The MediaCoach

Hi John,

Like many others, I've been reading "Fire and Fury" by Michael Wolff. It's a devastating account of the Trump White House, and of course has been denounced by President Trump as fake. I don't know how much of it is true, but I don't see any of the people quoted in the book threatening to sue. I suspect most of it is accurate. Historians will look back at this time and just shake their heads.

You've probably seen the H&M image of a black boy wearing a hoodie with the legend "Coolest monkey in the jungle". It caused a storm, was immediately withdrawn, and an unequivocal apology issued. But how did it happen? I have an explanation. SPIM. Smart Person In Meeting. I suspect what happens is that one person in a meeting puts up an idea, and no-one dares to disagree. It happens up the organisation until it appears in print. SPIM.

Brian Barnes is an old pal of mine and an independent film-maker. His latest film, The Redeeming, has its premiere in London next month (Tickets are available here). I chatted with Brian about the making of the film, which was fascinating. Listen to our chat in the Media Coach Radio Show. and there's also a superb song from Rob Corcoran.
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It's rare to honour a weather presenter as MediaMaestro, but the passing of Philip Eden gives me that opportunity. He was a weather reporter on BBC Five Live for much of his career, and a reassuring voice even in the most inclement conditions. He was a meteorologist, weather historian, avid collector of arcane weather statistics and one of the very few people to make a living out of private forecasts. In his column in the Daily Telegraph he often told stories about the weather with extracts from Samuel Pepys' diary or from classical literature. A sad passing.

For the MediaMug I'm obliged to a suggestion from my old chum Sid Ridgely from Canada. He sent me a link to an interview between CNN's Jake Tapper and White House adviser and MediaMug Stephen Miller. It's an extraordinary encounter over the aforementioned Fire and Fury book. Mr Miller refuses to answer questions, and calls his boss, President Trump "a genius". In the end, Mr Tapper just has to say "Settle down" to gain an opportunity to even ask a question. It's quite unsettling.

COULD YOU COME UP ON STAGE, PLEASE?

Audience participation is not to everyone's taste. Some members of your audience (including me) will get up and look for the exit if you try to get them involved in a group exercise, such as "turn round and tell the person next to you how good they look". Probably because I cringe at the thought of mass participation, I never include it in my presentations.

However, I do involve one or two audience members in simple exercises to make a strong point. If you want to get someone on stage, asking for a volunteer does not always work. Of course, you can ask someone in advance, or find a friend or colleague to work with. I prefer to ask someone I don't already know, because I think it makes the point more effectively.

Here's the technique I use. To begin with, I ask the audience for a show of hands on two or three topics. I then ask if anyone has a question, or an experience they would like to relate. There are always several people that are happy to engage in dialogue, providing the opportunity to build a relationship. When I need a "volunteer", I return to one of the people I spoke to earlier, and ask them if they could help me out for a minute or two. They always say yes.

One more thing - never humiliate or patronise (as if you would). You're not a stand-up comedian (OK, if you are, look away for a minute). Be respectful and polite. And give them a reward for taking part - such as your latest book (yes, it's an advertising opportunity too).

GO THE DISTANCE

How long is a four hundred metre race? Any athlete will tell you that it's around four hundred and twenty metres. If you treat the finish line as the end of the race, you will be slowing down as others power past you. The race is not over until you are beyond the tape, and you need to maintain your speed through the finish. So it is with media interviews too, They are never over until after they're finished, if you see what I mean.

The end of an interview may well be signalled by the interviewer using the words "in conclusion" or "finally". The fact that you sense your time is nearly up may cause you to relax, when this is really the time you need to be most alert. You need to deliver your powerful core message and finish with a flourish. You need to be leaning forward in your chair rather than leaning back.

There's another reason for staying alert, especially if you are being interviewed on a breakfast or drivetime show, with two presenters. You will probably be interviewed by one presenter, who will apparently close the questioning. At this point, the other presenter, who you thought was not listening, will turn to you and say 'One more question before you go", and may deliver either a very tough question, or one on an unrelated topic.

The time to relax is when you are out of the studio and on your way home.

GET MORE ENGAGED IN 2018

Social media, as you know is about engagement and dialogue. It's very different from broadcasting or advertising. Here are three tips to make your social media activity even more engaging this year.

1) Become a newshound News stories become the water cooler chatter that day. If you spot a story that relates to your expertise, post a comment about it, ideally in the form of an opinion and a question. First thing in the morning, get into the habit of watching or listening to the news, and posting a brief comment immediately.

2) Monitor your responses Make a note of the topics you post about that generate the most response. If your connections feel strongly about an issue, the chances are it will generate a lively debate every time.

3) Use simple language Look at newspaper headlines, and note how simply they express the story. That's how your tweets should be. Ideally, a reading age of around eight will be perfectly adequate. If you can't express your ideas in simple language, you're unlikely to generate much response.

Fred Astaire called this "the best dance routine ever filmed". It's hard to argue. Thanks to Peter Roper for spotting it!

I can show you how!

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."