Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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Well it wasn't quite nul points for the UK at the Eurovision Song Contest, but our brave lad did finish last. I wonder what we could have done to upset our European friends?
Anyway, since the European elections are over, I can now return to talking about politics. But I've decided not to.
Instead, I have a small request. I'm running the equivalent of thirty 10k runs (or seven and a half marathons, if you prefer) before the end of August, to raise money for dementia research. If you have a few bob down the back of the sofa you can spare, all donations are gratefully accepted. |
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As you may recall, I volunteer at a lot of sporting and music events. In a couple of weeks, I will be at the Muse concert in the London Stadium, and last weekend I was working the Hackney Half Marathon.
Of course, I volunteer because I love to do it, and the rewards are the happy faces of those taking part. But nonetheless it's nice to get thanks, so I was delighted to receive a thank you card and souvenir programme from the Lawn Tennis Association for helping out at the Federations Cup event, which saw the GB women's team return to the world group. Yes, I am in that picture... |
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Simon Maddrell is an award-winning charity founder, a poet, and a great pal of mine. We spoke recently about the magic of words, and the similarities between speeches and poetry. Find out more in the Media Coach Radio Show.
There's also a great song from Mick Wilson, heralding the summer.
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The MediaMaestro is he first woman to read the news on BBC television, Nan Winton. Her real name was Nancy Wigginton, and she was appointed to read evening and weekend bulletins at the corporation in June 1960. BBC bosses at the time called the decision to hire Winton an “experiment” but believed she was serious enough to overcome prejudiced voices in the media that said women were “too frivolous to be the bearers of grave news”.
She was removed from the role after she had read only seven late bulletins, when audience research found that viewers thought a woman reading the late news was “not acceptable”.
She remained the only woman to have read the BBC’s televised national news until 1975, when Angela Rippon joined the Nine O’Clock News.
What a wonderful pioneer she was. |
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The MediaMug is Belfast artist Tony Currie. He created a statue of soccer legend George Best, but according to many people, did not actually capture his likeness.
The main complaint is that the sculpture, unveiled on what would have been his 73rd birthday, does not bear any resemblance to the Belfast boy.
The often cruel social media sphere has not held back. One popular response was that rather than looking like Best, the statue at Windsor Park in Belfast looks more like his former Northern Ireland teammate Pat Jennings, who unveiled it.
Other posters on social media offered their submissions as to who it resembled. A few suggested BBC Sport NI's much-loved football commentator Jackie Fullerton (must be the hair) while others saw former England striker Kevin Keegan.
There was also a suggestion that it wasn't unlike the clay bust modelled of Lionel Richie in the video for his song Hello.
George Best would have had a word for it, I
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Speaking Tip - Can you do five minutes? |
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Sometimes there's little time to prepare a speech. You may be approached at an event and asked to speak for a short while, perhaps to fill in time, present an award, or to give a vote of thanks. Whatever the reason, there is a way of creating and delivering a short speech in just a few moments.
The first thing to do is to establish exactly what you are being asked. Do you need to mention people by name and/or position? Do you need to deliver a specific message? Do you need to thank or praise people? Should you mention people who were unable to attend? You get the idea. The important thing is to write it all down. People will forgive you being nervous, but they won't forgive you missing them out, or getting their name wrong.
Now excuse yourself and find a quiet place for a few minutes. Go to the toilet and sit in a cubicle if necessary. Write down your opening line. Write down your closing line. If you have a relevant story, make a note to remind you to tell it. Add in the names of anyone you need to mention. Now say the speech, out loud. Don't worry if people hear you.
When the time comes to deliver the speech to your audience, don't apologise for anything. Don't mention the short notice or the fact that you may be nervous. Just get on with it. Make sure you keep it brief and deliver your closing line with impact. Then sit down and enjoy the rest of the evening reflecting on a job well done! |
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Media Tip - What is News? |
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Nothing like a big question now and again, eh? I was asked this recently, and I offered a few possible definitions,
One very old definition is "News defies expectations".
Evelyn Waugh had a similar take, saying "News is what a chap who doesn't care much about anything wants to read".
Joseph Pulitzer (yes, that Joseph Pulitzer) put it most elegantly; "News should be put before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light."
However you define news, it's always about stories. The mistake that many people make is that they want to get their business, products and services into the news, assuming that they will naturally be of interest. That's why many press releases never get picked up. They simply don't contain any news.
If you understand what news is about, you will understand what is newsworthy. That understanding can save a lot of frustration, not to mention a lot of money wasted on ineffective PR. If you always look for the story, you will find far more opportunities for publicity than a new CEO or a move of head offices (yawn).
What is it about your story that defies expectations? What's your news? |
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Social Media Tip - Don't worry, be happy |
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Social media users often tend to be a grumpy crowd, and can even become an angry mob. However, messages that are negative may cause you to lose friends and followers. A few years ago, C.J. Hutto (@cjhutto on Twitter) and colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta examined the content and retweeting fate of tweets sent by 500 non-celebrities over a 15-month period. The keys to success, they found, were to tweet positive messages, write clearly and retweet interesting snippets of news. They also found that people who tweeted only about themselves tended to gain far fewer followers that those who commented on what was happening.
None of this should come as any great surprise, but I'm prepared to wager that if you look at your Twitter or Facebook feed, a significant proportion of the posts will be complaints.
Don't reach for your pitchfork and burning torch. The message is clear. Post comments that are positive, current and relevant. |
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Do you need to deliver a great speech? |
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I can help. Just click the link |
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