Mirroring our mission of bridging the gap between policy, media, and social impact, we were delighted to host our first in a new series of media dinners, welcoming Sebastian Payne, Leader Writer and Columnist for The Times, to an intimate dinner alongside a distinguished group of leaders from across the development, health, education and skills, civil society, and environmental sectors.
Hosted by Atalanta’s CEO, Elizabeth Ames, and Senior Account Director, Austyn Close, the evening was framed by the launch of Atalanta’s latest White Paper, "Building Partnerships for Impact." Published to coincide with the event, the paper served as an anchor for conversation, sparking rigorous debate on how cross-sector collaboration can address the most pressing challenges of our time.
Sebastian provided an illuminating look into the inner workings of the UK’s newsrooms and the corridors of Westminster. He offered a candid assessment of the current "perma-campaigning" mentality that has gripped British politicians since the 2016 EU Referendum—a shift that has fundamentally altered how policy is made and communicated.
He also explained the drivers behind the modern media agenda at titles like The Times and the Financial Times, where he previously covered the Westminster beat. Sebastian noted that while national newspapers remain influential, they often speak to an elite subset of the population. The room discussed the urgent need for more diverse, multimedia communications strategies to build influence and impact in an era when audiences are favouring shorter, more digestible content. He shared invaluable advice on how organisations must adapt their storytelling to reach their target audiences and what is influencing audience behaviours, attitudes, and perceptions.
The conversation also covered the future of British governance. Guests shared their perspectives on:
- The Labour Party: The perceived leadership vacuum and the internal dynamics shaping the party's electoral platform.
- The next general election: An analysis of likely Prime Ministerial candidates across the parties and the shifting political sands both before and after the nation heads to the polls.
- Civil service reform: The decline in the ability of the UK civil service to deliver on political priorities, and the ways in which reform could help bolster UK growth and productivity.
- The challenge of "cutting through": The difficulty of gaining recognition for vital work in a saturated, noisy information environment that is increasingly moving towards digital-first formats.
- Trust in news: How to address the decline of public trust given the growing influence of AI and the role of civil society in defending factual integrity.
This dinner was the first of what will become a regular series. At Atalanta, we believe that bringing together influential journalists and sector leaders is essential for mutual understanding of the state of UK politics and driving considered consumption of media and information.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Sebastian Payne for his time and invaluable insights, and to all our guests for their contributions to such a high-level exchange of ideas.
Read “Building partnerships for impact” White Paper
Our latest White Paper is available to download and read, compiling insights from a cross-section of different organisations that have entered into partnerships to create impact.
Read the White Paper here.
