We have previously made the point that it is rarely a good idea to insult a journalist or interviewer, whether in the press or on radio or TV. You probably won’t keep the audience on-side, and are most likely to come over as chippy or bad-tempered. Labour MP Chris Bryant was happy to take the risk this week however, when being interviewed by Kay Burley on Sky News about the News of the World phone-tapping affair. By dint of being extremely articulate, clear about his point, and the ability to (just about) keep his temper, he became one of the rare exceptions who got away with it. He accused Ms Burley of being ‘a bit dim’, then things hotted up when she appeared to suggest that those allegedly being tapped were at fault for not bothering to change their voicemail PIN. This is what happened next:
Entertaining viewing, but as they say, ‘don’t try this at home!’
Tom on X
How do you cope if a broadcast interview becomes more aggressive than you were expecting?
We can now offer on-camera and autocue skills coaching for spokespeople who have to present online video material or webinars.
