Navigating nuclear communications with Rachel Westray: PR in the Real World

It’s time to stop treating comms as a ‘nice to have’.

When you work in the nuclear industry, strong communication is vital. Whether it’s busting the age-old myths about the sector or liaising with the local community, a strong voice is a necessity – and that’s way before any sign of crisis.

In the latest episode of PR in the Real World, we dig deep into what nuclear comms looks like with Rachel Westray, Westinghouse Springfields’ Site Communications Manager.

Rachel shares the intricacies of a life in nuclear communications –  a role that spans parish briefings to global calls with colleagues in 40 countries.

There is so much to take away from this episode, but we managed to pull out five key insights from this episode.

Here’s what you need to know:

1 • Get yourself a seat at the table!

For Rachel, an effective communications plan starts with one non-negotiable: a seat at the table.

“It’s paramount for me; it must have a seat at this leadership table. If not, I don’t fully understand how anyone in a comms role can do their role.

“How can you communicate if you don’t understand or have knowledge of what is happening in the business? How can you best advise? How can you create that comms strategy if you don’t have a seat at that table where you understand what the current state?”

Why this matters: Without a seat at the leadership table, it is impossible to communicate key messages effectively. As the mouthpiece for the business, you need all the information to help tell its story.

2 • Don’t forget the human factor

The computer, the internet, the mobile phone. Artificial Intelligence is the next and potentially most influential piece of technology on that list – and there will be very few industries left untouched by it. Comms is no different, but Rachel insists that we must shape it – rather than let it shape us.

“AI is going to be a game changer for this sector, but I think we must be very careful as a sector with the ethics and the responsibility role that we play without becoming too reliant on AI.

“There is a human factor and a human element in what we do, and we must remember that.”

Why this matters: AI is a tool and not a solution; don’t get carried away with the possibilities. Here at Viva, we are constantly updating our AI policy and training our staff on how to use it correctly.

3 • The learning never stops

PR and comms is an expanding and evolving industry, with new trends and changes coming out rapidly.

Rachel argues that it is a duty to keep yourself up to date and keep on learning,

“It is important to keep up to date with those industry trends and changes because it’s a fast-changing industry. There’s always something new coming out, there’s new practices, new techniques and I do think, you know, it’s a duty to have to yourself to keep yourself up to date with those.”

Why this is important: No matter what level you are at in the world of PR or comms, you can still learn more. Here at Viva, we are part of the CIPR to ensure our staff are as up to date as they can be.

4 • Doing more for the future of PR and comms

There are amazing opportunities in the sector, but most people don’t know about them.

Why?

Rachel believes it simply boils down to understanding.

“I think maybe we do need to – as a sector – do a little bit more to educate people generally about comms, but also the fantastic careers you can have in the PR and comms world.

“There are so many amazing opportunities in the sector, and I don’t think we necessarily promote it as well as we could.”

Why this matters: Making the complex understandable is what our industry does – so it’s time we made it clear what the opportunities are.