Media Training Update w/c 3rd March

Morning all, it’s Monday 3rd March.

The week ahead…

Monday: Covid inquiry begins hearings into procurement.

Mobile World Congress opens.

Tuesday: Tim Davie at committee session on work of the BBC.

US tariffs on Canadian, Mexican and Chinese imports due to begin.

Wednesday: PMQs.

Thursday: Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited to EU special leaders’ summit on security and Ukraine.

Friday: Japan-UK foreign and economic ministers’ meeting expected.

Saturday: International Women’s Day.

Guinness Six Nations round four. 

Sunday: ICC Champions Trophy final.

“Things Learnt (Then Forgotten)” – Week 8.

Spinach & decimal points…

BBC News has had a terrible week.

“While the board appreciates that mistakes can be made, the mistakes here are significant and damaging to the BBC.”

The fallout from Gaza: How To Survive a Warzone is one of those classic (and apparently uniquely) BBC situations where it manages to annoy everybody.

By all accounts the process of verifying exactly who the documentary narrator is fell way below what you’d expect of a story of such obvious sensitivity.

The Sundays lay the blame squarely at the door of Joanna Carr, the Head of BBC Current Affairs. She gets a mauling, and the coverage screams of scores being settled. There are no shortage of anonymous “insiders” happy to put the boot in. Here’s one particularly waspish quote in the Sunday Times…

The final edition of The Observer under Scott Trust ownership will come out on Easter Sunday.

Carole Cadwalladr (who won multiple awards for her investigations into the Cambridge Analytica scandal) has effectively been fired by Tortoise Media before she can begin, after being told her contract will not be renewed. 

According to Press Gazette, this appears to contravene assurances all existing Observer contractors would be given year-long Tortoise Media contracts.

The NUJ has expressed “serious concern” that her departure follows her making public criticism of the Observer deal.

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“What is clear is that Bezos no longer wants to own an independent news organization. He wants a megaphone and a political tool that will benefit his own commercial interests.”

Like slowing to look at a motorway pile-up, I’m aware the Briefing has had too much of a focus on the US recently, but it really is hard to look away when the boss of Amazon decides only opinions that support “personal liberties” and “free markets” will be welcome in the opinion pages of the (once mighty) Washington Post.

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The last of Tim Radford’s 25 Commandments. Number 12:

12. There is always an ideal first sentence – an intro, a way in – for any article. It really helps to think of this one before you start writing, because you will discover that the subsequent sentences write themselves, very quickly. This is not evidence that you are glib, facile, shallow or slick. Or even gifted. It merely means you hit the right first sentence.

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Large Group Sessions:

We’ve a set of courses up and running specifically for larger groups – up to 40 at a time. We’re running these in-person and online.

Click on the links above (or READ MORE) – or drop us a line if you’d like more info.

News In Brief:

Charlotte Moore – most people’s tip to be the first female BBC Director General – has surprised colleagues by announcing she’s leaving the corporation and moving to an indie.

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GB News more than doubled its revenues in the past year to £15.8m but its total losses now top £100m.

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Footnotes:

On this day: The Queen opened the new £153m Barbican Arts Centre in the City of London on this day in 1982.

Monday weather: Nottingham – 12 and sunny. Bristol – 10 and sunny.

Mutts: Another day of toil…

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. 

Have a brilliant week.

All at Inside Edge