It’s perfectly fine to dislike reporters and to hate doing interviews. Just try not to let it show.
Never Grant an Interview
Category: Media Disaster
Ambush at Davos
They’re not real reporters; they just play them on TV. Here’s how to handle them.
I Made Another Terrible Video
I demonstrate the top 5 mistakes that ruin a Zoom interview/presentation, and show you how to avoid them.
News Conferences Aren’t for Everyone
The police shooting of Duante Wright was a tragedy. The ensuing PR strategy, though perhaps well-intentioned, was a mess.
Bill Gates: Media Disaster (Hands Down!)
Everybody thinks they “use their hands too much” when they speak. Almost nobody, except Bill Gates, does.
Watch My Terrible Video
In which I become a Media Disaster, and try to fix it
A TV Guest Gets Vaporized
A well-prepared -and aggressive- cable news host turns a lobbyist’s media campaign into mist
Who Manages the Crisis Manager?
If R. Kelly’s lawyers wanted somebody to manage their client’s growing PR crisis, they definitely picked the wrong guy
Planting the Seeds of a Media Disaster
A CEO’s wacky brother, a cranky anchor, and a holiday you’ve never heard of make for a cringeworthy media disaster.
F-Bomb Goes Off During News Conference
When a politician uses profanity on camera, the F-bomb goes off in his own face.
When Journalism Gets Body-Slammed
Beating up reporters is immoral, anti-democtratic, and symptomatic of a bigger problem.
When an Airline’s PR Strategy Crashes and Burns
You may not be able to get out in front of a viral video, but you can mitigate the damage. United Airlines made it worse.
A Tough Interview out of Oakland
This one is hard to watch. And given the tragic context in which this interview took place (the deadly Oakland warehouse fire), it seems trite to use the term “Media Disaster.” But suffice it to say this was an interview that probably shouldn’t have happened.
Ill-Prepared in the ‘No Spin Zone.’
I realize I’m treading into dangerous waters here. In this unbelievably contentious election season, it is probably wishful thinking to assume that I can deliver an edition of Media’s Masters and Disasters featuring controversy over Donald Trump, Bill O’Reilly, and the Fox News Channel without ruffling some reader feathers. But I shall try. The media …
When the Media Trainer is the Disaster
Media trainers and consultants pride themselves on helping their clients navigate the treacherous waters of crisis communications. How ironic when the PR specialist creates the crisis. While it may seem politically incorrect to designate a fellow media trainer as a Media Disaster, it should be noted that the individual in this case, Merrie Spaeth, has …
