The MediaMaestro is Tom Walker. Who he? The real person behind rant-fuelled TV reporter Jonathan Pie. His satirical videos are incredibly popular on Facebook, though I suspect that some viewers don't realise it is a joke. He appeared recently on the new Channel 4 podcast, "Ways to change the world", talking about his character, and about freedom of speech. I though he was brilliant, and gave some real insights into political comedy. Long may he continue.

The MediaMug is a CEO who did not heed the Stevens' rule of microphones and cameras, which is that they are always on. Sanisbury's CEO Mike Coupe was in-between interviews in a London studio, singing "We're in the money", which was rather careless since he was being interviewed about a merger with rival supermarket Asda. He made a statement after ITV released the clip, saying: "This was an unguarded moment trying to compose myself before a TV interview. It was an unfortunate choice of song, from the musical 42nd Street, which I saw last year, and I apologise if I have offended anyone.". Oh dear.

SEVEN IDEAS (OK, EIGHT)

Great speaking is a real business asset. Here are some ways to raise your game:

1. Be original People are fascinated by originality. Your ideas are unique to you, and though they may have been influenced by others, will be yours alone. That's what people want to hear - your take on the world. There are no bonus points for plagiarism.
2. Be controversial Make yourself stand out by going against conventional wisdom, or delivering a rarely-heard point of view. If you agree with everyone else, why communicate at all? There's no need to be critical of others, but giving solid reasons why you take another view is good copy.
3. Give advice, not instruction Pay respect to your audience by giving them suggestions about how they might change, not ordering them to do so. If you tell people they must act in a certain way, a likely reaction is that they will decide not to. Of course, you don't have to take this advice.
4. Provide evidence Always back up your ideas with evidence, and make sure that you quote the source of the information so that it can be verified. If you can't find any evidence, you can either fall back on the old phrase "in my long experience" or drop the idea. I'd advise the latter.
5. Show you care People love to see passion in communication, If you care about something, share your passion and people will respond. Even if they don't initially agree with you, they will appreciate your feelings about the subject, and may even be persuaded.
6. One message at a time I know, there are seven messages here, but it's a list of advice, not a speech. Since your audience will recall only one thing, it makes sense to concentrate on your key message throughout, and repeat it at the end too.
7. Only say it if you really mean it Authenticity is essential to good communication. If you lack conviction, or worse still, don't believe what you are saying, it will be obvious. Stick to content that you are confident about.

Bonus idea (8) Occasionally, try breaking the rules, as I have done in several instances above...

I'VE BEEN MISQUOTED!

Journalists aren't perfect, as you will realise from my words each week. Sometimes I make an error, but I hope only a tiny one. That's something to consider when you see a piece in which you have been misquoted, or in which a fact is wrong. The issue is not whether the article is precisely what you said, or one hundred per cent correct, but whether it matters.

There used to be an old saying "Today's newspaper is tomorrow's fish and chip paper". That's no longer true for several reasons, but it does embody a principle, News is often transitory, and people forget what they see and hear. It's the cumulative effect that's important, and the impression you create on the media, rather than the detailed content of what you say. That doesn't mean that you should ignore your message (far from it), but it does mean that correcting every error is a fruitless exercise.

Of course, if the error is serious, you should demand both a correction and an apology. You may have to argue quite strongly for the apology to have the same prominence as the original story, but it can be done. In most cases, however, I think it's better to grit your teeth and sit on your hands rather than to send an angry email because your age was a year out.

IS FACEBOOK SAFE?

The scandal around Cambridge Analytica won't end with the demise of the company, which was announced this week. The investigation into the use of data from over 80 million Facebook users has a long way to go yet. Is it safe to keep using Facebook? Should you delete your account and walk away?

Well obviously that is up to you. Some people have decided to leave Facebook. I'm staying there, since I find it a good way to keep in touch with friends and family as well as doing business. However, I have had a good look at my security settings to make sure my data is as secure as possible. If you want to check how much you are sharing, it is quite straightforward. Facebook has published plenty of information to help you.

What actions can you take to keep your data more secure on Facebook? Here are some tips:

• Use a password that is not easy to guess
• Log out whenever you leave Facebook for a while
• Don't give Facebook apps access to your friend lists or your personal details
• You can disable Facebook Apps completely, which will mean you cannot sign in to sites using Facebook
• Go to App Settings, click 'Edit" below "Apps others use" and edit the data that others can see.
• Check your settings under the Privacy link
• Be careful!

Time for the annual penguin baseball championship. I managed 308.8. Can you beat that?

Don't worry, I can help.

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."