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Effective public communication systems are essential for managing crises involving threats to the public. Risk communication is a proven methodology for formulating and delivering appropriate strategies. Modern society, however, is uniquely complex and faces an unknown range of threats. Integrated emergency planning meets multiple contingencies by extending proven everyday systems. For communication, the required capability is to reach mass target audiences swiftly and authoritatively – the everyday function of the news media. Public information and warning partnerships (PIWPs) are voluntary arrangements designed to deliver integrated emergency planning for communication. They harness the collective resources and goodwill of public, private, not‐for‐profit and media organisations without compromising media independence and, therefore, public trust. There are successful national and local examples in the UK, including the national Media Emergency Forum. The BBC’s “Connecting in a Crisis” initiative aims to develop close cooperation between communities and their local stations in emergencies. To develop a fully scalable nationwide response, regional PIWPs – Regional Media Emergency Forums – have been set up.

The purpose of this paper is to seek an understanding of the role of government communication in Australia by examining perspectives on the extent to which public servant communicators persuade or engage the Australian public.

Themes from the public relations literature into the role and function of public relations are used in a qualitative analysis of key government documents and in‐depth interviews conducted with public servants, political staffers, journalists and interest group representatives.

This research found a diversity of views regarding the role communication does and should play within government. Participants without formal experience or education in communication generally viewed the function as one of persuasion and dissemination of information whereas the more experienced argued for more of an engagement with the public. A lack of detailed knowledge and/or use of public relations principles appears to be limiting the understanding of the role and purpose of government communication in Australia.

The research is conducted in an Australian context only and uses a qualitative approach that should not be generalised without further research.

Continued cynicism about the role of public relations in government does little to improve the quality of communication between a government and its public. This paper provides an opportunity for reflection on the purpose of government communication and the role of the public servant.

Previous studies in this area have generally focused on political communication in the sense of partisan or party‐political messages of government. This paper explores the concept from a bureaucratic perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to present a development framework for government communicators.

This paper describes how a working group approached the project which involved examining extant training frameworks from communication professional bodies, academic literature and practitioner communities; undertaking extensive interviewing and data collection from departments and obtaining input from external organisations in order to devise an original, process‐driven model which embeds a strategic approach to communication. The paper also outlines the collaborative way in which the model was developed which included extensive input from government communicators at all levels of seniority, ongoing consultation and testing with potential users, private sector organisations and accrediting professional bodies.

Following a review of government communications in 2004, the new permanent secretary for government communication has begun to implement a range of initiatives. Work had already begun in the cabinet office on developing a more strategic approach to training and development and a working group was set‐up originate and launch a development framework (now called evolve) for the whole civil service communication community.

The paper describes the development of evolve – an open, transparent and iterative approach which has elicited commendation and support from all the parties involved.

This paper looks at some of the major trends in the UK newspaper industry – circulation shifts, format changes, ethical controversies, the re‐emergence of the frees, the revival of the alternatives – in the context of the debate over trust in the mainstream media and political elites. It also identifies the elements of authentic communication that are needed for trust to exist between the newspaper writer/producer and the reader. The radical newspapers of the early 19th century are presented as examples of authentic journalism. While there are opportunities for the development of authentic journalism within the mainstream, it is suggested that the internet and today’s alternative press are opening up the best possibilities for the development of trustworthy media.

Life studies are a rich source for further research on the role of the Afro‐American woman in society. They are especially useful to gain a better understanding of the Afro‐American experience and to show the joys, sorrows, needs, and ideals of the Afro‐American woman as she struggles from day to day.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the key elements of a major work programme on dementia, and to reflect on the practical learning derived.

The paper describes the whole range of programme activity, including research projects, think-pieces, action research, demonstrations, evaluations and production of resources such as films, infographics, case studies, practice guides and positive image galleries.

The active, meaningful engagement of people with dementia and their families is fundamental. Communities must engage with, and achieve equity for, all people with dementia, whatever their circumstances. Practical barriers to inclusion must be addressed if normal lives are to be continued. The human rights of people with dementia and carers must be recognised and promoted. Local grassroots community activity is the bedrock of dementia friendly communities – but this activity must be supported by strong strategic planning, commissioning and leadership. There is no template – each community must develop its own approach.

The paper highlights many examples of good practice which can inform the work of commissioners and practitioners, as well as wider communities. These focus particularly on good practice in engagement and involvement; and the co-production of dementia friendly communities with people with dementia.

The programme highlights the importance of social barriers to the inclusion of people with dementia in their communities, and gives examples of communities which have tried to overcome these through attitudinal and environmental change.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s programme is highly innovative and well-regarded.

While subordinated debt can be used to increase market discipline on banks by playing a corporate governance role in the presence of a federal safety net that encourages risk taking, it also has implications for banks’ loan sales. Using two measures of banks’ loan sales activity, we find greater proportions of subordinated debt increase the likelihood that banks engage in loan sales activity, and are associated with greater proportions of loan sales. Our results have implications about banks’ lending efficiency as well as their transparency and disclosure policies that could play a role in the transmission mechanism of monetary policy.

The chapter situates the role of narrative power in shifting media policy amidst calls for police abolition, defunding, and media reparations following the documentation of media harm. Community-based narrative intervention is not only focused on those aspects of reporting and media that deal with harms perpetuated by discourses on public safety, but also about developing what I refer to as “collective narrative self-determination” to reflect the needs and desires of communities. The chapter documents how grassroots media efforts attempt to reconfigure the space of media policy and shift narratives toward the community power needed to reckon with the consequences of vital public resources being systematically defunded for budgets and policies that entail greater police powers. The chapter concludes this is an important moment for community-based initiatives and interventions that can shift media narratives around policing and urban violence and also shift who is served by those narratives, contributing to the long-term process of building narrative power and racial justice across a wide range of community and media organizations.

The UK’s Institute for Public Relations (IPR) is applying for Royal Chartered status, giving legitimacy to the professional standing and practice of public relations. One of the key motivators in seeking registration was to demonstrate that its members are “not just working for (our) own interests, but the interests of the public good”. Improving professional education in PR and the image of public relations practice were also two recommendations made in a joint UK IPR/Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) report in 2003. Given the cynicism of the public, however, the overall objective of achieving trust may be more challenging, as UK practitioners wonder if professional guidelines on ethics and trust are a step too far in their field: indeed, comparable professional institutes do not have this focus in their terms of reference. This paper makes a series of practical recommendations in support of trust and transparency in the UK and examines the wider issues affecting the PR practitioner’s operating environment. For instance, the role of business regulation, CEO education, industry models and the perception of PR as publicity.