Media Training Update w/c 6th July

Edition 540

Good morning. It’s Monday 6th July. (You are over halfway through the year.)

And to those who have just pulled an all-nighter to see England finally put in a proper shift to beat Mexico, the very best of luck getting through today. (Perhaps avoid operating any heavy machinery…)

Ben emailed: “Quick question. Were you as obsessed with weather-related stories as a producer as you clearly are now?”


A little pointed, but I get the message. Final thoughts and then I promise to move on to something else: 

1) The results of last week’s You The Editor vote: 
44% of you would have led on Burnham, 36% on weather, and (a clearly weary) 20% of you voted for something else. 


2) I remain genuinely interested in how the media are/should be covering these increasing heatwaves. For instance take this photo in The Times:

As Rachael Orr, CEO at Climate Outreach points out:

“We need new photos of heatwaves. Those that tell the real story.”

Thoughts on this welcome. (Apart from you Ben…)

Newsgathering Diary
Stories to look out for over the next seven days…

Monday: Funeral ceremony in Tehran for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Tuesday: NATO leaders gather in Turkey for two-day summit.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle begin UK visit; (tbc).


Wednesday: World Economic Outlook update released.


Thursday: Labour Party leadership nominations open.

David Lammy at Chatham House London conference;.


Friday: England face India in first women’s test match at Lords.


Saturday & Sunday: Wimbledon finals, 

Men’s World Cup quarter-finals. England take on Norway at 10pm on Saturday.

Facebook has overtaken the BBC as the single most consumed news source in Britain, and no newspaper made the top ten most popular news sources according to a new report from Charlesbye Strategy,

“If you are only fighting for space on the Today programme and the front pages, you are talking to a shrinking and ageing audience, and that is why adapting is essential,”
Lee Cain, Boris Johnson’s former director of comms. 

“Social media gives you a brilliant opportunity to reach the public directly, but some of your key stakeholders: your cabinet, your ministers, your MPs, your councillors, your party members – still get their news from more traditional sources, So you’ve got to do both.” 
James Lyons, Keir Starmer’s former director of comms.

This from Mic Wright on Burnham’s pitch to the nation last week is on the money:


As Politicio’s London Playbook email the next morning pointed out: 


“The row over pay is yet another sign of the tightrope Brittin has to walk, as it coincides with the cuts plans and talks with the government over the future of the BBC’s funding.”

Numerous contacts tell me of increasing talk of strike action amongst BBC staff.

Here’s the Guardian write-up.

Two notable moves from the US Supreme Court last week with implications for journalists and press freedom.


1) The court halted an order that would have forced a former Fox News reporter to disclose her source or pay $800 a day in court sanctions.


2) The court declined to take up the case of Alan Dershowitz, who claims CNN defamed him while covering remarks he made defending President Donald Trump during his 2020 impeachment.

Footnotes:

On This Day… After nearly a century of service the tram made its final appearance in London on this day in 1952.

Our Week: We’re working in Brighton and London this week.

The Mutt Photo:

Be part of the MMB. Thoughts on this week’s content, or interviews you’ve seen, heard, or (best of all) done, please let us know.

Back on Monday. Have a brilliant week.



All at Inside Edge