An exchange at the Venice Film Festival has been circulating online — and it’s an interesting case study for anyone preparing for media interviews. During a press conference for After the Hunt, Italian journalist Federica Polidoro asked the panel about movements such as Black Lives Matter and MeToo. But she pointedly told actor Ayo Edebiri […]
Zack Polanski hasn’t just taken the Green Party leadership — he’s rewritten the script on how they talk. For years, the Green Party leaned on graphs, facts, and climate-first detail. To some that made them sound like a pressure group, not a contender for power. Polanski is changing all that. His approach: Less data, more […]
At The Media Coach, we often meet leaders who are brilliant in their day-to-day work but feel a wave of dread when the camera switches on or they step up to a podium. It’s completely normal—almost everyone gets nervous before a media interview or presentation. The trick isn’t to banish nerves altogether but to manage […]
An example of a carefully phrased quote came on Monday this week with the publication of the report of the 5-year inquiry into the infected blood scandal. The Chair of the inquiry Sir Brian Langstaff writes that the cover-up of the scandal by the NHS and the government was ‘subtle, pervasive and chilling’. Anyone watching […]
One of our recent trainees sent us this funny and thought-provoking Ted Talk, that illustrates what you can do with your tone, your movements and your mannerisms to enhance your message. In this case, there is no message except perhaps that speakers have a wide range of communication tools that stretch way beyond the words […]
Six Quick Reads on Principles You Won’t Easily Find Elsewhere We have been blogging since 2014! That is ten years. There are over three hundred blogs on our website. Many of them are very time specific and the relevance is long gone but there are a few I come back to time and again. Even […]
Last week French President Emmanuel Macron gave a two-hour speech, warning that Europe must wake up to the risk of war. It was clear he wanted to make headlines across the continent. At the Media Coach, we often suggest using metaphor to make an argument more powerful and more quotable. Often non-native speakers say ‘We […]
I heard a great interview this week with Mick Lynch of the RMT. He was a guest on the “When it hits the fan” with David Yelland (former Sun editor) and spin doctor Simon Lewis. I have already made some observations about the Mick Lynch approach to media relations which can be summed up as: […]
Newsnight’s Prince Andrew interview made headlines around the world and led to him stepping down from public life. The new Netflix drama-documentary about how the interview came about and the part played by Sam McAlister – documented in her book Scoops – is an excellent couple of hours entertainment. The book is also a good […]
Catherine Princess of Wales made a very modern statement last week, to tell the world she is having chemotherapy, as cancer was found present in her recent surgery. Rather than a written missive, the Princess casually dressed in a jumper, recorded a short video in a spring garden. While it might not be obvious to […]