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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Briefing tour crisis spokesperson: 5 Top Tips

Abby Mangold Top Tips for Briefing

If you’re briefing a spokesperson before an interview in a crisis situation, there is a high chance that you’ve got a lot to juggle.

You’re probably managing multiple communications to people inside and outside the organisation while responding to a fast-changing situation in a swirl of facts and rumours.

So, to get the most out of your time and support your spokesperson in this really challenging environment, these are my top tips:

Top tips for briefing your CEO / spokesperson in a crisis.

  1. Block out time for rehearsal interviews. I promise you they will thank you for it.
  2. Walk through some physical prep so that they can limber up.
  3. Run practice questions which probe around rumour and speculation.
  4. Build in comfort breaks, a gulp of water, a snack – especially if they’ve got multiple interviews.
  5. Pinpoint a clear interview entrance and exit strategy, especially if things run over.

These are the things your spokesperson needs from you to help them give their best performance

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Crisis comms sisters: Our superpowers at work

Abby and Jess Mangold - Crisis Comms Sisters

2 sisters working together?

Crisis superpowers, journalistic expertise, snacks 🥜

This is how Jess Mangold and I make it work…

Jess on Abby – “She puts people at ease within seconds, finding common ground and camaraderie, even in high-pressure crisis situations”

“Seamless makeup application for being on camera. What she doesn’t know about this topic is not worth worrying about.”

“Bringing and holding people together in a crisis, uniting individuals and the group. It’s her crisis communications superpower.”

Abby on Jess – “Her prep is second to none. Training notes, research, making time to practice – you name it, she’s prepped!”

“Snacks! Jess is not one to go hungry, so she avoids team energy dips by always having a healthy snack squirrelled away in her backpack.”

“She’s great at remembering reports she’s read, or experiences as a journalist; neatly sliding them into conversations with clients to add colour and demonstrate our expertise.”

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Facing the LinkedIn rollercoaster nerves

Facing the LinkedIn Rollercoaster Nerves. Image by Suntooooth on Wikipedia

My son made me…

🫣 when he recently convinced me to ride the UK’s tallest, fastest, most weightless rollercoaster.

🎢 Hyperia at Thorpe Park stands 236 feet tall, with two inversions and a 995-meter track, all at speeds of 80 mph +.

⏳ And in the 90 seconds it took to complete the ride, I realised the experience was not unlike putting myself out here on LinkedIn – nerves of steel and taut enthusiasm, all the while secretly fearing falling flat.

😰 And I am not alone. Speaking to women in business, both senior leaders and entrepreneurs at new business meetings and networking, it appears many of us feel the stomach drop, pre-post on LinkedIn.

🤲🏻 So for anyone feeling the LinkedIn ick – be assured we are all in it together. And for 90 seconds of fear, you may just get all the thrills of a completely new experience!

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5 things a crisis communication spokesperson does

5 Things a Crisis Communication Spokesperson Does. Photo by Fardad sepandar on Unsplash

Being the face of the organisation in a crisis is a BIG ask.

So a spokesperson must ask a few things in return before doing an interview.

Here are 5 things great spokespeople do in a crisis:

  1. Complete clarity on what they can say publicly at this stage.
  2. Answers on information gaps. Even if the details are not available.
  3. Space to rehearse key messages, and their way of saying them.
  4. Confidence to make the most of the interview, conveying empathy and personal commitment.
  5. A reliable deputy for their usual role so they can focus on the media.

Comment here if you have any more tips…

 

Featured Image by Fardad sepandar on Unsplash

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This is Tom Mangold

This is Tom Mangold

Tom Mangold is an award-winning journalist and author.

Reporter on circa 120 episodes of BBC Panorama.

He’s 90 and STILL working

He cycles every day

At his heart, this man is a journalist. And he’s also our Dad.

Earlier this year I asked people what they’d like to ask him. It felt like the right time to put HIM in the hot seat for a change.

So, we sat down and discussed – media, truth, interviews, social platforms, crisis.

To kick things off, here’s his take on his craft.

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Where our love of music and media training collides

Music fans Abby Mangold & Jess Mangold

Thank you to all those speaking out about AI in the creative industries with the hashtag #MakeItFair campaign.

Your diverse views are transforming technical stuff into human speak, clearly explaining what this technology is and why it matters to artists and fans alike.

When we first started working with music industry leaders a few years ago, the position on AI was still evolving and the language to make it understandable to everyone was something we discussed at length in media training.

Since then IFPI has joined with others, including PPL, to speak about the threat to creative livelihoods and Warner Music Group is among the world’s largest music companies backing a campaign that opposes the UK government’s AI copyright exception proposal.

Musician Paul McCartney and Gina Neff, Professor of Responsible AI at Queen Mary University – just some of the names recently making their case across multiple front pages and broadcast bulletins.

As a music fan I care deeply about this issue.

As a media trainer, I am hugely impressed by those taking the time and thought to tell this story.

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Pretty proud of this one

Pretty Proud: Abby Mangold & Jess Mangold: "They are the critical friends you want on speed dial"

We’ve been working with this retail client for 5 years.

We’ve gone through the good times and the tougher ones.

We’ve supported each other to grow as organisations.

So we were chuffed when they told us:

“Abby and Jess consistently provide clear thinking and boil down complex matters, into concise guidance.

As media trainers they are industry experts, give honest and fair feedback in a safe environment.

They are the critical friends you want on speed dial.”

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Tom Mangold has worked in media for 70+ years – what would you ask him?

Abby & Tom Mangold

This is my Dad, Tom Mangold.

  • He’s an award-winning journalist and author.
  • Reporter on circa 120 episodes on BBC Panorama.
  • He’s 90 and STILL working.
  • He cycles every day.
  • He continues to inspire me and our work at Mangold Consultancy.

If you asked him, he’d tell you I stole everything I know from him. I will neither confirm nor deny this.

I’m going to film interview content with Dad and share it online.

We tend to talk about:

  • the state of journalism and television
  • crisis communications
  • media interviews
  • “news” on Social Media
  • rubbish spokespeople

Watch this space for unique insight from someone who has worked in the media industry for more than 70 years!