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originally posted to www.carnsight.com

Authenticity has become a bit of a buzzword, and I can understand the criticism that perhaps we’ve lost touch with what the word actually means.   

But in PR, true authenticity is everything. It’s the bedrock of trust on which everything else is built.  

It’s not about sharing everything but sharing the right things 

There’s a misconception that being authentic means putting absolutely everything out there and having no boundaries at all.  

But authenticity isn’t about total transparency, it’s about being intention and thoughtful. Authenticity is about sharing things that align with your values, mission and voice.   

It doesn’t have to always be slick or polished. It’s about ensuring you’re a person and not just a press release.  

People can tell when you’re trying to sound like something you’re not 

Audiences are sharper than ever. We can all spot an AI-scripted LinkedIn post from miles away. We know when a founder quote has been edited down to nothingness by four rounds of internal approvals. 

The reality is that the more a brand tries to project a perfect image, the less believable and more imperfect it becomes.  

Authenticity in PR means letting the human through. The best brands aren’t flawless. They’re relatable, honest and stick by their values.  

Authenticity helps when things go wrong  

When things hit the fan, authenticity is everything. Because if a brand has built a track record of honest communication, people are far more likely to give it the benefit of the doubt. Authenticity can help towards people assuming the worst. Because people are capable of making mistakes. And if you’ve shone a light on the human side of your business, your customers are more likely to remember there are people just like them behind the brand.  

When brands only ever share soulless, pristine announcements and something goes wrong, the silence becomes obvious and the spin evident.  

Yes, the benefits of authenticity might take a while to truly shine, but it really comes through when it matters most. 

But what does true authenticity for brands look like?  

It’s about a few meaningful shifts: 

• Amplifying real voices – lose the jargon and use your people 

• Honesty about limitations as well as strengths – clarity is kindness and that gets respect 

• Consistency across the board – amazing messaging means very little if it doesn’t match how your team acts and speaks no matter the occasion 

• Stories not statements – storytelling provides meaning 

• Action backed values – put your money where your mouth is and lead by example 

It shouldn’t be a performance 

Authenticity isn’t about, excuse the phrase – polishing a turd – and making something out to be something it’s not. It’s helping brands sound like the best version of themselves. 

And I think that’s why authenticity resonates so much – it’s rare and requires a level of bravery. It asks brands to show up as they would expect their people to, even when it’s a bit uncomfortable. 

88% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding which brands they like and support (Stackla Consumer Content Report).  

So remember, in PR, authenticity is everything.  

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

The 2016 vs 2026 trend was all over everyone’s feed last month, and it’s had us thinking about a true relic of the decade: the humble hashtag.

Long gone are the days of loading an Instagram caption with 20- or 30-odd hashtags, where quantity was more synonymous with quality (or at least, efficacy). There followed a time when we saw the switch to trying to keep captions cleaner and more streamlined by hiding the chunky paragraphs of hashtags in the comments, often copied the same blocks from post to post, and watched the reach climb. That era peaked in the mid-2010s. Since then, Instagram has steadily stripped hashtags of their power: removing the ability to follow them, deprioritising hashtag feeds, and shifting how content is discovered altogether.

Hashtags still exist (obviously, and despite many a clickbait claim that they’re dead), but they’re no longer the main driver of reach, and the way they’re used has certainly evolved and diminished. Discovery on Instagram now looks much more like search, intent and relevance than a race to trend.

*A quick caveat: we’re focusing specifically on Instagram here (not Meta/Facebook, not LinkedIn, not TikTok). Those platforms are on their own journeys, and we’ll be getting into those in future posts.

Are hashtags still relevant?

Yes… and no. But mostly yes, just not how you might initially think, and not the way brands once relied on them. Instagram no longer relies on hashtags to categorise content. For the most part, AI now reads captions, visuals, audio, and engagement behaviour.

