Media Training Update – w/c 5th June

“It really gets my goat when there’s a story with a journalist talking about how they feel…”

The BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen quoted at the Hay Festival expressing his irritation at reporters who insert emotions into their reports.

“I don’t give a damn about how they feel…while I myself have had some rough days, that’s not the story. If I’m miserable about it, it’s not the story. It’s not about me.”

READ MORE (paywall)

It’s Monday 5th June.

Good morning. The week ahead…

Monday: Prince Harry is back in the High Court as his battle with Mirror Group Newspapers continues – expected to take the stand Tuesday.

Tuesday: CBI members gather to vote on proposals for the organisation’s future purpose.

ITV quizzed on Phillip Schofield at Draft Media Bill committee session.

Wednesday: Mike Pence expected to launch 2024 campaign.

Thursday: Rishi Sunak makes his first official visit to Washington to meet with US President Joe Biden.

Friday: World Beard and Moustache Championship 

Here’s a question. What percentage of the UK population can remember the 52/48 split in the Brexit Referendum of 2016.

I’ll pop the answer in the footnotes, but have a read of this excellent blogpost from Mark Pack, which opens with this line:

A good rule of thumb is that the more involved you are in politics, the more you over-estimate how much everyone else knows about politics.

READ MORE

Westminster Insider’s latest podcast on the art of the political interview won’t tell you too much you didn’t already know, but it’s a cracking cast list, and Nick Robinson tells a terrific anecdote about Paddy Ashdown excelling in the dark art of unattributable briefings…

LISTEN HERE

The Sun is the least trusted newsbrand in the UK and the BBC is the most trusted, according to new research by Yougov.

READ MORE

On the Inside Edge website – Tony’s A-Z of media training: 

F is for Fine-tuning:

Overlong preparation can be counter productive but some advance thinking and talking is essential. By saying that illustration aloud you’ll be able to gauge if you need to cut back on the background and get to the really revealing details quicker. It’s not about scripting but it is about testing important elements out conversationally. Share your ideas with a non–specialist in your field; a good indicator of how your words will land with a mainstream audience.

READ MORE

Be part of the MMB. Thoughts on this week’s content, or interviews you’ve seen, heard, or (best of all) done. We’re @insideedgemedia or just reply to this email. 

Footnotes:

Re You The Editor from a fortnight ago – I’ve been (quite rightly) taken to task by a couple of readers for relegating the results of the Northern Ireland local elections to the lower end of the running order.

7 years on, 1 in 3 Brits can recall the 52/48 EU referendum result.

John Profumo resigned from government, admitting he lied to Parliament about his relationship with a call girl on this day in 1963.

Highs of 23 degrees in Glasgow today and 19 in Brighton.

And this week’s dog-pic-footnote…my brother’s dog Vesper. He (sibling, not canine) claims to read every word of the Briefing, so this will be an excellent test of whether that is actually the case. 

Back on Monday. Have a good week.



Team Inside Edge