Category: Media Training

Below are some news items and blog posts relating to the Media Training services provided by Mangold Consultancy.

We provide media training for people at all levels – from executives through to customer service call handlers – so they are well equipped to deal with the press. Our media training combines learning how to talk to the press when there are positive issues to highlight, alongside managing journalists during a crisis.

For details on the full range of services we provide, please visit the main Mangold Consultancy Services page.

 

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Media training unfairly gets a bad rep

Tony Blair and Jess Mangold

Media training unfairly gets a bad rep.

Why?

Because of the reputation of trainers who choose intimidation and aggressive tactics leaving leaders scared to speak.

Actually with this approach, everyone loses:

– the public who rightly expect to hear from those responsible when something goes wrong
– the comms team
– the spokespeople themselves

Our media training is supportive and empowering, it’s not always an easy ride but it will give you confidence.
And we do it like this because we know exactly what it’s like to be on both sides of the microphone.

Like Jess Mangold here, interviewing then Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

If speaking to a journalist feels daunting, you’re not prepared. Let’s change that.

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A critical friend

Critical Friend

A critical friend.

It’s the kind of friend, colleague and advisor I like to be.

It’s a balancing act advising CEOs when their business is under attack. Don’t say enough and you’re not worth the investment, push too hard and you can be seen as well….pushy.

So for me and Mangold Consultancy being a critical friend means being:
● straightforward by giving clear advice
● open and honest, even if it’s hard to hear
● invested in clients and their challenges, until issues are resolved

And when you look at it like that, it mirrors the relationships I have with friends too.

With special thanks to Ayesha Murray for being one of my very special and crucial critical friends.

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What the **** is crisis communications and does your business need it?

Storm

A crisis can strike any business at any time.

Whether it’s a PR mishap, a data breach, or an operational failure, how you
handle the situation can make or break your reputation and have a dramatic
financial impact.

That’s where crisis communications come into play.

It involves preparing for and responding to unexpected events that could harm your organisation’s reputation. It’s about delivering clear, consistent and timely messages to everyone you need to talk to from employees to customers to the public.

But do you really need it?
● Is your business really likely to face a crisis?
● Will it even get media/social attention?

I say, yes. Every business needs to prepare for a crisis.

Here’s how it will help:
● Protect your reputation: a well-managed crisis can defend and even enhance your brand’s reputation.
● Maintain trust: keeping people informed shows transparency and builds trust.
● Minimise impact: quick, strategic responses can mitigate the negative effects of a crisis.
● Ensure continuity: effective communication helps maintain business operations and morale during turbulent times.

In uncertain times, having a solid crisis communications plan isn’t just an option – it’s a necessity.

Is your business prepared to handle the unexpected?

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What I learned from Anne Robinson…

Anne Robinson

I worked with Annie Robinson from the late 90s, initially as a researcher at BBC Watchdog.

What you see with Annie, is what you get in real life. She is tough and a class act. She knows what she wants and what she doesn’t want and it’s that approach which brought her success, originally on Fleet Street (at the time a heavily male dominated world) and latterly on BBC TV.

She’s well known for her sharp wit on The Weakest Link, turning every contestant to jelly but that was nothing compared to her legendary performances on BBC Watchdog.

In every interview, she manifested the ‘killer opening question’, and I learned so much from those on camera grillings. Particularly since I sat in the chair opposite her during programme dress rehearsals, assuming the role of the company spokesperson.

During live transmission, I watched as nervous leaders tried, and often failed, to hold the corporate line.

So now I media train people to assume the unexpected from the moment they walk into the studio, or even before – remember the series The Thick of It and Nicola Murray’s faux pas as she left the national newspaper interview?!

It’s true that interview styles and approaches have changed but I wouldn’t be doing my job with clients if I didn’t channel a little of my inner Anne Robinson.

What are your favourite interview moments?

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What do we really offer?

Mangold Team Meeting

What do we actually offer?

That’s a big question that we explore often: what makes us and the business, Mangold Consultancy, different to any other crisis comms and media training consultancy?

We have many USPs but the two main ones are that we’re journalist-led and insight-driven.

Let me explain.

Journalist-led:

– With over 25 years of experience in journalism (BBC, national newspapers and regional media), social media, politics and communications, we provide unique insights into how the media works.

– We can identify and anticipate solutions to potential issues before they arise and bring a cynical journalist’s perspective to our work, always questioning communications to ensure credibility.

Insight-driven:

– Over the last decade, we’ve honed our approach based on client needs and the ever-evolving social and media landscape.

– Senior leaders find peace of mind knowing that we have faced challenging situations as both journalists and communications specialists.