The way that users can interact with hashtags has also changed. You haven’t been able to ‘follow’ a hashtag since about December 2024. Since then, posts from followed hashtags no longer appear in users’ feeds. Users can still search and use hashtags for content discovery and categorisation, but this change pushed users toward the algorithm-driven “For You” (hello TikTok copycat) and Explore pages, encouraging more engagement with accounts and interests rather than relying on hashtag feeds. At least, that’s how it was pitched.

The move certainly seemed to signal the reduced importance of hashtags at the time and placed even more of a hard ceiling on organic tools for discoverability. There is, of course, the argument – and fair one, we’d say – that hashtag stuffing of the 2010s increasingly oversaturated searchability; overuse and repetition diluted quality signals, and hashtags could no longer be relied upon as one of the primary signals of interest/quality. Hence, the diversification of value-signals.

Instagram has carefully spent years moving away from manual signals (like hashtags) and towards automated understanding. Its systems now analyse:

• What’s said in captions

• What appears in the image or video

• What’s spoken in Reels

• Who engages, how long they watch, and what they do next

All of that is to say that hashtags have become somewhat redundant, not because they are “bad”, but because the platform no longer needs them to understand content.

Instagram has made no secret that accounts will benefit less from hashtags and more from SEO-forward strategies (Adam Mosseri has spoken about searchable captions and SEO for Instagram repeatedly).

Is hashtag stuffing bad?

In a word? Yes.

Mass blocks of broad or generic hashtags (#marketing, #business, #instagood) don’t help. They add noise, reduce clarity, and can even damage relevance signals when they don’t align with the content itself. Overstuffing also contributed to the hashtag spam problem that helped prompt Instagram’s removal of hashtag following in the first place.

These days, hashtag stuffing can be counterproductive. If everything is tagged, nothing is prioritised.

How should brands use hashtags in 2026?

This is where it gets interesting. Hashtags aren’t dead, but they have been pushed into a new role. Instead of discovery drivers, they’ve transitioned into contextual helpers, search cues, and community markers.

• Prioritise relevance over reach-chasing: use hashtags that actually describe what your content is about. Think of them as SEO for Instagram’s internal search, not devices for mass exposure.
• Keep them tight and tidy: a small handful of specific, meaningful hashtags will outperform a stack of 20 generic ones any day.
• Lean into branded and community hashtags: even though followers won’t see hashtagged posts in their feed anymore, branded tags remain powerful tools for rallying communities, encouraging user-generated content, and categorising campaign activity. They are still searchable and still useful for discovery, just in a different way.
• Think SEO-first, not hashtag-first: Instagram has been pushing searchable captions and keyword relevance for a while now. Your caption is now your most powerful discovery tool, not your hashtag block.
• Don’t rely on hashtags for reach: create content that encourages engagement (watch time, saves, shares) as these are now Instagram’s strongest signals. Hashtags are the seasoning, not the main ingredient.

The bottom line: hashtags aren’t gone, but they have grown up

The 2010s may have belonged to the hashtag, but the 2020s belong to relevance, intent and intelligent discovery. For brands, that means:

• Less focus on volume
• More focus on clarity
• No more copy‑pasting blocks of hashtags
• A renewed emphasis on caption SEO, engagement signals and high-quality creative

Hashtags still matter, but they shouldn’t be the hero of your strategy.

As Instagram leans deeper into AI-driven recommendation systems, the best thing brands can do is adapt with it. Stay intentional, stay relevant, and treat hashtags as part of a bigger, smarter ecosystem of discoverability.

And if you’d like help refining your hashtag strategy, reshaping your Instagram SEO approach or rethinking your 2026 content plan… we’re always here to help 😉

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

In an ideal world, your carefully crafted message would reach your desired audience under perfect conditions: a quiet room, undivided attention, and a receptive mindset. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the reality at all. As PRs, we’re all too familiar with this. There’s a lot of discourse around cutting through the clutter and reaching your audience, whether it be from the perspective of marketers or film makers or PRs like us. But instead of getting into all of  the mechanics of that in one go, we’re starting with a simpler approach today.

