The Media Coach | October 20th 2023 |
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| Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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| After almost twenty years of my weekly podcast, I've moved it to a new and updated site to make it easier to find and listen to.
It's also much easier for you to request to appear on the show - just click the "contact" link and send me a message.
As usual, you'll find out more about the latest episode (Number 920) below, and I'd welcome your ideas for future guests, and musicians who would like their material played in the show.
There's now a six-figure global audience for the show, and it's free to appear - you can also promote whatever you like. Do get in touch.
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| You know how much I enjoy music and film, and I was able to enjoy both passions this week when I went to a screening of Stop Making Sense, a film of Talking Heads in concert directed by Jonathan Demme, which is widely recognised as one of the best concert films ever made.
Better still, I watched it on the BFI IMAX screen, which is the largest in the UK, with a wonderful sound system. The way the film is shot, and the immersive nature of the IMAX made me feel as though I'd been on stage with the band for 90 minutes.
Do go and see it if you get the chance. |
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| My guest in the web radio show this week is Caroline Stafford.
Along with her husband David, she has written a wonderful biography of one of my favourite musicians - the late Ronnie Lane, who was a member of The Small Faces, The Faces, and then formed his own band, Slim Chance.
It's a wonderful account of a romantic musician who's ambition sadly over-reached his resources, although it did lead to some beautiful songs.
We had a wonderful talk. Hear our chat in the in the radio show. |
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And there's a superb song from Ronnie Lane's old band, Slim Chance. |
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| MediaMaestro, MediaMug of the Week |
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| The MediaMaestro this week is probably the greatest living film editor, Thelma Schoonmaker.
I was lucky enough to see her in person this week, being interviewed at the British Film Institute about her 50-year association with Martin Scorsese.
She's won Oscars and a string of other awards for her work on films such as Raging Bull, Goodfellas, the Wolf of Wall Street, The Irishman and Woodstock.
She also edited Michael Jackson's video - Bad.
If you get the opportunity to listen to her, or to view one of her video interviews on YouTube, I guarantee it will be worth it.
Just take a look at her describing how she edited The Irishman. |
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| The MediaMug of the week is Chief Constable of Northamptonshire, Nick Adderley, who has been suspended over allegations that he has potentially misrepresented his military service, both in public and in communications with the police, fire and crime commissioner.
He's apparently been wearing a medal for fighting in the Falklands War – despite being only 15 during the conflict.
He is accused of wearing it at a string of public and media events including the Police Bravery Awards in July. If the accusations are true, as pictures of him suggest, he faces claims of being a fraud and fantasist.
It is not an offence in the UK for individuals to wear medals or decorations that they were not awarded – but it is an offence to wear a military medal without permission.
Looks like he's been caught red-handed. |
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Speaking Tip of the week - Gather the evidence |
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| When the police investigate a crime, they gather as much evidence as possible in order to present a convincing case. Similarly, when you need to convince an audience of the truth of your stories, having as much evidence as possible is very important. So here are a few ways to gather evidence for your stories:
Notes. You know by now to always carry a notebook. It gives you the chance to record instantly whatever you see, hear and experience. Try to make notes as soon as possible after the event, not during it. Don't just record facts. Make notes about how you felt, and what you think others were feeling. It will make a huge difference when you tell the story.
Pictures. Grabbing some photos at the time serves several purposes. It will allow you to pick up on details that you may have forgotten. It will remind you of what you were feeling at the time. And if appropriate, you can use your photos during your speech to make your point even stronger.
Video. It's not always possible to get video at the time, but if you can, it's very powerful evidence. For example, if you're telling a story about customer service, you could do a short piece to camera and then chat to someone you've seen delivering exceptional service, asking them why and how they do it. Again, this can be used during your speech.
Afters. You may be able to go back to people after the event and conduct an interview. This will provide a different perspective, making your story richer.
Always be looking to gather evidence - even if you don't know when you'll use it.
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Media Tip of the week - Avoid the bias |
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| It's common knowledge that many different media outlets have different biases, due to their ownership, sponsorship or commercial interests.
This is particularly evident with daily newspapers and their websites, but is also true of many broadcasters too. Being aware of their biases is fine. Complaining about them, especially if you are being interviewed by them, is not.
Your job as an interviewee is to get your message across, regardless of who is asking you a question, and with no comment on why you think they are asking it.
Here are some tips to ensure you stay neutral while delivering your powerful message:
Don't engage in any off-air chat referring to your view of the media outlet Think ahead so that you aren't caught out by a loaded question Keep your answers positive and concise Don't criticise other people who have spoken about the same issue - but you can refer to what they said Never argue. Politely correct any factual errors in a question and answer positively. Think about the perception of the listeners or viewers Always thank the interviewer for the opportunity to appear
You'll know if you've been successful - they'll ask you back.
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Social Media Tip of the week - Keep the debate going |
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| Social media has algorithms and rules that are not only hidden from us, but also change from time to time. That makes it very tricky to plan a strategy for using social media to increase your reach, your sales or whatever.
However, there is one thing that remains constant. A lively and consistent debate will always attract interest, and will be shown to more of your contacts than a one-off post. This is particularly important in the first hour or two after you post something.
So when you make a post, be prepared to be in the debate for at least an hour. That doesn't mean devoting all your time to it, but simply being aware of reactions and comments, and replying to as many of them as possible.
The idea is to keep the conversation going, and provide sufficient momentum for it to keep going after you've moved away from it - at least temporarily. When you respond, aim to be positive, even if you disagree, and ask more questions to keep the debate going.
You can also engage in conversations on other people's posts, and sharing or reposting their posts will encourage people to come to your page to debate the issue.
If you're seen as a hub for conversations, not only will social media reward you with more views, you'll also be engaging a larger community, which has to be a good thing. |
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Looking for a speaker coach? |
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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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