| Retiring British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, | | | | overwhelms. People don't speak about it |
| has blasted the media on the eve of his | | | | because, in the main, they are afraid |
| retirement. Pulling no punches he said the | | | | to."Now, this fear is palpable but it can be |
| fierce competition for stories meant the | | | | controlled. As Mr Blair said, it is rare |
| modern media now hunted in a pack. "In these | | | | today to find balance in the media but it's |
| modes, it is like a feral beast, just tearing | | | | up to you to try and ensure such balance. |
| people and reputation to bits, but no one | | | | When Henry Kissinger was U.S. Secretary of |
| dares miss out", he said. And I agree with | | | | State long before Tony Blair became British |
| him.I've been media training for 20 years now | | | | P.M. he used to stride into media conferences |
| and have seen the terror on the faces of so | | | | and announce:"Has anyone here got any |
| many executives, and that's just in a | | | | questions to go with my answers?" That's the |
| training environment. I've also heard their | | | | mindset you need when dealing with the media. |
| horrifying stories of either them being | | | | Facing a journalist's tough questioning can |
| bitten by the media personally or the fear | | | | be very daunting but if you prepare your |
| they felt when a colleague came off second | | | | material, have two or three main points to |
| best with the fourth estate.In that time I've | | | | fall back on and remember your audience at |
| worked out what causes this terror. Firstly, | | | | all times, you will give a better interview |
| it's fear of saying the wrong thing and that | | | | and, dare I say it, one that has more balance |
| having an impact on their career (what I | | | | than if you let the reporter concentrate |
| call, in media training, a career altering | | | | purely on their negative line.Tony Blair said |
| moment!) Secondly, it's fear of derision by | | | | the media is "increasingly and to a dangerous |
| their peer group and a loss of standing in | | | | degree driven by impact. It is this devotion |
| that group. Thirdly, it's fear of being | | | | to impact that is unravelling standards, |
| laughed at by family members. Notice that the | | | | driving them down, making the diversity of |
| word fear pops up a lot in this paragraph. If | | | | the media not the strength it should be but |
| we go back for a minute to Tony Blair's | | | | an impulsion towards sensation above all |
| speech to Reuters in London on June 13th | | | | else." It's up to the interviewee to make |
| 2007, he too spoke of fear. "I am going to | | | | sure the journalist doesn't get away with |
| say something few people in public life will | | | | just impact but has a story with some balance |
| say but most know is absolutely true. A vast | | | | in it. Like everything in life, this will |
| aspect of our jobs today is coping with the | | | | become easier with practice. Media training |
| media - its sheer scale, weight and constant | | | | is an obvious help. |
| hyperactivity. At points, it literally | | | | |