We’re sharing one small change that can might make a big difference, and it all comes down to the perils of using too many big words.

Why you need to cut to the chase

One school of thought suggests that using big or unusual words is a surefire way to come across as knowing what you’re talking about. That an impressive vocabulary lends credibility. And sure, to an extent it does. But one key piece of the puzzle here is that oftentimes your audience doesn’t operate with the same sphere of reference, especially if you’re a business. They’re probably looking towards you and your content for a reason, perhaps that they aren’t as well versed in the area and are looking to learn or outsource.

So again, don’t get me wrong; there’s always value in a carefully honed vocabulary. But there is equal value in knowing when and how to use it. Context plays a big role here, and so does knowing your audience. Top tip here – if you are using more unusual or ‘big’ words, make sure you’re using them correctly, and if they’re technical, do a reality check to make sure your audience knows them too or give enough context clues so its straightforward. Otherwise this could have the opposite of the desired effect.

What is said vs what is heard vs what is understood

Another reality here is that your post/content is unlikely to actually get your point across if it’s too convoluted or time-intensive to understand quickly. In communication theory and practice, there are basic models of communication, many of which look at how linear message transmission and reception occurs between humans.

The thing is though, communication isn’t often linear these days. It can be messy or out of order, interrupted or misrepresented. There are so many factors that mediate how we receive, decode, and interpret information. Unfortunately, a lot of these aren’t easily something you as the sender can control. You don’t know where the audience will be receiving your message, if they’ll be interrupted by children or coworkers or are watching TV in the background, they might have ads pop up disrupt the flow. Or they might simply scroll away.

The point is, you should write with the assumption that your audience is distracted. That the message could easily be interrupted, and that it has a lot working against simple smooth reception on the other end.

A proactive approach

Word choice, sentence length, and paragraph structure all impact things like cohesion, flow, and comprehension. The technical nitty-gritty of this may come easier to some. But for others, here’s one easy to understand and even easier to implement tip that if you want to skip the mechanical deep dive.

That is: keep it simple stupid. Or KISS.

Ideally, your post should to be easy to read and easier to skim. Because the reality is, our attention span is not what it used to be. We have less time and maybe even less mental space to process confusing or complex information at the rate we’re exposed to it. We need the important things served up right under our nose, with big signs and underlined phrases. Make your message clear and obvious, and yes, essentially do the work for them.

Some final quick tips

Like I said, we’ll save you the over-complicated explanation of communication mechanics for another post. Today’s focus was a bit broader and focused on a trend we’ve noticed popping up in recent years, but we couldn’t leave you completely in the dark after having so much to say about what not to do. So here’s a little bit more on what you can do to optimise message reception:

1. Repetition with variation: frequency is one simple way to enhance message retention, but the key here is to not simply restate the same information worded in a very similar way. Instead, vary your approach to keep the message fresh and engaging. Think of it like ‘same gift, different wrapping’. What’s beneath is still the same, but it’s delivered differently.
2. Headings and subheadings: if the aim is readability, then subheadings are your best friends. They’re the epitome of linguistic sign post, guiding your readers through your content – especially if they’re a time- or attention-poor skimmer (which many of us are these days). Clear and concise headings help your audience to quickly ascertain relevance, so where applicable, we’d suggest making good use of them. Make sure they stand out to if your formatting system allows (e.g. bold, italicise, underline or resize), and follow the same rule for each one to preserve consistency.
3. Bullet points and lists: similar to the previous point, this is all about making complex information simple, accessible, and digestible. If you have a series of related points to make, consider using bullet points, numbered lists, or these days even a series of emojis.
4. Sensory imagery: another great way to say more whilst saying less and leave a lasting impact is to engage multiple senses. Employ descriptive language that helps readers visualise and imagine your message better, but be careful not to take it too far that things get convoluted or unnecessarily bogged down.
5. Visual appeal: make use of visuals whenever possible. A thoughtfully-placed infographic or image can convey information much faster than any block of text, with the average visual information processing speeds much faster (the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text). Hence, visuals not only capture attention but also aid in comprehension.
6. White space makes a difference: it’s very easy to underestimate the power of blank space on a page, especially for the attention-poor, over-stimulated audience. It provides visual relief and makes content feel less intimidating. A cluttered space often incites feelings of overwhelm for readers, and is one of those common barriers to message reception we mentioned earlier.
7. Know your audience: understanding your audience is one step, but building on this insight by tailoring your message to their needs, preferences, and prior knowledge is the next.
8. Testing and feedback: the final point is more for those big important messages, as most of us won’t have the time or resources to message test every LinkedIn post or email. But if you are preparing something that needs to have a sharper impact, we’d recommend you consider testing it with a small sample audience before sharing it with the intended audience. Get feedback on clarity, engagement, and comprehension. Ask your audience what they think you’re trying to say before you tell them. This may help to make more effective adjustments.

