CIPR and PRCA urge journalists to verify PR sources after fake expert fallout
UK PR bodies caution journalists to take a closer look at who is pitching to them.
- Corporate Affairs
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) have written jointly to journalism membership organisations and media trade titles after Press Gazette identified more than 50 unverifiable experts cited in over 1,000 articles in national, regional and online publications.
In their letter, the organisations encouraged journalists to use their public membership directories to verify the credentials of PR professionals and expert sources where doubts arise, positioning the registers as a practical check amid rising volumes of press material.
The intervention follows growing concern about SEO‑driven press activity, in which fabricated or misleading expert commentary is distributed to boost search visibility. Press Gazette found journalists are now receiving hundreds of pitches each week, many featuring AI‑generated copy and images, with limited transparency around sources and little response to follow‑up enquiries.
CIPR and PRCA said their respective codes of conduct, which require accuracy, transparency and ethical engagement with the media, offer an additional layer of reassurance for journalists. The use of fake experts, they warned, would represent a serious breach of these standards and could lead to public expulsion.
CIPR CEO Alastair McCapra said trust between the media and the PR profession depends on clear accountability. “The deliberate use of fake experts is unacceptable and undermines confidence in legitimate and ethical PR practice,” he said, adding that the organisation’s register is designed to make verification simpler for journalists.
PRCA CEO Sarah Waddington echoed the call for closer collaboration, saying journalists and PR professionals share a common interest in credible, accurate reporting, particularly as AI and automation become more embedded in communications workflows.
The letter has been sent to Press Gazette, the National Union of Journalists, the Chartered Institute of Journalists and the British Association of Journalists.