– Our experience and resilience allow us to ask the tough questions necessary for complete crisis preparedness and management.

Why does this matter?
It’s a fact that no organisation is too big to get it wrong. Many of the largest ones miss the most obvious issues. Near misses and tragedies often stem from a weak culture or lack of prep.

That is why we put our all into preparation, covering every scenario to ensure our clients feel fully equipped and ready for any situation.

At Mangold Consultancy, we’re passionate about helping organisations communicate effectively and manage their reputations. Our insight-driven, journalist-led approach ensures our clients are always prepared, credible and resilient.

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Journalism runs in our blood

Abby Mangold and Jess Mangold in meeting

Quite an odd statement to make but with all the experience I had during 15 years at the BBC and my time since then working on the other side of the media in crisis comms – I eat, sleep and breathe interviews.

My sister, Jess Mangold, is the same after years as a print journo. We’re both voracious consumers of news, media and social content.

And of course it helps growing up with a Dad in the business, where dinners are filled with ferocious debate about current affairs.

Listening to big interviews constantly, across a range of formats and setups, we digest and analyse content and ask did that work? What went wrong? Why did they approach the interview that way?

Take the infamous example of BBC Newsnight, Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew. The work put into that – the preparation by the team including the fabulous Sam McAlister, meticulously researching and investigating – made for a jaw dropping interview. It’s not about attacking the interviewee as some have done in the past, it’s all about the preparation.

I approach every challenge from the perspective of a journalist and that’s how I deliver for my clients.

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Media training: Busting 10 common misconceptions

Jess Mangold Media training

Media training is often misunderstood.

How many of the following would you say are true?

Common Misconceptions on Media Training

All of the above are in fact FALSE.

Let us explain why and set the record straight on a few other misconceptions.

The Truth:

  1. Media training is about so much more than the corporate position
    – It involves learning how to communicate effectively, by being genuine and maintaining composure under pressure.
  2. Media training is beneficial for people at all levels
    – Senior executives often take the lead with the press but having others trained is both a great learning for all work conversations and provides the reassurance of having more than one spokesperson ready to respond.
  3. Media training is an ongoing process
    – Just like going to the gym, continuous practice and updating skills are essential as the media landscape and business strategy evolve.
  4. Media training is more than managing negative press
    – It prepares people for all types of media interactions, including positive stories and helps people understand the media landscape they are operating in.
  5. Proper training prepares you for off-the-cuff questions
    – Mock interviews and scenario-based training empower spokespeople with techniques for thinking on their feet.
  6. Even good public speakers benefit from media training
    – Press interviews require specific skills that differ from general public speaking, such as concise soundbites and handling unexpected questions.
  7. Media training covers a wide range of interactions beyond interviews
    – From corridor chats to meeting important contacts and more, it helps you take your agenda to a conversation.
  8. The comms team need media training
    – While the comms teams manage the overall strategy, their ability to brief and advise individual spokespeople on the look and feel of an interview and what to expect is critical.
  9. Good media trainers use different approaches tailored to individual needs
    – This means adapting the training methods to suit the unique requirements and challenges of each client.
  10. And finally, media training doesn’t need to feel like being put through the ringer
    – Yes it needs to be challenging, yes spokespeople need to be tested but media training is a confidence building exercise designed to help people make the most out of every media opportunity.

Learn more about our media training services here  or contact us to find out more.

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Lessons from undercover filming

Abby Mangold on factory floor ahead of filming for BBC Inside the Factory

Having sent undercover BBC camera teams into food businesses and having produced many programmes on failing food and production standards, we know what visiting journalists look out for on busy production lines. And the good, the bad and the ugly discoveries that can undo reputations.

But done in the right way, inviting cameras in can be a big win. Ahead of filming for BBC Inside the Factory, we visited one client’s production floor, before the crew and host Greg Wallace arrived.

Using our documentary maker’s mindset and an experienced camera operator, we spent the day filming with each team member on location giving them on camera experience and answering questions in the busy factory.

This hugely successful British snack company knew a prime-time TV slot was a huge opportunity, requiring careful prep to showcase the brand and its people. How did we help?

  • Define what each person brings to the programme.
  • Rehearse “on camera” skills for working with TV talent.
  • Film on location & fine-tune the set up to suit each person.

As the PR and marketing lead said: “Abby and her team put everyone at ease. The thought and preparation they’d put into the session meant that we got straight on with focussing on the team and making sure they had the practice and insight they needed to speak with confidence.”

Similarly, Channel 4’s Food Unwrapped asked to film with one client in their European factory.  It was not an easy decision so our client asked us to help them take their assessment to the Executive Management Team.