While you can’t control everything when it comes your message and what your audience takes away from it, in trying out some of these tips there’s progress to be seen. That’s it from us for now, but stay tuned for a deeper exploration to come. In the meantime, why not take a look at this post where our Social Media Manager shares her insight into the differences between LinkedIn for business and personal profiles.

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

Originally posted to www.carnsight.com

(Images include @miarosemcgrath @cultivatingboldspaces @kenniebukky @sumimrk @sophie.riichards)

Influencer marketing has dominated social media the past couple of years, but it reached new heights in 2025. Influencers held power in the online space, with audiences hanging on their every word. For brands, this was a goldmine, and influencer collaborations created natural advocates for their brand, raising awareness and having deeper connections with their audiences.  

But what’s the top influencer trend in 2026? After so much hype, creators are needing to get more inventive with their content. When we can no longer rely on aesthetics, what should we now expect? 

Intellect is the new trend

We’re seeing a slowdown in liking creators simply because of the aesthetic. Consumers are demanding more for their attention, and content that doesn’t deliver real value will get easily lost.  

For 2026, users are wanting intellectual stimulation. We’re seeing the rise of knowledge-based content: think finance influencers, cooking pros, and fitness specialists. These categories aren’t new, but the way influencers create content around them is evolving. Before, posting luxury reels was enough, but now consumers want to actually know how they can achieve the same. With the rise of FinTok (TikToks related to personal finance and money management), there’s a push for complete beginners learning how to invest in stocks and budget accordingly. With GymTok and meal prepping, it’s not about watching good food behind made anymore, people want to learn the macros behind what they’re eating, and how this fits with their wider nutrition goals. 

Whatever the category, influencers are realising they need to go more in-depth to still be adding value for their audience. Of course, you can’t share knowledge on a topic without full explainer videos, meaning we’re still going to be seeing long form content. And long-term influencer partnerships are beneficial here, as you have more time to build the connection with audiences and learn what they want to see more of (eg a weekly series explaining a topic). We’ll also still be seeing the same push for micro and nano influencers we saw in 2025, as these niche communities yield stronger engagement and brand loyalty.  

With so much competition in the digital space, audiences will reward creators who really take the time to explain something. From now on, aesthetic doesn’t hold engagement, audiences want to know what’s in it for them. 

Where has this come from? 

This need for intellectualism has largely come from cultural shifts in 2025. Once ‘doomscrolling’ was coined, audiences were confronted with how much time they were spending across social media. The effects on mental health became much more openly talked about, and people became more aware of how harmful social media can be. This was also paired with the rising pressures for self-development – ‘winter arc’ first started trending in 2024, but came in full effect in 2025. The idea of spending all our free time on TikTok lost some appeal, and people wanted to consume social media in a more meaningful, productive way.  

So ‘doomscrolling’ shifted to scrolling with purpose, which is where this demand for knowledge comes in. People don’t want to feel their time is wasted on social media, but that they’re learning something new. The Substack ‘Instead of Doomscrolling’ gained popularity, and it became a trend to share the media you had consumed for that week.  

