Even the news is bored of Brexit

The EU referendum happened in 2016, that’s almost four years of Brexit coverage. A journalist referred to ‘Brexistential ennui’ two years ago; this might have just caught on. Sky News has just launched a Brexit-free channel. For five hours a night, the temporary pop-up channel will run news, whilst excluding perhaps one of the most newsworthy developments in modern British history. A head at Sky News said the public had grown ‘weary’ or bored of Brexit, and he felt that there was a feeling it was ‘suffocating other news’.
From a press office perspective, we’ve had to circumnavigate the news agenda; questions have been raised over when we should launch campaigns, will stories be strong enough to compete and how to carefully not align clients with one political side over another. On the flip side of this, we’ve experienced both editors and journalists expressing relief at hearing about stories that are the exact opposite; warm, happy, human stories. Brexit fills pages but it fills people with dread too.
Research by campaign group Hope not Hate earlier this year, found that the British public overwhelmingly did not feel represented by the main political parties and were tuning out when they heard phrases like ‘customs union’.
Dangerously, if we’re suffering from Brexit fatigue, we’ll all be paying a little less attention, at probably one of the most important moments of the whole debacle – will we stay or go without a deal.
Journalists are the eyes and the ears of the public, with one of their core functions being to scrutinise and hold government to account. We can’t be forced to listen, read or watch, but consideration should be given to creating a news environment that reflects a diverse audience – who in today’s news climate, want to be educated but also want to be entertained.
Last weekend I accidentally stumbled into the commotion that was the People’s Vote march. I later read an estimate that over one million had taken part – you could feel it. It was quite a thrilling experience, to feel present at a moment that felt part of British history. Democracy was unfolding, or at least demands for it were. Weaving amongst the crowds who proudly donned EU flags as capes, my journalistic curiosity got the better of me and I found myself stalking the press tent area. I wondered. if you’re not covering Brexit, can you even call yourself the news?

Why every organisation should be thinking about the circular economy
Imagine a world where every product is repaired, recycled or refurbished at the end...
More information
Sick days on the rise – cause for concern, or proving the need for change?
New research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Simplyhealth has...
More information
Revving Up for a Sustainable Future: Why We Must Challenge Rishi Sunak’s Backtrack on Net Zero
As Climate Week in New York concludes, we find ourselves at a critical juncture...
More information
Apple’s Sustainability Video: A Storytelling Triumph with Gaps in Green Commitment
Apple’s latest sustainability video, featuring CEO Tim Cook and actress Octavia Spencer, has sparked...
More information
Taking A Stand with Nazim Valimahomed, Founder and Chief Product and Design Officer at Kroo.
Each month we’re sitting down with the trailblazers who are making a difference at...
More information
Celebrating success: Stand celebrates double victory, winning two PR awards
We’re delighted to share that our PR efforts secured us not one but two...
More information
We can’t afford to ignore migraine in the workplace
Do you work with someone who experiences migraine? Chances are, you do – you...
More information
Taking A Stand with James Rutter, Chief Creative Officer at COOK.
Each month we’re sitting down with the trailblazers who are making a difference at...
More information
The future of payment – the revolution of mobility technology
Phasing out petrol and diesel cars and introducing EVs is a great option in...
More information
Claire Brady on Net Zero Hero Podcast
Some people think that ‘circularity’ simply means recycling, but it is so much more...
More information
Earth Day
Earth Day provides an opportunity to take stock of our progress towards addressing the...
More information
When it comes to making sustainability claims, getting it wrong can cost organisations the earth
According to Robin Hicks, “2022 was the year that policymakers started to take greenwashing...
More information
Less is more: How low alcohol brands are targeting their Gen Z consumers
Dry January may be over, but giving up alcohol definitely hasn’t gone out of...
More information
Beyond B Corp: Breaking up with Barclays
Last year we became a certified B Corp, and to do so we had...
More information
Three takeaways from the IPCC’s ‘final warning’ report
This week has seen the release of the latest IPCC report assessing the climate...
More information
Why we’ve introduced a 4.5 day working week
As the rulebook of the working week gets rewritten, at Stand we continue to...
More information
Stand shifts as we move into our second decade
I founded Stand with one simple (but typically ambitious) belief: that good comms can...
More information
So… has the pandemic set us back or propelled us forward?
Last week, just days after the restrictions in England were lifted, we hosted our...
More information
Wellbeing is not a one-size-fits-all approach
It’s safe to say that being plunged into multiple lockdowns across the past 18...
More information
Covid-19 has given us a harsh lesson in education inequality
Although ‘Freedom Day’ is here, Covid’s effects will, as we hear all too often,...
More information
The pandemic of inequalities
Last week, the Health Foundation’s Unequal pandemic, fairer recovery report made headlines, revealing that...
More information
Has the pandemic set us back 50 years, or will it propel us forward?
At its onset, Covid-19 was described as the great leveller. But the pandemic has...
More information