The Media Landscape

The phrase ‘car crash interview’ is often branded about on social media.  There normally tends to be little merit to the description.  But this week, the use of the phrase has been a little more apt.  Step forward, Suella Braverman.  To read the original article this audio blog was created from click here. Media First are media and communications training specialists with more than 35 years of exp...

Wouldn’t it be great to know what journalists want from your organisation and what you can give them to boost your chances of securing great coverage? Well, a new report does just that. Cision’s 2023 Global State of the Media Report pulls together the thoughts and insights of more than 3,000 journalists worldwide. Now in its 14th annual edition, it looks at the challenges reporters face and how co...

The benefits of media training are not always obvious to everyone. Something we often hear is that a CEO doesn't need media training. Why?   Because 'they've done loads of interviews before', 'they've done lots of public speaking', 'they can handle difficult questions' or 'they are very confident'. But this doesn't help bosses make the mo...

Time and again during our media training courses, we encourage a huge breadth of clients to produce visual, relatable stories to inform audiences.   Often the focus is more corporate and, potentially, dull.   In the privacy of our training sessions, we can throw down the challenge: Make it interesting.   To read the original article this audio blog was created from click here . Media First  are me...

How do you solve a problem like the CBI? The scandal-hit trade body, which represents 190,000 businesses, has been in full crisis mode since The Guardian reported claims of workplace misconduct, harassment and sexual assault. Former boss Tony Danker has been sacked following complaints about his behaviour and many organisations have moved to distance themselves from the lobby group. Now its new bo...

Leaked footage of the company meeting has received millions of views and resulted in countless headlines. And the story continues to rumble on. It is the latest example of how senior leaders behave and what they say can pose huge reputational risks. To read the original article this audio blog was created from click here . Media First  are media and communications training specialists with more th...

Questions can be a huge source of concern for presenters.   What happens if you don't know the answer?   What about if you don't hear the question properly?   Or you get asked something uncomfortable?   That's a lot of questions about questions.   To read the original article this audio blog was created from click here . Media First are media and communications training specialists...

Following our recent masterclass on ‘Making the most of broadcast media opportunities’ we had so many additional questions and comments from our viewers that we just couldn’t get through them in the time. So we decided to make a podcast.   Join James White and our media expert Victoria Smith as they answer your questions including, how to make your spokespeople to stand out in a crowded market, wh...

Should organisations get involved in political activism and use their platforms to raise awareness of issues and pursue lasting change? Or is getting involved worth the risk of controversy and alienating customers? These are questions many companies are increasingly trying to answer.  And one of the world’s biggest beer brands has produced a case study on how not to do it. To read the original art...

A weather bulletin may seem likely an unlikely starting point for a media training blog. But a recent one contained a brilliant example of how spokespeople should use numbers in media interviews. The presenter showed a photograph of giant waves caused by Storm Noa that swept across the UK last week. And he said: “The waves were thought to be eight metres high – that’s about the size of two double-...

We are increasingly asked about the role of video in crisis communication. Can it help you control the narrative and get your message to more people when you are in the spotlight? Can it help you better connect with customers and supporters when you are under intense scrutiny? And, if you do include apology videos in your crisis comms strategy, what makes a good one?  To read the original article...

It can be hard to know quite what to believe on April 1. Social media is full of organisations issuing fake announcements, mock videos and made-up press releases. At a time when it can feel like we are surrounded by stories of doom and gloom, it's an opportunity for brands to show their fun side and offer some light relief. But when fake news and misinformation pose risks for companies, there...

The words of presenter Shelagh Fogarty as a radio interview came to a premature and memorable end.  And having just highlighted in our media training blogs how a spokesperson performed well in a challenging interview, we thought we also better look at this example of how not to do it.  It was provided by Dr Timothy Brain, the former chief constable of Gloucestershire Constabulary, when he appeared...

Words matter.   And as scrutiny increases over what language is appropriate and inappropriate to use, it can be harder to find the right ones.   To navigate this, Oxfam released an ‘inclusive language guide’ to help staff talk about its work.   Among the recommendations is that parent replaces mother and father. Humankind is suggested in place of mankind.   And “is affected by” should be used when...

Saying sorry is a crucial part of crisis communication.    Get it right and you can diffuse the situation, minimise the reputational hit and rebuild trust.   But when apologies go wrong, they can make the crisis worse.   A new book shines some light on how to get it right and breaks down apologies into six steps.   To read the original article this audio blog was created from click here .    Media...

How do you feel about asking questions at the end or during a presentation, webinar or masterclass?   Do you worry about asking something that could make you seem silly?   Do you think it won’t interest anyone else?   Maybe you feel your question is obvious or simple and that everyone else in the audience knows the answer.   Asking questions in front of a crowd can make us feel vulnerable.   But g...

Those were the words of Nick Robinson as he cut short one of the most memorable recent interviews.   When we say ‘memorable’, it was for all the wrong reasons.   The Today programme presenter was interviewing Alexander Stafford, a former Parliamentary aide to Boris Johnson.   And the interview quickly went spectacularly wrong.   To read the original article this audio blog was created from click h...

One of the best ways to prepare for a crisis can be to learn from how others handled the spotlight. That can be particularly tough when a crisis is based on human tragedy. The Nicola Bulley case dominated the news. It held public attention in a way rarely seen in missing person enquiries. At times, speculation about what had happened was rampant. But despite the interest that surrounded the case,...

The is a lot of buzz about ChatGPT. The artificial intelligence chatbot - trained to interact in a conversational way - is already being put to the test in everything from writing articles and songs to language translation. In one case, a recruitment team unwittingly recommended the language model for a job interview after it completed an application task. And the publishers of the Daily Mirror ar...

Media First  are media and communications training specialists with more than 35 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.

How do you feel about radio and television interviews? Most people tend to have mixed emotions. During our media training courses, we find delegates understand the huge exposure a broadcast interview can create. But these interviews, particularly live broadcast ones, can feel intimidating. What happens if you forget your key talking points, are asked challenging questions or struggle to effectivel...

Print interviews offer a brilliant opportunity to cover a story in more depth.   You have more time to explain the background and put an issue into context.   And there is often a belief they are easier than broadcast ones – it is something we often hear during our media training courses .   But don’t be fooled.    While you may not find yourself stumbling over your words or feeling the pressure r...

British Gas boss Chris O’Shea has been busy. The CEO of Centrica – the company that owns the energy giant – has been at the front of the response to harrowing stories about how it treats vulnerable customers. An undercover investigation had revealed debt collectors used by the company forcing their way into homes to install prepayment meters. The story was the front-page lead in The Times under th...

So, Matt Hancock has returned to our screens.   And this time, the controversial former health secretary was not eating something disgusting or coming into close contact with creepy crawlies.   Instead, he appeared on Good Morning Britain to discuss himself for around 30 minutes.   And amid covering his appearance on I’m A Celebrity, the amount of his appearance fee he donated to charity, and yet...

What should you do when you’re asked a question in a media interview you don’t know how to answer?   It is a scenario delegates on our media training courses often tell us causes them the most worry.   They fear they will seem foolish or say something that will come back to haunt them.   But what about saying “I don’t know”?   To read the original blog that this audio blog was created from click h...