“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.”

READ MORE

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.

READ MORE

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

“A rapid, unscheduled disassembly”

The Inside Edge chart of corporate linguistic nonsense has a new Number 1.

(Elon, your rocket blew up…)

READ MORE

It’s Monday 24th April.

Good morning. The week ahead…

Monday: Just Stop Oil launches campaign of civil resistance

Tuesday: Trump back in court as his civil rape case gets underway

Biden may launch presidential re-election campaign

Wednesday: Illegal Migration Bill is debated by MPs

Thursday: NHS Covid-19 app shuts down

Friday: Pope Francis meets Viktor Orban in Hungary

And the weekend highlight…

White House Correspondents’ Dinner (Sat)

“I don’t want to be too pompous about it. But it’s a crucial part of society to have a proud, rude, free press.” 

Geordie Greig rarely gives interviews. As former editor of the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday, Evening Standard, and – since January – the online-only Independent, he’s well-placed to give an insight into what it’s like to lead a newspaper, as well as assess the future prospects as the industry hurtles towards the digital arena. 

His 30 minute interview with the Media Show’s Katie Razzall is worth a listen. Greig is good on Brexit (he was a fierce campaigner for remain at the MoS), Partygate, and whether Boris Johnson had him fired from the Mail, Jeremy Clarkson’s column on Meghan Markle (“not a proud moment for Fleet Street”) and the bizarre manner of Lord Lebedev’s purchase of the Standard.

LISTEN HERE

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

B is for Briskness:

We’re talking a trot here; a canter in a conversation is just too fast …and a gallop? Nothing will sink in. But a sense of purpose, the drive to shortcut to the important stuff and an urgency in tone can all make the audience sit up and take notice. Remember variety is engaging, so walk through unfamiliar concepts and be careful not to speed over what’s familiar to you but is likely to be new to the viewer or listener.

READ MORE

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:

If you thought last week’s note on ChatGPT making up journalistic sources (read more) was worrying, just wait until you read this.

The space shuttle Discovery took off, carrying the revolutionary Hubble Telescope into orbit high above the Earth’s atmosphere on this day in 1990.

Highs of 11 degrees in Brighton today and 10 in Bristol.

And this week’s dog-pic-footnote…(Leo & Stanley) 

Back on the 8th.

Team Inside Edge

As concern over ChatGPT’s influence spreads… 

“Huge amounts have been written about AI’s tendency to manufacture facts and events. But this specific wrinkle – the invention of sources – is particularly troubling for trusted news organisations.”

READ MORE

It’s Monday 17th April.

Good morning. 

The week ahead…

Monday: Queen’s University’s Belfast Agreement 25 Conference begins. The line-up is beyond A-list

The trial in Dominion Voting Systems’ $1.6 billion defamation case against Fox finally gets underway 

Deadline to register to vote

Tuesday: UK unemployment figures published

Centenary of the formation of the Conservative 1922 Committee 

Wednesday: U.K. inflation figures

Jack Teixeira due in court again over Pentagon leaks 

Friday: Extinction Rebellion’s “The Big One” protest in Westminster 

WMO releases State of Global Climate report 

And the weekend highlight…

Naki Sumo (Japanese baby crying festival)

Was the BBC’s world exclusive with Elon Musk…

(a) A triumph of spontaneity and “if you don’t ask you don’t get” sass. 

(b) a total dereliction of duty to hold the powerful to account?

Two views. First up Emma Brockes in the Guardian (who described the interview as having a “forelock-tugging “just happy to be here” energy”) said this…

“There’s an argument that Clayton’s unthreatening demeanour extracted more from Musk than Emily Maitlis would have done.”

Contrast that with Mic Wright in his Conquest of the Useless newsletter…

“He got rolled. Musk dunked on Clayton and made him look silly. It needn’t have been that way and the BBC’s claim that the encounter produced multiple news lines is more than a little bit desperate. Clayton was wet.”

My take (for what it’s worth) is that Clayton got some decent lines. But the fact he couldn’t give examples of unacceptable content when Musk asked for them was the gaping hole at the heart of the interview.

And I suspect deep down he knows this. 

WATCH MORE

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

A is for Ambition:

It can be easier to talk about your work when you’ve got outcomes, fully formed analysis and results. It’s true that starting points – though vital to you – can leave the audience underwhelmed. Similarly aspirations may be a bit woolly. But an ambition -matched with the follow through of what your work could achieve – can really hit home. Exploration can be exciting. And it’s not about over-promising, instead it’s opening up a sense of the potential. 

READ MORE

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. 

Back on Monday. Footnotes:

Journalist John McCarthy was abducted on his way to the airport in Lebanon on this day in 1986.

Highs of 13 degrees in Newcastle today and 16 in Manchester.

And this week’s dog-pic-footnote…(Leo) 

Have a good week.

Team Inside Edge