Media Training Update – w/c 25th September

Good morning, it’s Monday 25th September.

The week ahead…

Monday: UCU university staff begin five-day strike action.

Tuesday: The International Energy Agency’s updated roadmap on Net Zero emissions is published. 

Ed Davey addresses Lib Dems conference.

Wednesday: The parents of a six-month-old girl take their battle to extend her life to the High Court. 

Second Republican primary debate.

Thursday: First US House committee hearing in Biden impeachment inquiry.

Friday: Ryder Cup begins.

Saturday: ASLEF train drivers strike.  

“For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. But the time is right for me to take on different roles.”

Rupert Murdoch, announcing he is stepping down as chairman of News Corp.

“Murdoch dragged journalism and politics into the gutter where truth and basic journalistic standards were rendered irrelevant. He debased the quality of political discourse in this country.”

John McDonnell

“Rupert Murdoch is the most talented and influential world business figure Australia has produced.”

John Howard

“There was a fairly strong maxim of government which was ‘don’t upset Rupert’. Upsetting Rupert was definitely a no-go area.” 

Lord Mandelson

“Rupert Murdoch has been a bold, brilliant, visionary leader whose audacity & tenacity built a magnificently successful global media empire.”

Piers Morgan

“Rupert Murdoch, who reportedly dislikes Britain and despises America, has transformed both countries- not for the better.”

John Simpson

Your take on Murdoch’s legacy?

We’d love to include some quotes from readers in next week’s newsletter.

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

R is for Regular:

The regular army – the words don’t carry the same brio as special forces do they? Regular is average, medium. Middle of the road can be a little dull. We emphatically don’t want you to overdramatise in a bid to appear a little different. But when talking about the familiar do try and think of interesting trends or what the exceptions to the familiar rule tell us. Shed light on less unremarked aspects to bring a certain newness to the subject.

On the future of BBC Local Radio…

“Their strategy is naive, their implementation egregiously bad. This most distinctive of services, filling a gap where commercial radio struggles to afford to exist – and one which is most popular outside London – is to be sacrificed.”

Respected radio lifer David Lloyd doesn’t hold back in his savage criticism of BBC Management. It’s hard to argue with much of what he says…

READ MORE

Much love directed from you to Melvyn Bragg after we reported on In Our Time reaching a mighty 1,000 episodes.

Here is he reflecting on that run with Mishal Husain on Today… 

LISTEN HERE

Footnotes:

Keri, who cheerfully proofs this newsletter every weekend was born on this day 50 years ago. (Happy birthday Keri!)

Highs of degrees in 17 today in Aberdeen and 19 degrees in Brighton.

And confusion at BBC News Online…

Finally the obligatory dog-pic photo….

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