| Building and Protecting your Reputation |
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So the war continues, and the daily parade of destruction and misery fills our TV screens. It's tough to make sense of it all.
Fortunately, there are reporters who are willing to travel to war zones to bring us up-to-the-minute reports on what is happening. It's been the case for decades that film crews, photographers and reporters have been as close to the action as possible, and many have been killed or injured doing their jobs.
I remember visiting the Newseum (yes it really does exist) in Washington DC and seeing the memorial to journalists killed in action.
So I'd like to pay tribute to them, and to those in Ukriane right now, ensuring that we are informed about the dreadful actions of Putin and his troops.
It's the people of Ukraine who really need our help. Once again, I include the link to the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal website,
You can make donations at https://www.dec.org.uk/ |
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| My interview this week is a young woman near the start of her music career.
I was recommended to speak to her by her dad, who is rightly very proud of her.
She's Rebecca-Anna, and we had a wonderful conversation about creativity, live music, and her ambitions to fill stadiums, which I am sure she will achieve.
I was hugely impressed, and very inspired by her. Her songs are wonderful too.
You can hear our chat in the Media Coach Radio Show. |
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| Today's song is of course from Rebecca-Anna, and it's her new single, called simply "You". |
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| MediaMaestro, MediaMug of the Week |
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The MediaMaestro this week is Lowri Moore, a 12-year old schoolgirl who wrote to Disney three years ago asking why Disney characters never wore glasses like her.
Jared Bush, the director of a new Disney film, Encanto, had received the letter and kept it for three years until his film was released with the main character, Mirabel Madrigal, wearing glasses.
Lowri was astonished to be interivewed on BBC Breakfast with Jared Bush as he revealed the news about the character and invited Lowri to the BAFTA awards ceremony this weekend.
Well done to Lowri, to Jared and to Disney - I hope the film wins! |
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The MediaMugs are an un-named couple from Hull who demanded refunds from a comedy club in Blackpool
Not an unreasonable request in times of COVID, you might think, but this request cited a different reason - the war in Ukraine.
They wrote:
"Due to events in Russia and Ukraine it’s not safe for us to travel. Due to this it’s safer that we stay nearer to home until it’s sorted.
...nowhere in your terms and conditions does it say about no refunds FOR A WAR. This is just probably everyone in Blackpool sticking together to scam people during a war. DISGUSTING."
There are no reports of Russian troops on the road from Hull to Blackpool.
The comedy club declined the request, and no doubt one of the comics will build it into their act.
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| Speaking Tip of the week - Do I need a professional? |
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Often, I give advice to speakers. This week, by way of a change, I'm offering guidance to those who book speakers (which may also be useful if you want to get booked).
Professional speakers? They're expensive, aren't they? Sid from Marketing can probably do a few jokes and keep the crowd happy, can't he? Well maybe. But if you were ill, you'd go to a doctor. If you were really worried, you'd go to a specialist. That big event you're planning could be the most important event of the year. Your reputation (and maybe even your job) hangs on it being a success. The cost of hiring a professional to entertain the audience, or host your event could be less than the fee for refreshments. But a great speaker will make everyone remember the event with a smile. So how do you find the right person?
The first thing to consider is the needs of the audience. Do they need to be entertained, motivated or educated? Perhaps you need a mixture of all three. The audience alone will be the judge of whether you made the right choice, so you should take some time to consider carefully what matters most to them. You should then confirm the date, time and budget for the event. It may be worth getting some professional advice on the organisation of the programme, particularly if you are booking several speakers (for example an event host, a keynote speaker and an after-dinner comedian).
Secondly, never book a speaker "blind", or on their name only. "Celebrity" speakers may be good for publicity, but may not deliver a professional performance on the day. Always insist on seeing them "live" or on video first, and any speaker worth their salt will have video clips on their website. Talk to previous clients to obtain references, and use speaker bureaus, professional bodies and personal recommendations to draw up a shortlist of potential candidates.
Once you have reached agreement, get everything in writing. In many cases, the speaker will provide you with a contract. Study it carefully to make sure that both you and the speaker are happy with it. Speaker fees are generally paid in advance of the speech, so make sure that your accounts department are aware of the terms of the agreement too. Make sure that someone in your organisation is responsible for liaising with the speaker, both before and at the event. Check what they need in terms of microphone, stage layout and even how they are introduced. Provide them with a map and programme of the event well in advance, and agree an arrival time.
If necessary, help them with travel and hotel arrangements - keeping them happy is in your best interest! You should expect a professional speaker to be at the venue in advance of the time of their speech, to visit the venue, meet the organiser and run a sound check. Lastly, make sure that you collect feedback on the speakers' performance, and use it to make future decisions about speakers. |
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| Media Tip of the week - The eyes have it |
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When you are being interviewed (or to be fair, whenever you are communicating), eye contact is very important. You should try to make eye contact with your interviewer the whole time. If you find this a little disconcerting, you can try focusing on the tip of their nose, or just above their eyebrows. No-one will notice, and it's only for a few minutes.
Don't be too put off if your interviewer seems distracted, and looks away while you are answering. It is likely that they will be listening to the voice of their producer (and possibly several other advisors) in their earpiece. It's nothing personal. It's probably just as well that you can't hear what is being said, too.
If you are taking part in a down-the-line interview (we've talked about those before), then eye contact is critical. However, there is no-one to look at, simply a camera lens. Whether you find this easier or more difficult is a matter of personal taste, but it is a media skill that you need to master.
Most importantly, keep your gaze upward. Looking down can indicate uncertainty, or a lack of self-esteem. My father, an engineer, used to tell an appropriate one-liner. "How can you tell an extroverted engineer from an introverted engineer?" "An extroverted engineer looks at your shoes".
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| Social Media Tip of the week - Keeping people happy |
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Here are five ways to encourage and nurture your online community:
1) Find the evangelists. In every community, whether on or offline, there are individuals who will act as advocates and helpers. They thrive on being involved and feeling special. Talk to them, listen to their advice, and see how you can help each other to build a successful community.
2) Put ideas out there. If people are interested in your products and services, they will gladly evaluate them end help you to develop them. Don't be afraid to put out ideas at an early stage, to see how people react.
3) Set up offline meetings. Getting people together in real life helps to develop stronger links online. Simply setting up a venue and encouraging people to come will be beneficial. They don't even have to be chatting about your community.
4) Set a clear moderation policy. There have to be some rules in every community. Make the rules as simple and clear as possible, and see that they are fairly enforced.
5) Keep the knowledge. Ensure that you have an effective and easy-to-use storage and retrieval system for information and debates. Allow people to refer back easily to past discussions.
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| Another music video this week. For the first time in I don't know when, the UK entry for the Eurovision Song Contest is really rather good. If Ukraine enters, they will win, of course. But I suspect we'll get more than no points. |
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If you appear on the media, or plan to, then I can help you perform even better.
Media Coaching |
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| The information in this ezine may be freely re-used in any online or offline publication, provided it is accompanied by the following credit line - "This information was written by Alan Stevens, and originally appeared in "The MediaCoach", his free weekly ezine, available at www.mediacoach.co.uk." |
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