Case Studies

We provided a platform for stories of courage and resilience from journalists operating in some of Europe’s most precarious media environments, chairing and moderating presentations and discussions at the two-day event held at the Frontline Club.

Director Alex Spillius devised and delivered a two-day workshop for 20 journalists from either side of the Line of Control in Kashmir. Members of the media from the Indian and Pakistani parts of Kashmir were brought together in Bangkok. The workshop demonstrated how to report with more balance and less provocation, particularly in choice of […]

Alex Spillius is a member of the ethics drafting committee on this important initiative to rebuild confidence in the global media industry, launched by Reporters Sans Frontieres and the European Standardisation Committee (CEN). Partners include Agence France Presse, the European Broadcasting Union and the Global Editors Network. The JTI is drafting standards which are designed […]

Foreign Desk played an integral part in Habitat for Humanity winning selection for the prestigious Financial Times Seasonal Appeal 2018-19, which will see the charity’s work around the world featured in prominent articles for the distinguished publication’s global audience of two million. We are providing strategic advice and practical assistance on expanding the international profile […]

Foreign Desk director Alex Spillius acted as communications adviser to Sierra Leone’s electoral commission in March-April 2018. Working closely with the head of the commision and its media team, he provided strategic guidance on the presenation of results, communications with international media and exploiting social media opportunities to raise the Commission’s profile and explain its […]

Foreign Desk provided media interview training to experts and programme officers at the leading London-based peacebuilding charity. Over the course of several sessions, we discussed potential story lines, conducted mock television interviews and reviewed performances in a group setting. We also provided advice on strategic planning for a major survey published by Conciliation Resources in […]

Foreign Desk director Alex Spillius acted as communications adviser to the PNGEC for the 2017 summer election. Working closely with the Commission’s senior staff and media officer, he provided strategic guidance, a crisis communications strategy and hands-on crisis communications advice in a highly challenging environment. He introduced the full use of social media platforms for […]

Foreign Desk provided new strategic communications guidance for the Oxford-based Global Canopy as part of its embrace of a more broader audience. We have engaged with top tier media for coverage of GCP’s Trase initiative, a powerful new sustainability tool that enables governments, companies and investors to address the environmental and social impacts of supply […]

Foreign Desk advised the publisher and editor of the Nation, trained its staff and led them to their first major scoop in several years. Three Foreign Desk trainers worked with small groups in the paper’s Lahore and Islamabad offices and conducted intensive, desk-based training in good copy style, sharper story structure, best news-gathering practice and […]

Foreign Desk was the principal communications agency for the Global Landscapes Forum, the major side event of the November 2016 COP22 climate change meeting in Marrakech, helping with outreach and story placement, editorial presentation, social media, the forum’s strategic outlook, as well as moderating several panel discussions.