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Podcasts are going from strength to strength. There are now more than a million active podcasts and 30 million podcast episodes. And in the UK, podcasts now reach an audience of 15.6 million people.

When the covid pandemic first struck, everything moved online overnight. Meetings that would have been carried out in person were suddenly taking place on Zoom.

How many times do you watch or listen to a news report and find that the organisation at the centre of the coverage responds through a statement? It may not be as damaging as an adversarial “did not provide a response”, but it is not a good way to manage a negative story.

Leaking ceilings, black mould and risks of electrocution. These are just some of the living conditions highlighted by a series of TV news reports this week.

We have said many times in this blog that a crisis media management incident can come in different forms.

We’ve often written about the importance of preparing properly for any successful presentation. It is also something we stress during our presentation skills courses.

There is some advice we give far more often than others during our media training courses. One of our golden rules we discuss during almost every course is the importance of spokespeople not repeating the journalist’s negative language.

March is shaping up to be quite the month for crisis communication case studies. Already we have seen a high-profile horse racing trainer’s career disintegrate after a horrific picture emerged of him sitting on a dead horse.

We have written hundreds of blogs on media training. But searching through our back catalogue recently, it became clear we have written little about trade media interviews.

Few people without an interest in horse racing would have heard of Gordon Elliott until recently. But one viral image has ensured he is now known across the world.

We recently looked at some crisis management incidents in our crisis comms training that had been handled well. But what about those responses which were not managed quite so successfully?

You’ve just carried out a series of TV interviews. What do you want the viewers to be talking about? That crucial message you were aiming to get across?

Two meetings, two gaffes and two resignations. The Tokyo Olympics and KPMG have found themselves firmly in the media spotlight in the past few weeks after bosses made ill-judged comments.

Now, we could bring you our thoughts on the latest high-profile media interview. But then we thought it would be much better if we took a look at the story that got Britain talking – whether Weetabix and Heinz baked beans are an acceptable breakfast combo.

On our crisis communication training courses, we often look at examples of how others managed their time in the spotlight.

So, who had ‘town council meeting takes internet by storm’ on their 2021 bingo card? Just when you think things can’t get any more bizarre, footage from an obscure meeting went viral and resulted in extensive media coverage.

One of the benefits of the lockdown and working from home is I get to see and hear more media interviews. Not only does this help with inspiration for this media training blog but, with my headphones in, I can also largely ignore the home-schooling carnage erupting around me.

We love it when we hear and see excellent interviews we can highlight in this media training blog.

So, now we know what it looks like when a spokesperson effectively walks out of a remote interview.

Every time the Prime Minister announces he is holding a press conference on the latest pandemic developments, our social media timeline is filled with people playing ‘Boris Briefing Bingo’.

Apology videos can be a great way for organisations to show contrition when they are in the spotlight for the wrong reasons.

How many of us had heard of Zoom this time last year? Fast forward 12 months and it is a crucial part of our lives. Not just at work, but also for keeping in touch with friends and family.

9 ways to close your presentation with a bang

When a staff member dressed up as a Christmas tree and strolled through a hospital’s emergency department, it was intended to spread a little festive cheer.

Video has become a crucial part of our everyday lives. But our use of it needs to go beyond video conferencing. Video needs to become an integral part of wider communication strategies.

We've reached day four of our guide to the spokespeople and interviews that stood out for the right reasons this year.

We've reached day three in our look back at the spokespeople who got right in 2020. There has been a scientific feel to our selections so far, with professors Jonathan Van-Tam and Sarah Gilbert included in the first two days.

It's the second day of our look back over the spokespeople and interviews that stood out for all the right reasons this year.

We’ve already put together our compilation of the worst interviews of the year, and will also be showcasing the 10 worst interviews from the past decade.

We've reached the final day of our look back at the best interviews and spokespeople of 2020. We have already highlighted the excellent performances of Jonathan Van-Tam, Sarah Gilbert, Marcus Rashford and Andy Hall.