2015 marked a sea change in the media’s coverage of charities. Over are the days when charities could feel confident that the occasional story about chief executive pay during the slow news summer cycle could be weathered and quickly forgotten by the public. Stories critical of charities reached an unprecedented level last summer and almost every week since then has brought new negative media coverage. In this blog we look at the ‘new normal’ of charity media coverage, and suggest three things that all charity media and communications teams must do in 2016.

Last Friday, communications professionals from a wide range of charities joined us for another successful media training day at Scope’s London HQ. From Mind and RSPCA to smaller charities such as Fresh Water Habitats and The Healing Foundation, our delegates were put through their paces by Chris and Tony from Inside Edge Media Training, who delivered a masterclass in how charities can work effectively with the media.

We would like to thank our clients and partners for inspiring us to keep researching the topical issues in the sector. As part of our Social Investment programme we regularly produce Free Reports and feed our finding back to the sector so any charity regardless its size or sector can find something useful. Here are the 12 popular reports this  year.

Joe Saxton looks at what the coming decade looks like for charities

It’s been a tough summer for charities in the media. From executive pay to fundraising practices, the third sector is experiencing a level of scrutiny they are unused to (and some would say unprepared for). In July, our research with the general public, the Charity Awareness Monitor (CAM), found that almost half (49%) of people recalled having seen media coverage about charity fundraising methods.

How to feel confident around journalists bombarding you with difficult questions? 

Anna Wates explores polling techniques, and why prediction can sometimes be a fool’s game

Opinion pollsters don’t have an enviable job. We regularly work with surveys and we know that it’s often an inexact science. Trying to capture how the public feel about a subject is not an easy thing and depends on finding the right people to talk to, asking them the right question, in the right setting and at the right time.