The Media Coach

Hi John,

The London Stadium was transformed into a baseball diamond last weekend.

I was working there as a volunteer for two games between the Chicago Cubs and the St Louis Cardinals. I didn't get to see much of the games as I was spending most of my time helping people with mobility issues get to and from the stadium.

However, I saw enough to see what an exciting game baseball is, and to take part in the seventh innings stretch.

And no, I didn't tell any of the American spectators that it looked a bit like rounders.

After spending around 40 years as a school governor, I attended my last meeting a few days ago. I decided to call time on my final governorship after the school achieved Outstanding status in their recent OFSTED inspection.

I've had a great time being closely involved with local schools, and I'd urge you, if you have any interest in education, to consider getting involved yourself.

I won't pretend it's always been easy, but it's always been very rewarding. I wish the staff and students well at all the schools I've been involved with.

Shaneeka Simon has had many struggles in her life and is a truly inspirational woman.

Many people have already been impressed by her incredible vocals as a backing singer for the likes of Boney M, Sting, Annie Lennox, Ricardo Arjona and Will Young to name a few and Shaneeka has featured heavily on previous albums with Grammy nominee and blues troubadour Eric Bibb.

Her debut single, 'Underground Railroad' featuring Eric Bibb, is produced & co-written by Glen Scott and is steeped in the traditions of Blues, Soul, Roots with strong pop crossover appeal and earlier this month she was on tour with Eric.

She's a real talent, and had some wonderful insights about music.

We had a wonderful chat as you can hear in the Media Coach Radio Show.

Go to the iTunes Archive of the MediaCoach Show

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And there's that great song from Shaneeka Simon too.

The MediaMug of the week is English and Welsh cricket, of which the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) said racism, sexism, classism and elitism are "widespread" across the game.

In all, the ICEC has made 44 recommendations, including that the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) makes an unreserved public apology for its failings, which ECB chair Richard Thompson has done.

Comedian, broadcaster and actor Stephen Fry was named MCC president in October last year.



He said the ICEC report included some "tough truths" and said the sport must "evolve".

"I have been trying to suggest this for some years," Fry said. "I gave the spirit of cricket lecture and tried to make these points, that the game must evolve".

"It has always been a game that has been a few steps behind the culture. In some ways, cricket is a bit like the Royal Family. It can appear to be a fusty, old-fashioned, pointless, ridiculous, ritualistic institution but it has always survived, by evolving just in time to keep going. Tradition is great but traditions are made by new generations and they evolve."

When you're preparing a speech, try to imagine yourself delivering it, at the right time and place. Why is that important? Because you wouldn't deliver the same speech in the same way at different times of the day, or at different venues.

The way the audience reacts will be different according to the time of day, the location, previous speakers, even the time of year and external events. You need to anticipate as much as you can, and tailor your approach accordingly.

For example, a pre-dinner and post-dinner speech about the same topic can be quite different in terms of length, humour and style. An end-of-conference keynote is different from one that starts an event.

Consider the following aspects of a speech:

Even if you have given the same speech many times before, think about how giving it at a particular moment will effect its impact. Be in the moment, and delight your audience.

When asked to do an interview, always ask what time you are on air. It is important that you know the precise time (at least the precise expected time), since this will have a significant impact on the type of interview, and therefore the type of preparation that you need.

If your interview is at five past the hour, on the back of a news bulletin, it will be about an item in the news, and will back-refer to the headlines. You may be someone affected by the story, or even someone mentioned. In this case, do your research very thoroughly, and most importantly, listen to the way in which the story is being reported.

If your interview is at five minutes before the hour, it will be soft and chatty, with the possibility of being lengthened, shortened or dropped altogether. In this case, practice your core message, and prepare yourself to have as little as 20 seconds on air (but also be aware that you may have 5 minutes to fill)

Similar considerations apply around a half hour bulletin. If you're on at quarter to or quarter past, prepare for either type!

Everyone online receives complaints, which may or may not be justified. Once upon a time, they were dealt with in private, but now everyone sees the debate on social media. Here are some tips if someone takes against you.

1) Take a breath Never respond in haste. Pause and reflect before you say anything, and consider not responding at all. Pouring more fuel on a very small fire is not a good idea.

2) Take it offline Offer to contact the complainant directly by phone, email or in person. They will feel that their complaint is being treated seriously, and the audience will disappear.

3) Take the initiative If you feel it appropriate, empathise and make an apology. That's often enough to defuse the row.

4) Take your finger off the delete key Removing Facebook posts from your page simply because they are critical is a bad idea. People will notice, and you will only make things worse.

5) Take it on the chin Stay put, and make your case. Some people respond to criticism by deleting their social media accounts, which then gives free rein to your critics. It's much better to keep communications open.

Now that the cricket season is here, we can look forward to some classy professional play - but not all of the time..

Look no further. Just get in touch.

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."