“Yo! Great to be here bro!” Okay, I admit that’s not the best way to respond to the first question in a media interview, but given Boris Johnson, on becoming Conservative Party leader, declared, “Dude! We are going to energise the country!”, it’s tempting to think informality is the way forward. It’s not. This brings […]
At last, a language crusader
Within days of being appointed Leader of the House of Commons in Boris Johnson’s new government, Jacob Rees-Mogg announced a list of linguistic no-go areas for his staff. I was delighted to read some of the items on the list. “Meet with” drives me mad. We don’t “meet with” someone. We just “meet” them. “Yourself” […]
Handling an ambush
In the United Kingdom we are seeing the Brexit campaigns (for and against leaving the European Union) hotting up by the day. Very soon we’ll be seeing the next presidential election in the United States stepping up a gear as we get ever closer to election day. In Brussels we recently witnessed the appointment of […]
Why it’s Joe Public who wields the power in a broadcast debate
Who would you least like to ask you a question, especially when there’s a TV audience of thousands, possibly millions? Jeremy Paxman? John Humphrys? Eddie Mair? True, their forensic questioning has seen off government ministers and top bosses, but there’s someone who could prove even more damaging to your reputation: Joe Public. As anyone who […]
How do you prepare for the unexpected question?
Questions are vital to an interview or a conversation. Without them the exchange would have no momentum, no life. They are the stimulus, the yeast which lifts the conversation and gives it body. So anyone dealing with the media must be prepared for questions, lots of them. The problem is that they come in every […]
How to avoid distracting from your message in television interviews
When you are being interviewed on a television news channel, it’s most important that the viewers out there focus on what the interviewee or spokesperson is saying. After all, that’s the reason that most people agree to be interviewed. They need to get some important messages across to the world at large and thereby win […]
Bringing The News To Children
Today’s older generation with clear memories of the last century will recognise the important part “the news” played in their lives. It was the golden age of news coverage, with every medium working overtime – literally – to carry the latest news, and hopefully be first with it. The present generation don’t have it that […]
Olivia’s BAFTA bluff
For those last night who managed to sit through the lengthy luvvy-fest that is BAFTA, one of the highlights was undoubtedly Olivia Colman’s brilliant acceptance speech – nervous, funny and, of course, totally off-the-cuff. Don’t you believe it. Her delightful whacky performance would have been carefully prepared. She was, after all, The Favourite, so the […]
No Mean Demeanour – Staying Cool Under Pressure
How does a television viewer form an opinion about you while you are being interviewed on a news or current affairs programme? Obviously, the words you speak in response to the questions put to you by your interviewer are paramount when it comes to the viewers making a judgement. If, for example, you are a […]
News Reporting – Emotion versus Fact
Of its very nature, news reporting casts an inquisitive eye over every type of event, and all in some way touch on the human condition – tragedy, grief, triumph, the unique, the humdrum. Into every one of those categories, human nature intrudes, seeking out as far as possible the truth or at least the clearest […]
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