Media Relations
Coverage that adds to the debate
Good coverage isn't luck, and it isn't volume. It's the right story, in the right outlet, told by the right person at the right moment.
We work with editors, producers and correspondents at national, international and specialist titles, from the Financial Times and the BBC World Service to regional broadcasters in Nairobi, São Paulo and Warsaw. We know what they need because several of us used to do their jobs.
Our media relations work covers features, interviews, broadcast appearances, profiles, op-eds, briefings and on-the-record comment, in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Polish.
Why press releases don't work any more
Newsrooms are smaller than they were 10 years ago, and journalists receive hundreds of pitches a week. Most go unread. The ones that land share three things: they offer something new, they come from someone the journalist trusts, and they're relevant to a conversation already happening.
A campaign built on self-promotional announcements will struggle, however much you spend. A campaign that brings evidence, access or a genuinely new angle to a live debate can earn coverage no advertising budget could buy.
How Parley is different
We don't blast lists. We pitch a small number of journalists we know, with stories built for them. We prepare our clients properly, so the interview goes the way it should. And we measure results by what changed (a correction, a policy question, a new supporter), not by column inches.
The partner who shapes your story is the one who calls the newsroom.
What’s included
- Media audit: how you're covered now, by whom, and why
- Message development and a single, sharp narrative
- Targeted pitching to national, international and trade media
- Op-ed and long-read drafting and placement
- Press briefings and background sessions with correspondents
- Media training for spokespeople, including hostile interview practice
- Rapid-response comment on breaking stories
- Monthly reporting that tracks outcomes, not just clippings
How we work
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Listen.
We learn your issue, your audiences and what's been said about you.
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Find the story.
We shape the angle a journalist will actually want.
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Place it.
We pitch the few outlets that matter and prepare your spokespeople.
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Build on it.
We turn each piece of coverage into digital content, briefings and the next story.
Questions we’re often asked
Can you guarantee coverage?
No, and anyone who does is selling advertising. We can guarantee a story worth telling, pitched to the right people, and honest reporting on what landed.
Do you only work with UK media?
No. Around half of our placements are outside the UK. We work with trusted partners in markets where local relationships matter.
How soon can you start?
For urgent matters, the same day. For a planned campaign, allow two weeks for research and message development.
Got a story that needs telling?
Most of our work starts with a quiet call before anything reaches the press. Tell us what's happening. We'll tell you honestly whether we can help.
Talk to us