Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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Like many people around the world, I was shocked and horrified by the riots in Washington DC on January 6th, where a mob stormed into the Capitol Building in an attempt to prevent the results of the Presidential election from being certified.
But the evidence provided to the impeachment trial of former President Trump this week revealed the full story of what unfolded that day.
I have been very impressed by the calm and logical way in which the evidence has been laid out by those accusing the President of incitement (including House Impeachment Manager Stacey Plaskett - pictured), and the totally dreadful way in which his defence lawyers have presented his case.
That's not me taking sides (though you can probably guess which side I would take), but it's simply looking at how both sides communicated their case. In the end of course, there won't be enough Republican Senators voting to impeach the former President. However, even his supporters have been staggered by the incompetence of his legal team. It just goes to show how important it is to communicate with clarity. |
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I was delighted to receive a text from my GP this week inviting me for my first vaccination against COVID-19. Our local NHS have delivered the vaccine to the four priority groups ahead of schedule, and are moving on to younger people (not that much younger, I admit). I'm looking forward to getting the vaccination on Saturday, and seeing the light at the end of a very long tunnel. I hope it's not too long before you get yours. |
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Last week, Yoshiro Mori, head of the organising committee for this year's Tokyo Olympics was my MediaMug of the week, for the appalling remarks he'd made about women on his committee.
This week, he has announced his resignation.
It's not the first time that the MediaMug of the week has had to go. Just saying....
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 | A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I'd bought a new guitar. This week, I was delighted to interview the designer of that guitar, Paul Brett.
Paul is both a magnificent craftsman of guitars, and also a wonderful musician. He has played or recorded with The Strawbs, The Overlanders, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Elmer Gantry’s Velvet Opera, Roy Harper, Al Stewart, Lonnie Donegan, Paul Brett Sage and as a solo performer.
It was a rare honour to chat with him.
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The MediaMaestrois of course, is the wonderful Jackie Weaver, who was helping to run a meeting of Handforth Parish Council, when she was told "Your have no authority here, Jackie Weaver", and promptly booted out the person who complained.
She told the BBC she has had "nothing but positive support" after remaining calm on the Zoom call which had insults, laughter and members being kicked out.
The video of the meeting went viral, and Jackie appeared on numerous news programmes around the world. She was a model of calmness and reassurance. Everyone needs a Jackie Weaver.
Well done to her!
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The MediaMug is Gina Carano, who has been starring in the hit Lucasfilm series The Mandalorian alongside Pedro Pascal.
She's been dropped from the series after social media posts (since deleted) about the treatment of Jewish people that were called "abhorrent and unacceptable" by Lucasfilm.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: "Gina Carano is not currently employed by Lucasfilm and there are no plans for her to be in the future."
She does have a history of controversy on social media, having posted about the possibility of election fraud in the defeat of President Trump, and also making fun of people who wear masks during the pandemic.
The force is clearly not with her. |
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Speaking Tip - You're not the hero |
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I'm sure you know about the classic storytelling technique referred to as the "Hero's Journey", which was described by Joseph Campbell in a number of books and lectures. It's the basic model for most stories, where a hero overcomes a challenge to reach a reward, and becomes changed for the better.
Because it is such a useful model, many speakers base their stories on it, and then use the story to make a point to their audience. That's fine. However, there is one thing to remember. You aren't the hero.
Ten years ago, I found out that there was a character in a book called Alan Stevens. It's not an uncommon name, so I thought the author had just made it up. However, I later found that she knew me on social media, and based her character on what I looked like and some things that I'd said. The book is called The Vampire Shrink, and in it, Alan Stevens is described as "a tall unusually attractive FBI agent who hunts vampires". I'll take that. What's the point? I'm not the hero of the story.
The thing is, if you make yourself the hero of your stories, people may find it hard to identify with you. They will think it's all about you, not them. However, if instead you make another character the hero, and you take on the role of mentor or guide, the audience finds it much easier to relate to.
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Media Tip - Don't get battered and fried |
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Media interviews are not usually a form of combat, but on rare occasions you may encounter an unduly aggressive interviewer. In the thousands of interviews I've done, I've only ever met a handful of them, but I remember them all, especially the live interview on Channel Five News when the interviewer poked me so hard in the chest I was bruised for days afterwards. Not that I'm bitter, and he did apologise, but these things leave strong memories.
Anyway, back to you. On TV, time is more of an enemy than the interviewer. The estimate you are given beforehand is normally an upper limit, and most interviews will be, or feel, much shorter than you expect. This can add to the tension, but you must resist the urge to speak quickly. Slow down, and if the interviewer tries to cut you off, politely insist on finishing your point.
If the interviewer keeps cutting across your answers, decide what is the minimum message you want to get across, ideally in a short phrase you have planned in advance. Bear in mind that in pre-recorded interviews, the cut that may well be shown is the one that makes the interviewer look at their best, and you at your worst, so be alert at all times.
Lastly, never insult the interviewer, or start asking them questions. It's a waste of your time. If in doubt about what to say, simply repeat your message calmly and clearly and wait for them to respond.
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Social Media Tip - The Australian Open guide to social media debates |
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The Australian Open tennis tournament is on right now. Here are seven tennis-inspired tips for online interaction:
1) Get it back over the net. Focus on responding to messages within 24 hours, even if you don't have the full answer. People value a response of any kind, and it will stop them asking "did you get my message?"
2) Be aware of the other person's style. Try to respond in a manner that is appropriate for the person you are dealing with.
3) Stay within the court boundaries. Stick to the topic in hand, and don't wander about all over the place. Stay focused.
4) Keep the outcome in mind. It's not just about occasional point-scoring, there's probably a longer-term goal in mind.
5) Serve when it's your turn. Be helpful, and remember that at least half the time, your job is to serve.
6) Ask the umpire. Sometimes, you may need to consult a third party to resolve a dispute.
7) Accept the result gracefully. Whether you get the result you want or not, accept either outcome without gloating or complaining. |
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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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