Media Training Update – w/c 30th October

“Someone obviously had their hand on the Google dial prior to that meeting.”

Nadine Dorries’ Mail column on big tech is a curious read.

Amongst the many claims: 

“I’d long been aware that when you search for news related to politics on Google, it is predominantly left-wing publications that top the list of results.”

An assertion roundly rebuffed by the Economist’s Alex Selby-Boothroyd who posted this chart:

Good morning, it’s Monday 30th October.

The week ahead…

Covid-19 Inquiry witnesses:

Monday: Martin Reynolds/Lee Cain 

Tuesday: Dominic Cummings 

Wednesday: Helen MacNamara 

Thursday: Simon Stevens 

Monday: Ballon D’Or winner announced

(And just for our Vancouver reader…)

Canadian foreign minister Mélanie Joly addresses the Economic Club of Canada 

Tuesday: State visit of the King and Queen to Kenya begins

Wednesday and Thursday: UK hosts the Global Summit on Artificial Intelligence at Bletchley Park

Thursday: Interest Rate decision 

David Hockney exhibition opens at National Portrait Gallery

Friday: Court hearing for man accused of Holly Willoughby ‘kidnap’ plot 

Sunday: US Election exactly one year away 

The latest listening figures are out. Radio 4 continues its recent decline, with the loss of a further 428,000 sets of ears, compared with the previous quarter. Over the course of a year, the station has dropped from 10.2 million listeners to 8.9 million.

The station’s flagship Today programme lost over a quarter of a million listeners on the previous quarter. 

“I began to wonder, was it possible none of these journalists had actually seen or heard the original statement? Maybe one outlet reported it, and then everyone copied them, so the journalists didn’t know the original source.”

Fascinating deep dive into how a possible mistranslation ricocheted around the world in a breaking news situation.

READ MORE

As Boris Johnson announces he is joining the broadcaster GB News…

“GB News is both totally ridiculous, and the place a certain stripe of politician or turbo-crank feels at home.” 

The always on point Marina Hyde: READ MORE

As X stutters to its 1st birthday under Musk:

“The result, one year later, is a platform in the throes of enshittification. X now resembles a creature from The Walking Dead – rotting, dangerous and a shadow of its former self.”

READ MORE

Worth noting too that as the crisis in Israel and Gaza deepens:

“Verified Accounts on X Spread 74% of Wartime Misinformation”

READ MORE

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

X is for X Factor:

Get your priorities right. Yes, you do need to up your game for a media encounter but that doesn’t mean transforming yourself into some sort of performer. The audience will quickly cotton on if you are over-egging the subject, or adopting some one-off media traits. Believe in yourself. Allow the colour of your natural voice to come through, and use the language you’d normally adopt if explaining something to a friend. Most importantly focus on reaching the audience by connecting one to one with your interviewer. In your head imagine chatting round the kitchen table rather than delivering from a stage.

Footnotes:

US President George Bush encouraged Arabs and Israelis to “lay down the past” in his opening speech to the Middle East peace conference in Spain on this day in 1991.

Highs today of 15 degrees in Brighton and 11 in Glasgow.

That’s it. Just time for the obligatory dog photo, plus a reminder please not to buy fireworks ahead of bonfire night on Sunday. 

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