Hillside Media Training

Tiger Woods’ performance at last week’s so-called press conference was so cringe making one wondered who advised him to take part in such a bizarre confessional. Who died? Had he committed murder ? Was he about to go down for some heinous crime? The staging was so overblown and tone so deathly it was hard to believe that this devastating crime had been adultery.  Yep and currently, even in America, it doesn’t carry any sentencing – except death by dwindling sponsorship.

There was wasn’t even any stone slinging – even the metaphorical kind in terms of real journalists questions. Simply a White House style backdrop, full one eye gaze at the camera with this dreadful mea culpa mugshot and then the agreed exit – man in handcuffs, ready to go down, your honour.

At what cost keeping your multi million dollar sponsors happy? Surely this was so over the top it became a farce? Especially with the very weird final kiss from mummy. Did anyone else think that the freeze frame photo of that clinch looked like the classic Gone with the Wind film poster? Oedipal or what?

Check out how to really handle a press conference on our website! Learn how to keep control and look like a real person

However much Gordon Brown’s pundits try to rubbish the screaming front page headlines about The Sun’s switch of political allegiance this week they are agreeing on one very simple fact – one that Rupert Murdoch knows oh too well….

It is not newspapers that decide a government it’s the electorate –  and Murdoch only backs winners. Research and the mood of his readers will be reflected in the political direction of the Sun. Love it or loathe it,  it is read by more people than any other paper in this country – approximately 11 million people each day if you multiply number of copies sold by approx 3 readers a copy – so 1 in 5 of the country. Amazing power. And if Murdoch wants to keep these readers he has to reflect their interests. And if he wants to gain readers in this difficult climate the same fact applies.

The Sun does not make or break governments – we do. The paper might expose their weaknesses and report under its now chosen political bias – but it’s only reflecting our mood. In terms of business speak – and let’s not forget newspapers in the end is a media business that is struggling to survive – it is about responding to the demands of your market.

And on the reporting aspect – its vicious pull-out section, punning on GB, PM’s initials and GB, us,  was visually very clever but factually tortuous and in some cases dangerously vague. But as a body blow , a cruel knock-out.

Yes, some Labourites might argue that it doesn’t matter as most people under 35 get their news on-line so will ignore what they perceive as the Sun’s tantrums but behind closed doors they know the timing and focus was annihilating. Plus those reading news on-line still go to newspaper websites in the main, as  The Sun knows.

Labour has so much work to do to stop this tide of apathy that comes after any 3 term tenure of government. We just get bored and tired of the same old faces and same old mantras. At least last time round when the mood swung from 12 years of Tory rule there was hope in the voice and style of change that Tony Blair represented. This time round the voice of David Cameron leaves much to be desired. What is it? And what does it represent? Will someone in the media please force them to nail their true blue colours to the mast so we can all take stock of where we might be heading mindlessly towards?????

You’ve got to hand it to him. It’s great watching an old pro in action. I had forgotten until Nick Robinson mentioned it in his intro that Mandelson is a pro. He is an ex TV Producer. As the man in charge of central casting he correctly made the call and had Tony Blair appointed. He has lost none of his relish for the game. And the TV interview for politicians is just a game. He still comes across as a wily old fox. His delivery is slow and measured giving him time to control his performance and he is master of the hesitation. He has charm in spades and undeniable steel. He talks throughout. All the questions seem like interruptions. But he gives himself away. For example when Robinson is challenging him on the actual numbers of people helped by the mortgage rescue scheme, Mr Smooth talks over him and Robinson persists and says the figure is only 6 families. Mr Smooth concedes the point” Score your point” he says. If ever there was a give away remark that we are watching a game in play. This was it.

 But for those of us pros on the production side, Nick Robinson can be seen to be relaxing half way through when he knows he has his man cornered. Loud and clear Robinson challenges with “You talk of “rebalancing”, “constraints” “readjustment”…..Why don’t you talk of “CUTS”. He embellishes it so that the point is not lost on us viewers. The reply “I‘ll use my language…….” just proves, as if we needed it, that for Mr Smooth this is just another game. Politicians of the old school have still not woken up to the audience beyond Westminster village. Robinson embroiders the point at length getting Brer Fox to drop his guard for a moment and repeat the planted negative –twice!  “I’m not frightened “ Mandelson replies twice but he still will not use the magic word “cut”. From then on watch the body language. For Robinson and for me it was game over!

To watch here’s the link http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lxwf3/Newsnight_28_07_2009/

Clients often fear being grilled heavily in a Paxman or Humphrys style interview. They wonder how they’d cope with a barrage of tough questions. But watch or listen to them carefully…As we point out in training, journos only have two main interview weapons, sneering cynicism or constant interruption with Paxman and Humphrys being the devices’ archest exponents. With good interview training these techniques are easy to handle and can even be deflected to make the interviewer look crass.

Trouble is getting on TV today. BBC and most TV news teams are all obsessed with being commentator journalists and not reporters. It seems gone are those days when we used to go out and find real facts. It’s got so ridiculous they spend most of their time interviewing each other to fill the 24/7 agenda as quasi experts rather than finding real experts to grill. Instead we get now a journo out in the field enjoying the limelight in an ego-fuelled piece to camera, constantly quoting absent third parties.…‘well John I’ve just spoken to an eyewitness/ minister/company official/ who said….’  Eventually we will surely be asking in reply ‘How do we know you’ve spoken to them…’ ?????

And this will start to cast even further doubt on the integrity of news today. 

We are finding that good training is about giving people the right techniques to make sure their interview is so entertaining it gets included in the final package rather than ending up on the cutting room floor or  indirectly quoted by camera hogging journo!