What’s the downside?  

As with any trend, we have to remember: social media is not a reflection of real life. Sure, there’s authentic moments, but sometimes the online competition causes influencers to steal and distort the facts. Already, there’s been instances of creators plagiarising content, and passing off commentary as their own. It calls into question ‘performative intellectualism’, where the demand for intellectual content is outweighing the intellectual creators. Influencers are at risk of stealing content or giving insight into a topic they’re not particularly qualified to give, risking the trust with their audience.  

And, the same as aesthetic content, this is competitive. Users are referring to the ‘Media I consumed’ trend as the knowledge Olympics, and already creators are being questioned if they’ve actually watched what they say they have. Expanding your knowledge is always a good thing (!), but claiming you’ve watched 18 TED Talks in the past week becomes far-fetched. If it’s seen as a performance, it won’t land with audiences.  

Like with all trends, I think this is one that will eventually plateau. ‘Winter arc’ and ‘75 hard’ was a physical challenge for audiences, and whilst it was meant to be encouraging and spur motivation, it often left people feeling burnt out and socially withdrawn.  

It won’t be long before people become mentally overwhelmed by the sheer amount of long-form intellectual content, and short clips of kids yodelling become the rage again.  

But for now, we’re here for it, and ready for content that feels useful and productive. Off to go learn about the stock market… 

Want to learn more? Have a look at projects vs partnerships in influencer marketing.

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

January is a month full of fresh starts, big goals, and renewed energy. For us PR professionals, it’s also a great opportunity to tap into seasonal news hooks. If you’re looking to make your brand story relevant and timely, aligning with January themes like health, productivity, and sustainability could give your campaigns the boost they need.

Why seasonal hooks matter

Journalists are always on the lookout for stories that feel current and relatable. Seasonal hooks give your pitch context and urgency, making it more likely to land coverage and hopefully more quickly too. In January, the conversation is dominated by resolutions, wellness, and planning for the year ahead. So why not join in? Or, alternatively, push back. Either way you’re getting involved with the conversation.

There’s an art to it

The hook has to be relevant, interesting, and authentic to your brand.  Just like any PR, seasonal hooks need to be considered. Here are some tips for best practice when it comes to working on a PR campaign with a seasonal hook:

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

Ethical, organic link building is central to topping the charts when it comes to Google’s search engine ranking factors. Quality backlinks are a prized possession, and one of the ways that they can be earned is in the press and news media. However, while we as PRs will always strive to earn these SEO wins, we can’t always guarantee them. Before we explain how to approach backlinks in PR, let’s lay some groundwork for technical terms. 

Nailing the basics 

The world of SEO is full of technical terms and concepts that can be confusing at first, so let’s get the lingo down before we go any further. Here’s what you need to know:  

• Search engine optimisation (SEO): simply put, SEO is about maximising the visibility of your website in search engine results pages. 
• Search engine results page (SERPs); paid or organic; the higher a search result is shown on the SERP, the more people tend to click on it. 
• Backlink: an incoming link anchored in text listed on another website to a specific web resource – like this. 
• Domain/page authority (DA); higher domain authority = better value, a metric/measure of a website’s success wherein the higher DA, the better value a site provides and the higher it ranks (0 = poor and 100 = excellent) – we explain more in this recent blog post. 

Emerging outlet policy trends 

 As SEO has squarely cemented itself into digital environments, more and more media outlets are introducing specific policies regarding backlinks and the inclusion of external links their content. For instance, some publications strictly adhere to a no-follow policy, meaning that any included links do not contribute to SEO efforts. Some might offer to include a link but limit its visibility – the link is embedded and clickable, but not coloured or underlined to differentiate the text and indicate link presence.  

Others – especially larger entities – have begun to monetise this service and may charge for including backlinks or only allow them within certain types of content, like guest articles or sponsored posts. Hence, these emerging structures/frameworks often mediate the relationship between PRs and journalists when it comes to including backlinks and must be respected to practice good media relations. 

