Following the release of Broadcast Revolution’s third Broadcast Trends Report, with insights from the PR industry, broadcast journalists as well as the UK consumer audience, an expert panel gathered to analyse and assess the results.

Theo Usherwood, political journalist, broadcaster and podcaster, Aarti Bulsara from the board of directors at PR firm Hope & Glory and Simon Feldman, Virgin Media 02’s comms lead on ESG and DEI ran through stats from the report, ‘The content boom and the battle for authenticity in an artificially intelligent era’.

One stat from the research that surprised all the panel was that 41% of PRs said they don’t have a broadcast strategy. Bulsara described broadcast coverage as “a pinnacle” for the clients she works with. Feldman added that “hearts and minds” can truly be delivered by broadcast. Usherwood said great storytelling would always make broadcast shine through.

News consumption and key events

The first focus of discussion was on the impact of a major year for both sports and news events in 2024 including a UK General Election, a US presidential election and the Paris Olympics. Rresearch has found that 62% of adults have increased their consumption of news around key events like these.

Usherwood highlighted that the transition from a Biden to Trump White House in early 2025 will be momentous, and likely continue that surge in news demand. The impact a Trump presidency will have on the likes of the Middle East and Ukraine is likely to be considerable. Ultimately, volatility will mean news continues to hold a real value.

Social media

Discussing media consumption such as TV, YouTube, Facebook and radio, Feldman said it’s vital to take a layered approach to reach consumers across all of those platforms, while Bulsara added that clients want content to work hard across multiple channels.

Bulsara used the example of broadcast journalists working not just towards their main programme but also social media with equal fervour. Usherwood added that TikTok and Instagram are seen as the targets to appeal to younger audiences. YouTube, he says, is appealing to an older demographic. He continued that content on YouTube doesn’t always get big audiences so you have to work hard to get major interest with a clear and strong message. Bulsara summarised it as having a conversation where there is “talkability and shareability” of ideas that can work across all platforms.

Podcasts

Meanwhile, Feldman highlighted that podcasts are a serious presence, more than ever before but the challenge is working out how to plug into that. He added that the right podcast can offer enormous impact for a campaign. Bulsara compared podcasts today with the rise of influencers a decade ago — she said it was hard to work out which was the best influencer to work with, but today the same challenge can be said for which podcast to link with. She said that PRs will have to start to work much harder going forward to guide clients on who the right podcast partner might be. This is backed by the 2025 Trends Report, which found 71% of PRs don’t have a podcast strategy.

Usherwood added that he’s impressed with brands securing promotions from a presenter during a podcast, which he said was far more seamless than an old-fashioned advert being dropped in.

Diversity

The issues of trust and diversity saw a combined discussion by the panel. The Broadcast Revolution research found that 25% of viewers didn’t fully trust any of the major news sources. Journalists also found waning trust from audiences in an era of fake news and AI.

Feldman advocated the importance of lived experience in many campaigns. He highlighted the need for a diverse array of case studies to appeal to all consumers and win their trust. Bulsara agreed that a campaign ideally needed to appeal to all communities as diversity is now a major priority. However, Usherwood highlighted that it’s still hard for broadcasters to secure a diverse range of contributors in many fields of expertise. He said different voices, perspectives and backgrounds were vital to keep audiences truly engaged.

The use of AI saw a consensus from the panel— embrace its merits and creativity, be open to what it can offer but be totally open and honest about where it’s used.