First we:

  • provided a complete briefing on the programme, the presenters, viewing figures, audience and more
  • analysed the risks vs benefit of taking part in the programme
  • managed all the liaison between the client and the TV production company

Next we:

  • visited the factory
  • found the right members of staff to talk to the programme
  • agreed key messaging
  • trained everyone to give them the confidence they needed

The client was thrilled with the final result which showed their manufacturing standards, their people and their brand in very good light.

Undercover filming is a very different experience but whether positive or negative we know how to advise, support and work with clients to achieve the best outcome possible because we’ve been on both sides of the camera.

Find out more about our Media Training services »

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Living through crises

Horse Meat Scandal

How do you live through crises?

You know, the ones in real-time, vivid colour, surround sound, no let up.

When I talk about living through crises, plural, I mean it. The horse meat scandal was one.

Back in 2013, relatively new to crisis communications, my brief was to support a client facing the force of media scrutiny, after processed beef products sold by UK supermarkets were found to contain horse meat.

Rooted to one room, the phone an extension of my ear, time dictated by challenging media calls, social media chatter and client needs – it was the most exceptional 10 days of my life.

I discovered:

  1. why asking ‘stupid questions’ always pays
  2. how to manage aggressive, demanding and well informed journalists
  3. the crisis peak is soon followed by reputational build back requiring equal if not greater resilience.

If you want to talk lived crisis experience, please give me a shout.

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How to make someone really stop and listen

How to make someone stop and listen

How do you make people stop and listen?

After years spent preparing for interviews, both asking and answering questions. And even more following the big news interviews, I wanted to summarise what makes me really listen:

1. Paint me a picture – literally. Use language with colour, imagery and stories to help me make an emotional connection with what you are talking about.

2. Vocal power. Use your tone of voice, pauses and stress on critical words, to make it feel like you’re talking directly to me.

3. Hold my hand. Lead me through what you’re saying by keeping it simple, impactful and ultimately memorable.

Image credit: Magda Ehlers

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I hate doing video…

I hate doing video
  • I hate listening to my own voice.
  • I hate having to watch it back.

And I know lots of people feel exactly the same way.

Given that I train others how to speak on camera I’ve forced myself to take my own medicine and now – I’m actually starting to enjoy it, a little!

Here’s what I’ve learnt and what you need to know…

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Get comfortable with your sound bites

You've got no idea what you're bloody talking about!

When it comes to media training, we often see our clients fighting to convert wordy corporate messages into convincing sound bites.

So how do you get comfortable with what you’re saying?

Practice with the corporate message, a bit, and then abandon it and practice saying it like you’re talking to a friend.

Remember why you’re doing the interview – to promote, rebut or disrupt – keep a laser focus on your why, through every twist and turn of the interview.

Finally don’t be afraid to repeat yourself. Not like a parrot, but by using examples to explain your points in different ways.

Contact me if you’d like any more media training tips.

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We train award winners!

Betsy the Dog - Award Winner

🤗 Huge congratulations to our 4 fabulous clients recognised as inspiring industry leaders. Well-earned, richly deserved.

👀 Discretion prevents a public shout-out, but you know who you are!

For clients on the journey to awards, our media training is still a win – why?

💭 Reconciling opposing views in the office

👊 Confidence to answer difficult questions in front of an audience

⚖ Diplomacy to find centre ground in a professional stand-off

🏋‍♂️ Clarity to sell strengths in a VIP meeting

👉 Media training is a recipe for success in these situations and more.

🐶 Thanks to Betsy for wearing her award with such good grace.

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Don’t be a loser

Don't be a loser

Don’t read this if you’re a loser…

Every time you stand up to present in front of peers or strangers, you should practice.

Every time you agree to talk to a journalist about you or your business you should practice.

No great presentation came from winging it.

Good interviews don’t happen by chance.

Winners practice… don’t be a loser.

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Space Shuttle Learnings

Space Shuttle - The failure to imagine the consequences of failure are catastrophic

Tell your boss to watch this Space Shuttle documentary…

📢 Are you the lone voice nudging senior colleagues about crisis planning?

🤔 Are there known issues too trifling to confront amongst all the “business as usual”?

Watch ‘The Space Shuttle that Fell To Earth’ on BBC iPlayer and tell your bosses to do the same, if you want to get crisis communications at the top of the agenda.

👍 Congratulations to Mindhouse Productions, this brilliant 3-parter, sensitively told a difficult story, which among many things shows why a culture of open communication matters. And is as important as crisis preparation.

🚀 Even if you are not in the business of space flight, speaking out, seeking answers and encouraging conversations, will help avoid issues becoming devastating crises.

And give me a shout if your crisis comms nudge could do with a shoulder.