It’s not often you see an interview where the spokesperson is seen putting pressure on the journalist to drop the story.
But that’s what happened last night during one interview featured on Channel 4 News.
Viewers saw the spokesperson say to the reporter: “If you use this online, it’s going to be very difficult, ok… And actually, please don’t pursue that because there’s going to be a lot of things happening over the next weeks, month, which is going to make it very difficult. I’m being serious.”
It happened when Brexit Party MEP Alexandra Phillips was asked about a previous role working for Cambridge Analytica during elections in Kenya.
What had seemed like a friendly interview suddenly turned hostile.
Ms Phillips initially told the reporter 'I’m not talking about that' because of a non-disclosure agreement
She then described claims she worked in the country for Cambridge Analytica as 'factually wrong'.
She added: “I didn’t work for them at all. That’s libellous. I’m being very serious now. You’re actually propagating a load of misinformation that’s been put online… based on nothing.
“If you want to talk about the Cambridge Analytica campaign, speak to them, not me. I don’t know them. I really don’t know the people.”
Viewers were then shown footage of Ms Phillips calling her lawyers.
But, having become aware of the journalist having an audio recording of an interview a year earlier where she had talked about her work with Cambridge Analytica, Ms Phillips changed her position through a statement. In it she admitted working for Cambridge Analytica’s parent company SCL.
"That's libellous, you can't put this online, my friend.”
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) July 16, 2019
Brexit Party MEP Alexandra Phillips denies working for Cambridge Analytica in Kenya, speaking to @Channel4News.
A few days later she admitted working for the firm's parent company. pic.twitter.com/snsK9re6wf
She said: “In Kenya, I worked as a freelance contractor — focusing on speechwriting – with the team of President Kenyatta, who is a great ally of the UK. The campaigns I worked on promoted peace and national unity in a country that I love dearly.
“This work was sub-contracted out to me by SCL, which went on to become a different company. Out of respect for those whom I served, I will continue to respect the confidentiality agreements that I signed upon accepting the role in Kenya.
“And I will not be bullied by agenda-driven, guilt-by-association reporting.”
The result of all this was a messy interview and humiliating story.
Apparently Alexandra Phillips of BxP is a communications expert who knows how to manage the media.
— Dorset Owl #FBPE (@Dorset_Owl) July 16, 2019
I've just seen her interview on @Channel4News. Wow pic.twitter.com/tyksojtGjJ
Good grief. Alexandra Phillips sees being a Brexit Party MEP as a joke, and her interview on #C4News is devastating to her integrity. What is going on here? https://t.co/rQDSWgSE8r
— Mark McCormack (@_MarkMcCormack) July 16, 2019
For someone allegedly ‘the best in the business’ at media/political relations, this is a car crash interview! #BrexitParty #Brexit #alexandraphillips https://t.co/gkF7PUkgBS
— Claire Witch Files (@ClaireWitchFile) July 16, 2019
Here are a few media training lessons other spokespeople can learn from this performance.
Understand what the interview is about
It’s hard to imagine that a self-proclaimed media and political expert didn’t wonder what the real story was in this interview.
Anyone who has seen Channel 4 News would know they don’t tend to go for soft, friendly, feature-style interviews on the life of an MEP which, watching the rest of the footage, seems to be the impression she was under.
Did Ms Phillips, the former head of media at UKIP, not wonder about the angle they might take or what difficult questions could be asked? Did she not wonder why the channel which first broke the Cambridge Analytica story was keen to speak to her?
Watching the footage, you would have to presume that these points were not considered in any great detail. A huge oversight.
Don’t threaten
We tell delegates on our media training courses that however hostile and challenging an interview becomes they must not threaten the journalist or tell them how to do their job.
Journalists hate being told what they should and shouldn’t ask questions about, what constitutes a story and what angles they shouldn’t pursue.
This sort of behaviour signals to journalists that they are on the right track and that they should keep pursuing the subject the spokesperson does not want to talk about.
And it creates damaging footage of the spokesperson appearing defensive and evasive.
When those nightmare questions come along, spokespeople must remain calm and composed.
Don’t try to cover up
Trying to cover up a story is a mistake which can cause instant embarrassment – as is the case here – or come back to haunt you at a later point as more details emerge.
It is an approach which can be hugely damaging to the credibility of organisations and individuals.
The public appreciate honesty and accepts that people and organisations make mistakes.
Ms Phillips eventual statement was much closer to what she should have said when she was first confronted by the line of questioning.
That said, the line about being ‘bullied by agenda-driven, guilt-by-association reporting’, is a mistake, not least because many will feel she tried to bully the reporter.
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