The Media Coach

Hi John,

I've been looking at conspiracy theory videos this week, prompted by a BBC report about the number of people who now believe the earth is flat or we never went to the moon.

I'm not taken in by any of them of course, but what I find surprising is that some people I know (even in my own extended family) who are convinced that we are being fooled by a whole bunch of things.

The increase in these beliefs has co-incided with the growth of YouTube. Of course, that doesn't mean that YouTube is responsible, but there's definitely a strong possibility that poorly-made videos with dodgy conclusions may be at the root of all this.

Anyway, I've made it a bit of a theme of today's missive. I'm interested to know what you think.

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If you'd be interested in learning more, and having a free 30-minute Zoom call, which will give you plenty of tips whether you sign up or not, just get in touch.

My guest in the web radio show this week is Richard Hewson.

He is a producer, arranger, conductor and multi-instrumentalist He joined the Merchant Navy as a cadet in his teens, it was during this time he discovered jazz while listening to Willis Conover’s Jazz Hour on his shortwave radio. On one of his naval expeditions, the previous occupant of his cabin had left a guitar behind; Richard taught himself to play and quickly realised he wanted to be a musician.

RIchard received a scholarship to attend the Guildhall School of Music after leaving the navy. He studied classical composition, piano and trumpet, graduating in the late 1960s. His earliest accolades after graduating included arranging Mary Hopkins’ ‘Those Were The Days’ which was an instant number one hit, followed by James Taylor’s debut album, and then the iconic strings section in The Beatles ‘Long & Winding Road’. Hewson became renowned for his arranging work and went on to collaborate with the likes of Diana Ross, The Bee Gees, Carly Simon, Toyah Wilcox, Fleetwood Mac, Herbie Hancock, Art Garfunkel, Supertramp, Leo Sayer, Chris Rea and more.

In 1977, Richard Anthony Hewson formed his legendary synth-boogie outfit, The RAH Band, of which he was the sole member, and which took its name from his initials. A mind-blowing unexpected surge in popularity has occurred since early 2022, with 1983 anthem ‘Messages From The Stars’ becoming a viral sensation on TikTok, peaking at number six in the US viral charts.

He tells a great story. Hear our chat in the in the radio show.

Go to the Apple Podcasts Archive of the MediaCoach Show

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And of course, there's a song from The RAH Band

The MediaMug of the week is pub chain Stonegate, owners of The Slug and Lettuce brand..

A huge PR foot in the mouth for them. They have announced dynamic pricing for drinks, so that when it's really busy, not only do you have to wait longer at the bar trying to catch the eye of a bar person, you also have to pay more when you eventually get served.

They could have achieved exactly the same result by a slight increase in prices, and publicising the fact that drinks were discounted during quiet times.

We've all been in pubs when sporting events are on - sometimes you can barely move and the staff struggle to keep up with the orders - it's a bit much to increase the prices at a time when the profits are rolling in.

So it looks like a bad move, badly presented

A recent survey in the USA indicated that up to 20% of the population aren't convinced that the earth is a globe, and half of those are certain that it is flat, and that we are living in some kind of giant snowglobe.

In other words, some things that we take as "given" may be mistrusted or simply not believed by some of your audience.

How do you manage that when you speak?

Firstly, knowing that there are sceptics in your audience is a good starting point. You can use phrases like "you may not be convinced, but go with me for now".

You may also need to "prove" or at least provide evidence for things that you think are obvious. Quoting research to back up your points will help to convince most people.

You also need to recognise that whatever you say, some audience members may not believe it. You can't get agreement from everyone, all the time. Your job is to speak to the majority.

Lastly, if someone questions you mid-speech, thank them for their point and offer to speak with them later. Never get into a debate with a conspiracy theorist (I speak from bitter experience).

In every media interview, you need to be able to respond to every question.

That doesn't mean you have to know the answer, but it does mean you have to offer a polite and respectful response.

Even if you are asked a question which you think is completely ridiculous, or contains an untrue assumption, it's important that you stay calm and answer.

I've heard interviewees say things like "That's a silly question" or "Don't ask me - how would I know?" That's not the way to do it.

Here are some tips about how to respond to questions that you think are daft.

You're not the BBC. Nor are you Sky News, ITN, The Times or even the Daily Mail.

They are staffed by professional reporters, who's job is to ensure that as far as possible, stories contain verified facts.

You don't have the same resources at your disposal, so how can you ensure that your social media posts contain the truth?

Don't try to mimic a news outlet. People don't read your posts to get news - there are plenty of other sources for that. Instead, offer your take on the news of the day, and encourage others to offer theirs.

Make a very clear distinction between fact and opinion. Yes, it should be obvious, but sometimes people post comments that appear to be factual but really aren't. For example, how many contacts do you need with a prospective customer before they buy from you? I've seen every number from three to twenty-one quoted as "fact". Clearly they can't all be true, and none of them is.

Use links to refer people to more information. It's not your role to post every bit of information about a story.

Never, ever rely on a talking head YouTube video as conclusive evidence of anything.

Some say this is the worst cover version of a song ever. Hard to argue...

A reminder to look no further. Just get in touch. 07986 852621

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."