Beyond Media Relations: Sarah Waddington on Data, Risk and Storytelling

In this episode of the PRCA Fuse Podcast, our host Adrian Ma sits down with Sarah Waddington, CEO of the PRCA, to unpack that BBC Radio 4 Today Programme interview where Sir Martin Sorrell declared the end of PR, and to explore what this moment really means for the future of our industry as we transition into 2026.Sarah takes us behind the scenes of the interview and the reaction that followed, and makes a powerful case for PR’s future as strategic advisory, not “just media relations”.In this episode:We discuss:What actually happened in the Radio 4 debate with Sir Martin SorrellWhy the “PR is dead” headline misrepresents what modern PR doesStorytelling in PR vs advertising: listening, authenticity and behaviour changeWhy “flood the internet with content” is the wrong answerPR’s move into futures, foresight, data, insight and riskThe role of PR in a fragmented, politicised media landscapeWhy PR needs a single, confident narrative about its valueHow practitioners can upskill into management and strategic advisory