Newsjacking - does it backfire?
Guy Clapperton MCIPR
The media trainer that helps you avoid being misquoted, misunderstood or misrepresented. My team will ensure you get value out of speaking to the press.
OK, I'm going to be a bit hypocritical here. Earlier this week I put a LinkedIn entry on the Gary Lineker incident together. I had some likes and some engagement. I noticed, inevitably, that PR Week and other outlets had done the same. Last week I mentioned the balance of my own training team in the light of International Women's Day.
Only...so did everybody else. Now, standard media training advice is to keep an eye on the news and attach a comment to it if you're able to. I wonder, though; should we all automatically jump on everything? Here are a couple of sanity checks for you.
You can go too far with so-called "newsjacking", and if everyone else is saying something about a particular topic (particularly if the comments are becoming anodyne) it could be a good time to talk about something else. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go and work up some opinions on the Budget speech (JOKE, I AM JOKING I PROMISE!).
New trainer - Martine Croxall
领英推荐
One piece of news that has happened is that BBC News Channel anchor Martine Croxall has joined the roster of presentation trainers Clapperton Media can offer. Martine can help with presentation skills both on stage and in front of the camera and if you've been tasked with moderating a panel at a conference she can work on the skills you'll need. Drop me a note if Martine can help - and don't forget the roster of other trainers we offer on the Clapperton Media website.
Quick tip
There's been some discussion in a Facebook group of which I'm a member about whether an event MC should pick on the gender, orientation or any other aspect of an audience member to get the audience warmed up. Replies were divided and indeed if you're expected to double up as a stand-up comedian some audience interaction can be an excellent idea.
Unless you're really expert at this, however, the best advice is not to do it. Work on the principle that if you have to ask, the answer is probably "no"; making yourself the butt of any humour is far safer because you are the only person you know won't take it wrongly and is on the same wavelength!
Blatant self-publicity blurb to finish
And if you need any help with training to talk to the media, if you need any help with presentation skills, don't hesitate to get in touch with me through LinkedIn or drop my assistant Lindsay a note (Lindsay at Clapperton dot co dot UK) and she'll set up a time for an initial chat. See you next time.
Editorial Consultant
2 年Given your profile as a media-engagement trainer, you should be expected to have a view. Of course, Lineker's assessment of 1930s Germany is as relevant as Suella Braverman's analysis of Leicester City's midfield or Wayne Rooney's views on the Congress of Vienna, but that's not the point. When most presenters are freelancers, how, if at all, should the parent organisation police their statements made on their own time? Radio 4's Media Show did a good analysis of it yesterday, which I'm sure you've heard or are planning to hear.
Excellent news-jacking advice here! Thanks Guy Clapperton ACIPR!
Knowledge Transfer @ Faculty of Economics, Science/AI Writer
2 年I think it would be strange if you ignored it... My modest post, which focused on corporate sector's surveillance of employees' social media, did quite well in engagement. The key is to give a personal insight and having experienced gagging, that newspiece was the perfect foil for a rant... ??
Sustainability Coordinator at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust | CIPR Specialist Diploma (Sustainability Communications) | Carbon Literacy trainer | Athletics Coach (Jumps)
2 年Sage words, as usual. TBH, Newsjacking also only works if you've already got that insightful comment ready-formed (counter-intuitive, I know). In other words, if the comment already reflects your messaging strategy, and is therefore part of the story you're trying to tell. Too many times have I seen people in-house and in agencies flying around like a bluebottle on coffee trying to get approval for a 'clever idea' only for all that energy to come to nothing, either because the idea is off message, or else it took too long to get approval and the moment has passed by. So, yes, it can be a useful tactic, but let your strategy guide its use.
Senior Corporate Communications professional | BA Journalism
2 年You raise some really good points Guy. At the end of the day, I think it comes down to value...what value am I, you, a company adding by making the post? I don't think it matters if the motive behind it is that you feel you should be seen to be doing or saying something - competitive and/or societal pressures are valid reasons in my book. However, the output has to have a value. If it's just ticking a box then, at best you're ignored and at worst you're criticised for box ticking and lacking authenticity. I saw a great discussion on Gary Linekar on here yesterday by PR experts. Huge disagreement, totally contradictory views, polite but pointed argument...brilliant! I came away from reading the thread having respect for everyone that piled in with a 'valuable' view, even if I disagreed with it!