Media relations and the unwritten rules of backlink etiquette 

It can be controversial, but the general consensus is that you there is a certain etiquette around asking a journalist to provide backlinks. We typically recommend taking a proactive approach. Offer up the links in a more appropriate, subtle way by linking them in your press release or correspondence so that they are there if the journalist wants them. We’ll discuss more about how a journalist might make this decision further down. 

Some journalists and outlets may also view PR attempts to secure backlinks as compromising the integrity of the news outlet and blurring the boundaries between advertising and independent journalism, while others consider it presumptuous and some even write off a PR as ‘asking too much’ when ‘free’ publicity and exposure of a story feature is already on the table. 

Journalist independence and discretionary decisions 

While a good PR agency will have forged strong, mutually beneficial relationships with journalists and often work with them to pitch a story, it’s important to remember that Journalists are independent individuals. They operate with their own principles and purposes and aim to satisfy and engage an audience of their own. PRs will always try to be strategic and work with Journalists and audiences who align with the story well to maximise coverage, but journalists ultimately determine the final content and format in of a piece for publication. They make decisions based on the newsworthiness of a story, its relevance to their audience, and their editorial guidelines.  

So, what this means, is that backlinks are often a grey area – the decision can be entirely discretionary and up to the journalist, or it may be mediated by editorial guidelines, outlet policies, or reader preferences. It’s important to remember that it is also increasingly difficult for journalists to keep smaller, niche publications going in an oversaturated news market. They often have to work hard to find new ways to fund their platform; hence, backlinks have become the latest resource for monetisation. 

A balanced approach 

Of course, we will always do our best to nurture a reciprocal relationship with journalists and the press to engender positive attitudes and encourage ethical backlinking. However, like many elements of PR, this is an art and not a science. We can’t guarantee a backlink in coverage, but we will certainly do our best to secure them. 

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

Originally posted to www.carnsight.com

Time to touch base on corporate jargon.  

Of course, the death of ‘management speak’ is not happening anytime soon. There’s no denying its popularity, and on some levels, it can even be a guilty pleasure. It’s been described as a symbol of workplace status, something we see as performative professionalism. Essentially, it’s ‘human peacocking’, where we parrot the language used by the companies we hold in such high esteem. And it’s built from the ground up – just as an intern is expected to follow the dress code, you can bet they’ll need to know what synergy means. 

But jargon in the workplace doesn’t always need to be carried over to your content. Using overly technical language in written pieces or interviews is a great way to show you know your stuff, but it’s easily lost on your readers.  

Here’s why you can’t approach your content the same way you’d approach a board meeting: 

Content needs to show your personality

In trying to show knowledge and expertise, we often end up using big, technical words, or just anything that sounds slightly fancier than average. But in using overly complicated words to get our point across, we can lose the point entirely. It’s harder to connect with a piece if you have to read every sentence twice, and if it’s not immediately clear what you’re actually trying to say. Sure, it’s impressive, but there’s a fine balance to make before it just gets confusing.  

Engaging content is conversational. It doesn’t read like the latest status report, but flows like a simple explanation of a topic, or a clear point of view. Breaking complex topics down into simple sentences is a great way to build trust with your readers. It can cut down some of the mental effort it takes to understand something new.  

If all the technical knowledge is taking up the word count, there’s no room to put any personality behind the piece. And if you’re churning the same phrases as everyone else in your sector, there’s no way for your content to stand out.  

Content needs to connect with all types of readers

It’s been repeated over and over because it’s true – people want connection. And if you’re using intense sector-specific knowledge, you limit your audience to the select few who understand what you’re talking about. Keeping it simple broadens your audience from people who already know what you mean, to people who want to learn more.  

This also cuts down the waffle, or fluff words. Politicians are often first on the chopping block for this, especially with Gen Z on TikTok. We’re quick to dissect and break down a politician making this big speech that promises a lot, but actually says very little. It creates this sense of disappointment – there’s a disconnect between what we thought we were getting out of the conversation, and what we actually received.  

