Miss Rail News and Changing Times in 1960s Britain – Source of the Month (March 2025)

Leave a Comment / British Rail, Company magazines, History of Internal Communication, Source of the Month /

Miss Rail News was a popular competition run by the Rail News newspaper. Launched in 1963, it served both the employees of British Rail (who received a free copy) and a wider community of rail aficionados (who paid 6d a copy).  Rail News was launched at precisely the moment that a self-consciously modern national railway […]

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Internal Communication at Midland Bank – Source of the Month (February 2025)

Leave a Comment / HSBC, Source of the Month /

Our source of the month for February is the minutes of a meeting to discuss terms of reference for a Communications Audit/Study held at the Midland Bank in 1983. The Midland Bank had been active in the development of internal communication (IC) since the early 1960s and was a pioneer in its development. We have

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Research Update (August 2024)

Leave a Comment / BBC, Boots, Cadbury, Institute of Internal Communication, John Lewis Partnership, Research updates, Unilever /

July has been a productive month for the History of Internal Communication project, with significant steps in both practitioner engagement and academic contributions. As the project progresses, its efforts are increasingly becoming central to both the academic community and practical applications within the field of internal communication. Engaging Practitioners One of the month’s highlights was

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Never Knowingly Uncontrolled: Managing a Workforce of Partners at John Lewis – Source of the Month (July 2024)

Leave a Comment / Company magazines, Employee Voice, John Lewis Partnership, Source of the Month /

The John Lewis Partnership today is iconic for its distinctive business model: a partnership that is both owned and operated by its employees. However, this was not always the case. The transformation into this distinctive structure was initiated by John Spedan Lewis, the son of the founder. In stark contrast, the senior John Lewis had

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Research Update (July 2024)

Leave a Comment / BBC, British Airways, British Rail, Institute of Internal Communication, Research updates /

June has been a busy month for the History of Internal Communication project, marked by significant engagements and valuable interactions with both internal communication practitioners and academics. Engaging with Professional and Academic Audiences The team’s participation in the Institute of Internal Communication festival at Tewinbury Farm near Welwyn Garden City was the highlight of the

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Channelling the Vibe: BBC Internal Communication in the TV Era – Source of the Month (June 2024)

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Last month’s blog post explored the behind-the-scenes strategy of internal communication at the BBC through its archive of minutes and memos. The story went from the inception of the BBC’s first magazine in 1928 up to its first reader questionnaire of 1959. This month’s blog post continues this story up to the present day. The

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Research Update (June 2024)

Leave a Comment / BBC, Boots, British Rail, Cadbury, Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Research updates, simplycommunicate /

May has been a busy month for the History of Internal Communication project, with some fantastic practitioner engagement opportunities and extensive archival work. May’s research update looks at the progress made in sharing insights and encouraging practitioner discussions around the evolution of internal communication within organisations. Engaging with Practitioners The major highlight of May was

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