A couple of bloopers…
This one is for all the wonderful people we train who worry about making mistakes when presenting or being interviewed.
It happens to all of us!
Media training bloopers!
A splendid reception for media training at Central Co-op!
We decided to make the most of the splendid reception at the office of our client, Central Co-op.
We had a great day working with the team, putting them through their paces and supporting them to talk about the incredible work of this 180-year-old community-based co-operative business.
Pretty proud of this one
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.”
They say never work with animals, kids and family
They say never work with animals, kids and family.
Well I broke all those rules when I interviewed my Dad, Tom Mangold, with a cameo by Zak!
Thanks to everyone who suggested questions to ask this ‘veteran broadcaster’!
Jess Mangold and I are busy editing together the highlights, more to come very soon…
Someone just told me media training is easy
My thoughts after it was suggested to me recently that running media training is easy.
Tom Mangold has worked in media for 70+ years – what would you ask him?
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!
Tips to boost business confidence
2025 is going to be tough.
So business confidence really matters.
Here are some of my thoughts as a business owner following a challenging report from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
I’m happy to talk to you for free if you need it, just get in touch.
A dream come true – training music industry experts
Dua Lipa, Fred Again, Coldplay, Gorillaz…
Being asked to run media and presentation training for Warner Music Group is one of the most incredible starts to the year Jess Mangold and I could have asked for.
Some of our happiest times together have been rooted in our shared passion for music.
So, 2 days of training down-to-earth, music industry experts was frankly a dream come true.
Thank you to Adam Merrett and the whole team for having us.
What keeps you awake at night?
It is never easy asking people this question when you meet for the first time.
But tasked with writing the crisis communications guidelines for new clients, we have to take the plunge, so we know early on where they could be exposed from a reputational perspective.
4 years on from asking one client this question, we are their retained crisis communications agency, available 24/7 responding to calls, and working with the whole team to test and reinforce their crisis communications protocols.
Tough questions = good results.
Photo by cottonbro studio at Pexels
What is retained crisis communications support?
Our team is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
We are hands-on in a crisis: using 20+ years in national journalism, global crisis communications and social media expertise.
AND, if you remain crisis-free we use your retainer to grow team resilience, since any time not used for actual live crises goes toward preparation.
You can choose from
• workshops to assess reputational risks
• crisis simulations to test your team and processes in a safe space
• media training on camera
• social media management to handle challenges online
Retained crisis communications support = knowing you and your team are prepared for the unexpected.
Photo Vlad Deep at Unsplash
What kind of journalist were you?
Jess and I are often asked this.
People’s interest veers between fascination and horror. I am hugely proud of these roots and the lessons I earned, such as…
• People love being asked about themselves. Thoughtfully chosen, well-timed questions allow people to share something about themselves, cracking open a door to their world.
And with the privilege of being invited in…
• it pays to listen closely. The tone of voice, the pace at which they speak. These are as important to what someone is saying as the words they use.
• And with that always ask the obvious – who, what, when, where, why, how – sometimes twice to be sure you have truly understood.
Every journalism job added to the skills I use in crisis communications and media training now.
And I was pretty chuffed to make it into the papers myself once while filming for a BBC Airport special from Edinburgh Festival!
45+ spokespeople and counting
In the five years since we started media training one client, they have invited us to lead sessions with:
• 47 people
• in three UK offices including Manchester
• plus virtual meetings from mainland Europe
• on a multitude of corporate, legal and financial matters
It is the clients we know best who keep us on our toes!
We love learning from them while sharing our knowledge to bring their professional expertise to life for the press.
Manchester photo by William McCue Unsplash
What if you’re faced with a megalomaniacal spokesperson?
What if this megalomaniacal spokesperson won’t listen to your advice about managing a media interview?
Even seasoned spokespeople recognise the benefits of new tips and practice for media presence and interview skills.
Here’s how to make the case to your spokesperson if your comms advice is challenged:
-The competition for airtime is fierce and your time is precious. A few rehearsals now will save huge amounts of time over the medium to long term and reinforce your profile as a great spokesperson.
-You are a seasoned pro and your objective is to ensure your message reaches your audience. Trying new ways of delivering your message helps you be heard and understood by more people.
-You are setting an example for others. By making time for media training, you demonstrate the value of preparing for the press.
Can you risk colleagues going on the record without media training first?
Photo by Hunters Race on Unsplash
Talking crisis communications & reputation management
It is good to be back!
For the 2nd year running, we’ve been here in the Netherlands talking crisis communications resilience on a global scale.
Having recruited us as their retained 24/7 crisis communications support, this client doubled down on their commitment with annual training for the whole team.
Crisis communications and reputation management is not just a comms job and if you haven’t had a crisis recently it’s easy to forget the important stuff.
Regularly involving other colleagues creates business-wide awareness so that:
• more people are alert to potential issues
• feel comfortable raising concerns if a crisis happens
• they are equipped and confident to support the response
Main photo Joshua Kettle on Unsplash
Media training unfairly gets a bad rep
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.
A 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.
What the **** is crisis communications and does your business need it?
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?
How to turn a visit from a film crew into a WIN
How to turn a visit from a film crew into a WIN
Your PR team has struck gold
A TV news crew are on their way…..what do you do?
Here are my tips to stop a TV filming opportunity turning into a disaster
What I learned from 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?
What do we really offer?
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.