Cutting the fluff keeps the content straight to the point, and answers the questions right. 

If your intelligence sounds artificial, people will assume it is

People will be quick to pin your words to AI. Where the lines between human words and AI-generated content are getting increasingly blurred, any hint of clunky, unnecessary jargon will be a huge red flag. 

Real human value comes from emotion and personality, something AI can’t replicate. And using long, confusing words can strip content of that human element, again creating that disconnect and potentially harming the trust in your brand. 

There will always be a time and place for corporate jargon, so use it when it matters. But when it comes to content, don’t overcomplicate it. If there’s two words that say what you mean, it’s probably best to stick with the simpler option.  

And if you want to circle back to more writing tips, have a look at our blog: the power of storytelling. 

originally posted to www.carnsight.com

In the past, publishing a story meant printing it, mistakes and all. Corrections could be issued, but only after the fact, and usually in the next day’s paper. Today, stories can be amended or rewritten in real time. But that flexibility comes with new questions about credibility and control: when is it right to make a change, and when does it cross a line? What’s feasible and what’s never, ever going to happen?

For PRs and brands, understanding the difference is essential.  

What can be changed?

The good news is that factual errors can usually be corrected (e.g. spelling mistakes, incorrect job titles, dates, or statistics). These are small but important fixes, and journalists are generally quick to sort them out. 

More significant inaccuracies – like a misquote, a wrongly attributed statement, or a misrepresented fact – can also be corrected. In these cases, you might even see a visible “correction note” at the bottom of an article.  

BUT: corrections are at the editor’s discretion, and are never guaranteed (yes, even if it’s a factual inaccuracy). 

Timing matters. The sooner you flag it, the higher the chance of a fix. As PRs, it’s part of our job to read through every piece of coverage forensically. We check to make sure everything is as it should be. That’s an important distinction from what we and our clients may want – i.e. names, dates, numbers, anything that is factual, as opposed to angles or views expressed.  

What can’t usually be changed?

Not everything is up for negotiation (in fact, most things aren’t). Journalists won’t rewrite an article simply because you don’t like the tone or wished they’d focused on a different angle. Omissions – for example, leaving out a detail you had hoped would be included – aren’t typically corrected either. 

Opinion is also off-limits. Comment pieces, reviews, or analysis reflect the writer’s viewpoint. Unless there’s a clear factual error, you can’t expect these to be altered after publication. Once a piece is live, it belongs to the outlet, not the contributor or the brand. 

Best practice for requesting corrections

If you do need to ask for a correction, here’s some suggestions on how to go about it:  

• Be polite and specific (point out specifically what’s wrong and provide the accurate information) 

• Act quickly (the longer an error is live, the harder it becomes to amend and the worse it makes the publication and/or brand look) 

• Use relationships wisely (a strong rapport with the journalist or editor makes the process smoother) 

• Pick your battles (if it’s a stylistic issue rather than a factual one, it’s usually best to let it go) 

Why corrections matter

At their core, corrections protect trust. They safeguard the credibility of both the brand and the publication (and the journalist on the byline!). And actually, rather than being a sign of weakness, a transparent correction can actually strengthen a reader’s confidence in the outlet by proving their commitment to integrity. 

For brands (and their PRs), understanding what can and can’t be changed helps set realistic expectations. For readers, it’s reassurance that accuracy still matters and their news source is reliable. Especially in this latest era of rampant fake news… 

So, can a story be changed once its published?

Yes – but only when it comes to facts. Accuracy is non-negotiable. Preference, tone, or “I wish it had read differently” usually won’t wash. Knowing the difference can save a lot of time, frustration, and unnecessary back-and-forth. 

We’ve helped clients navigate corrections calmly and effectively, ensuring stories are always as accurate and fair as possible.  

If you want to chat about which PR approach is right for you, get in touch. Or, if you’re not sure if you’re ready to start PR at all, you can check out our what to get right before you start PR blog.