The BBC’s Political Editor, Laura Kuenssberg, has gone public with how she’s been coming under attack by trolls from across the political spectrum on social media. Aside from highlighting the nasty vindictiveness of many who use social media, the interview, given at a business lunch by Ms. Kuenssberg, also reflected the extent to which a […]
When the story breaks:
Handling crisis communications
It’s five minutes past five in the morning. You had been hoping for another hour in bed before starting the two-hour commute to work. Suddenly, though, your mobile phone starts ringing on the bedside table. The person calling you is the overnight security officer on duty at your company’s head office, where you work. He […]
When to ask for copy approval
Aside from turning into what seemed like a bit of a she-said-we-said argy-bargy-Saga-drama, the Claire Balding copy approval episode gives anyone who is likely to do print media interviews some very useful insight. (Incidentally, Saga Magazine said it did not give copy approval; instead “quotes were checked for accuracy alone”.) So that’s all good, as […]
Why the broadcast interview is in danger
Have you wondered why broadcast interviews, like a Chinese meal, often leave you unsatisfied and wanting more? One reason is that the most interesting interviewees are rarely seen these days. Leading figures in business, industry and the arts are increasingly reluctant to step forward because the format and nature of broadcast interviews is more and […]
Why communications via the media are at an all-time low
The media are no longer a channel through which good communication thrives; rather they are a vehicle that exposes increasingly bad communication. Whether it’s government departments, major companies or public service bodies, the days when most of them knew how to speak directly to their customers or the public are over. They are drenched in […]
How do you handle the media when a cyber attack makes you wanna cry?
Cyber hacking is a big talking point right now for our clients – from global software companies keen to learn how to give an expert opinion to the media in “non-geek speak”, to firms who want to understand how they should react publicly when their data is attacked. And here’s why: just under half (46%) […]
Balcony Scenes
This week I found myself working in the Czech Republic capital of Prague. It was a trip down memory lane. I was there during November 1989 when the Communist regime fell. It was brought down by a huge popular uprising driven by the Civil Forum movement led by the playwright and dissident Vaclav Havel. I […]
How not to handle a crisis
The media strategy adopted by the Prime Minister in response to the Grenfell Tower fire is a classic example of how not to do it. There were flaws in both the way in which she responded and in how she initially replied to questions from Emily Maitlis in Friday night’s Newsnight on BBC2. Firstly, in […]
What we can all learn from Labour’s three own-goal media interviews
Although Diane Abbott’s “car crash” interview on LBC was hugely significant and damaging, what’s more interesting from a media training point of view, is that it was one of three Labour performances this week that contained responses we would always advise clients to avoid. How politicians perform in an election campaign can have such an […]
Why ‘speaking human’ is a lesson we should all learn
Attention! Attention! We’d like to alert you to an epidemic. We believe it’s sweeping through universities, businesses, hospitals and even schools. We think we even detected it this morning, whilst listening to the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. And what’s particularly worrying is it even seems to affect those who should be the least […]
