconteur, and the Daily Mirror are just a few of the publications featured.
Insightful, engaging, and thought provoking, it’s a great listen. And with each episode clocking in at around 30 minutes, it’s an easy series to binge.
Listen to The Media Insider.
Want to know what makes a killer media pitch? Read: How to pitch to journalists.
Get listening
There you have it. 12 of the best public relations podcasts around, in one handy list. Sticking a few on your Apple playlist is a foolproof way to stay on top of your PR game.
More podcast insights:
- Want to know how podcasting can supercharge your PR efforts? Read: The PR Benefits of Podcasting for Business
- Find out about the best business podcasts around at the moment. Read: 14 of the UK’s Best Business Podcasts
- Shine a spotlight win your podcast. Read: Ensuring Your Podcasts Gets Heard
