At Communicate Media, we provide Media Training and crisis communications training and issue management training for various organisations. Some of them are in serious trouble – either because of a mistake they’ve made themselves or due to circumstances beyond their control. However, we can honestly say that we don’t think we’ve ever had to deal [...]

Global warming. A phrase that everyone is now aware of, but not everyone is sure of its implications. This year, the UK saw its hottest summer, with temperatures soaring to 40.3 degrees Celsius. Now more than ever, brands and those in the eye of the media are being watched to ensure that they are socially [...]

During the Conservative party leadership candidates' debate last night, there were some decidedly aggressive interactions between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak. In particular, Sunak was criticised by some viewers and commentators for talking over and interrupting his opponent. We're often asked how to handle an aggressive interviewer in our Media Training courses. These include people [...]

It’s a question that we frequently hear during the introductory section of our Media Training courses. What is a soundbite? In fact, most people have an idea of what it is, but they still want to know more about it. Soundbites have had a bad rep over the last few years. They’re often associated with [...]

The story of former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher has dominated the headlines and social media over the last few days. We’ve discussed it several times in our Media Training courses recently, exploring why it’s a media story and looking at how badly the government has handled the issue. Government Crisis We’re delivering more and [...]

The rail strike – a Media Training perspective The rail strike is dominating the headlines and will continue to do so for the next few days. Depressingly, we might be here again on a number of occasions over the next few months with new strikes threatened. As a Media Training consultancy working with many travel [...]

There aren’t many people who have handled a crisis worse than Neil Parish; the Conservative MP caught watching pornography in the House of Commons. In our Media Training and crisis communications training courses, we’ve been discussing this sorry tale and asking what it means for those in corporate communications who find themselves managing crises and [...]

Two royal family members made the headlines this week but for very different reasons. For those interested in corporate communications and media interview skills, the very different approaches to interacting with the press of the Queen and her grandson, Prince Harry, offer some interesting lessons. For somebody who never does interviews, the Queen is a [...]

As the Ukraine tragedy unfolds here in the UK, there’s been considerable discussion about what action should be taken against the Russian oligarchs who live in the country. From a media training perspective, this is quite an interesting angle on a story that, quite understandably, is dominating the news. Why is the oligarch element of [...]

Another leader falls for the “I-didn’t-know-that-my-comments-were-going-to-be-made-public” trap. This week the leader of another organisation fell victim to the “I-didn’t-know-that-my-comments-were-going-to-be-made-public” trap. We often discuss it in our media training courses, especially when talking about live microphones and overheard comments. This time, Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schonbach, head of the German navy, was forced to resign from his [...]