Media Training Update – w/c 15th May

“It began and ended in a way that everyone could have predicted…”

CNN’s decision to allow Donald Trump a town-hall format has rightly come in for criticism. It was a disaster for the network and almost unwatchable.

“CNN’s conversion into a political and journalistic whorehouse is complete.” Keith Olbermann, former MSNBCC host

Star presenter Anderson Cooper offered this defence: “You have every right to be outraged and angry and never watch this network again. But do you think staying in your silo and only listening to people you agree with is going to make that person go away?”

READ: THE CONTEXT

WATCH: CLIPS

It’s Monday 15th May.

Good morning. The week ahead…

Monday: GCE, GCSE & SATS exams begin

Tuesday: For only the fourth time in its 74-year history, the Council of Europe gathers

Cannes Film Festival opens

Wednesday: Liz Truss speech in Taiwan

Thursday: Local elections take place in 11 councils across Northern Ireland

Friday: G7 leaders gather in Hiroshima

And the weekend highlight…

Salman Rushdie, Hillary Clinton and Jamie Lee Curtis speak at FT Weekend Festival

A curious moment on the Today Programme…

Have a listen to this 15 second clip.

Simon Jack declares his feelings for the Shadow Health Secretary – though you suspect there followed a “…but…” the sharp reaction of a studio producer means the nation will never get to enjoy.

You know what’s coming. Our usual rant about being mindful about microphones and cameras. Assume as soon as you enter the studio that every single one of them is broadcasting every word you utter to the nation.

As you’ll know we’ve long been a fan of the occasional um and urr in an interview. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. Adrian Chiles picks up the theme in that odd little column he writes for The Guardian.

When he asked one of his producers whether they ‘de-umm’ pre-recorded interviews he got this reply:

“We don’t really de-um any more. I occasionally do if they de-um a lot but by and large we don’t do it now. Something to do with authenticity.”

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

D is for Deadpan:

An over-mobile face can lead you into trouble. What you think is simply an animated expression can morph into revealing too much of what you’re thinking or feeling.The grimace that signals “ that went badly” the smile at something contentious: “oh here we go – I was nervous that might pop up” are just two unnecessary and unhelpful give aways. Instead focus on energy and animation coming through your voice. Aim for stillness in how you look.

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

Footnotes:

The BBC has a new 10 part podcast called Frontlines Of Journalism, presented by Jeremy Bowen. I’ll have a listen and review in the next couple of weeks, but you can find out more info here if you can’t wait a moment longer.

After just two years of development, Britain tested its first hydrogen bomb over Christmas Island on this day in 1957.

Highs of 13 degrees in Edinburgh today and 15 in Swindon.

And this week’s dog-pic-footnote…spotted outside a shop in Sitges, Spain on May 7th.

Back on Monday, unless it’s a Bank Holiday. It’s hard to keep track.

Have a good week.



Team Inside Edge