Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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It's a hundred and three years since the guns fell silent at the end of the First World War. Like many people, I've paused to reflect on the hundreds of thousands of service personnel who fell, and especially those in my own family who went to war and never returned.
My grandmother's only two brothers both went to war and never came home. Neither of them saw their 20th birthdays. Jack (left) died at The Somme on September 23rd 1916. Arthur (right) drowned on April 7th 1917 when his ship, HMS Jason, struck a mine just off the Hebrides.
This is not about glorifying war. It's a dreadful thing. But it is important to remember. |
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 | It was just one year ago that 19-year-old Leon Williams took his own life. Scottish Country Music star Arlene, and 1970s New Seekers heartthrob Marty Kristian have collaborated to raise awareness of the Mental Health issues facing so many people, especially the young, as we emerge from a prolonged period of isolation and restriction. The result is an emotional tribute…Look Behind Leon, produced in Nashville, Tennessee.
Youth suicide is already the second-leading cause of death among those ages 15 to 19, and the numbers have been inching upward for more than a decade. The recent testimony of parents and school officials suggests that the pandemic has, at least in certain cases, added new elements to that lethal mix.
I spoke to Arlene and Marty about their involvement with Leon's family, and what they are aiming to achieve with their song and their campaign.
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And of course, I'm playing their tribute to Leon too. |
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The MediaMaestro this week is a volleyball called Wilson. You may remember him from the film Cast Away, starring Tom Hanks. He was effectively Tom's co-star, but hasn't had much work since.
Wilson has sold at auction for a staggering $308,000 (£230,000).
The ball was originally made to look dirty, and spent a lot of time in the water during filming, according to Prop Store, the auction house that sold it.
Hanks was given an Oscar nomination for best actor in the Robert Zemeckis film. Wilson missed out on the nominations for best supporting actor.
There's clearly a healthy market for film memorabilia. The outfit worn by Will Ferrell in the 2003 film Elf sold for $235,000 (£175,000) - almost 10 times the anticipated sale price.
Blimey!
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The MediaMug goes to DogTV, a new channel that launched this week in the UK.
Created after three years of research, the channel will air scientifically tested programming aiming to alleviate symptoms of conditions such as separation anxiety, loneliness and stress, bosses say. It will also have shows to help owners better understand and look after their pets.
Professor Nicholas Dodman, chief scientist for DogTV, said: "DogTV is an excellent resource for dog owners to help alleviate some of the behavioural problems that can arise when dogs are left alone"
Few dogs were available for comment, though after a paws, one terrier did describe the channel as "Ruff". |
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Speaking Tip - Script, cue cards or memory? |
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When you deliver a presentation, you may worry about whether you will remember everything, and deliver it in the right order. Of course, if you are using slides, you can always, as I once heard a conference speaker say "speak to the slides" (unfortunately, that's precisely what he did, so we looked at the back of his head for 40 minutes). You know what I think about the way some people use slides. If not, email me and ask, though my response will probably get blocked by your profanity filter.
So let's keep it easy, and assume you have to speak for 20 minutes. Do you use a script, prompt cards, or try to memorise the whole thing? My answer is yes (to begin with), yes (but you probably won't need them) and no (but you will give that impression).
Allow me to elucidate. When you prepare a speech, it can be helpful to write out a complete script, in order to guarantee that you have covered everything in an engaging way. You will no doubt amend the text a few times as you read through it. When you are familiar with the speech, take a few cards and jot down reminders of the key points and stories. Try the speech again using just the cards. You may want to stop at this point and use the cards as prompts when you speak for real.
However, if you want to take things one stage further, try to deliver the speech without notes. You will find that you tell the same stories, and make the same points, but without sticking precisely to the script. That's when it will sound really good, and the audience will love it - so go for it! |
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Media Tip - Life's a Pitch |
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Getting your story into print, even if the ink is digital, is not easy. You have to work at it. There are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of being featured. Here are some of them.
1) Sell a story. I know you know this already, but it's a reminder. Whatever you are trying to pitch, the reporter won't be interested in the new product or service, but they will be interested in what it does for someone. Remember not to pitch the marketing claims, but to focus on a personal story, preferably with a case study.
2) Do your research. It pays to understand both the journalist's interests, and those of the audience they are writing for. Your initial job is to pique the interest of the writer, but then to convince them that their readers will love the story. So you need to review the journalist's previous articles, and study the publication to see what stories they run. There's no point pitching to someone who will never be interested.
3) Be ready for the response If your story gets picked up, the chances are, they will want extra information from you - quotes, more detail, local examples. You should respond immediately. Don't let them leave a voice mail, take the call. If they ask for a sample, send it by courier. Do everything you can to make their job easier. If you do it once, they will call you again when they next have column inches to fill.
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Social Media Tip - Going green |
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The COP26 summit in Glasgow has shone a spotlight on green issues globally.
But is there anything to learn about your social media use? I think there is:
Recycle - it's perfectly OK to use content that you've posted before, often with some simple updates, to create new and current posts. You can update blog posts,especially when the anniversary of an event that you've mentioned comes around. You can re-use images and audio in different contexts. Don't worry about people commenting that they've seen it before - if it's valuable, it bears repeating.
Repurpose - the principles that you post about can apply to different topics and issues. Using new examples will allow you to create content that is original.
Upcycle - comments from other people on your social media posts can be gathered together to create opinion summaries, questions and ideas for new posts.
Avoiding waste - Don't spend too long in debates which are going nowhere. Your time is wasted, and no-one will change their view.
Cleaning up - From time to time, it's good to tidy up your social media channels. Remove out-of-date posts and videos.
Go green on your social media channels.
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An online or in-person speech to make? I can help.
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The information in this ezine may be freely re-used in any online or offline publication, provided it is accompanied by the following credit line - "This information was written by Alan Stevens, and originally appeared in "The MediaCoach", his free weekly ezine, available at www.mediacoach.co.uk." |
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