Corporate Media Services Blog

Nailing Your Crisis Media Conference with Doug Weller Corporate Media Services

Nailing Your Crisis Media Conference with Doug Weller

Date: 18 November 2021 Format: Online Webinar Presenter: Doug Weller LinkedIn Registered Guests: https://www.linkedin.com/events/10tipsformediaconferences1pmwed6855024735483523072 Video Recording on YouTube: Nailing Your Crisis Media Conference with Doug Weller from Corporate Media Services (and below) PowerPoint Slides: Nailing Your Crisis Media Conference with Doug Weller from Corporate Media Services (and below) Say Thank You with an Informative Review: […]

The Great Face Off – The Day Social Media Became Antisocial

By Doug Weller On 18 February 2021, Facebook pulled the plug. Australian Facebookers woke to find they could not access or share Australian news via Facebook. Unfortunately, organisations including some government departments, charities, community sites and others were bundled into the ‘news’ category and were also blocked. News consumers could still access news directly in […]

Media Interviews COVID-19 Style

By Doug Weller COVID-19 will have a lasting impact on us all. It will change the way we do many things and the TV News and Current Affairs industry is no exception. Computer-based TV news interviews from homes, cars and even the backyard have skyrocketed since the pandemic began – a trend that will probably […]

COVID-19 A Plague of Mixed Messages

By Doug Weller Not since the Spanish Flu, has the world experienced such an extreme health crisis as the Covid-19 pandemic. Large-scale crises over the past 100 years have shaken the world. We’ve faced wars, terrorist attacks, stock market crashes, recessions, revolutions, nuclear and natural disasters. Now we face the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and it’s […]

In Case You’re Wondering – Nothing’s Off-The-Record

Donald Trump’s former personal assistant learnt a brutal lesson about going off-the-record with journalists. According to CNN, Madeleine Westerhout attended a dinner in New Jersey with Deputy White House Press Secretary, Hogan Gidley, and several reporters. These dinners are common and typically treated as off-the-record. CNN says when Gidley left the room to attend to […]

I Really Do Care About Melania Trump’s Jacket Fiasco

By Doug Weller The distressing humanitarian crisis over children separated from their illegal immigrant families, then held in a US Department of Human Services facility, made global headlines. But sadly, Melania Trump’s jacket made sure the headlines kept rolling. The media coverage and public outrage over the humanitarian issue finally led to the policy being […]

When a Crisis Hits – What to say and how to say it

By Doug Weller Crisis communications planning should happen well before an organisational crisis occurs. Schools, for example, face a myriad of headline grabbing issues on a regular basis. Headlines about bullying, hazing and drugs are bad enough, but news of school shootings are now all too common. When I’m reading and watching these news stories, […]

CBS Social Media Crisis Following Vegas Shooting

By Doug Weller The CBS social media crisis following the tragic Vegas shooting highlights why social media protocols are so important for organisations. Are there any words to describe the awful mass shooting in Las Vegas? I was in Las Vegas only weeks before the incident, so to see what occurred there was surreal. The […]

Princess Di’s Butler Squirms In Awkward Media Interview

By Doug Weller Media interviews can get ugly… Australian morning television host, Karl Stefanovic, opened a Today Show interview with Princess Diana’s butler, Paul Burrell, saying “We have a lot of things to talk about today…” Yet, Stefanovic seemed to have only one thing on his mind: His claim that Burrell was unfair to say […]

Don’t Let Your Crisis Response Become The Story

By Doug Weller Empathy, empathy, empathy – let’s toss in sincerity. These qualities are crucial when it comes to your crisis response, especially when the media locks onto it. An inappropriate initial crisis response can exacerbate the situation to the point of meltdown. Reputation damage can be significant and costly. United Airlines Passenger Dragging Incident […]

Dreamworld’s Crisis Communications Nightmare

By Doug Weller   The company logo says it all ‘Dreamworld Happiness’. It’s all about fun, happiness, and good times’. Many Australians have wonderful memories of Dreamworld. Maybe that’s why the tragic accident that happened at Dreamworld shocked the public and impacted families nationwide. This was a high profile and very newsworthy incident. It ran […]

Radio Interviews Via Phone

By Doug Weller   Don’t let mobile phone issues negatively impact your radio interviews. Who doesn’t have a mobile phone these days? Most of us can’t live without them – we feel like we’ve lost a limb if we are without a mobile phone for even a short time. They’re as beneficial and convenient as […]

Media Language – Drowning in your own words

By Doug Weller Media players, listen up. You can learn a lot about media language from the Eddie McGuire/Caroline Wilson ‘drowning’ saga. Eddie McGuire is a media guru. A high profile Australian TV presenter, radio commentator, Collingwood Football Club President and former TV network CEO. With that much media experience, Eddie should understand the influence and effect […]

Do You Fear Public Speaking?

By Doug Weller I find the number of people who fear public speaking staggering. When facilitating our Public Speaking and Presentation Skills Training Courses I constantly observe competent, professional people who are terrified when speaking publicly. I facilitated a course recently with a very successful business person. This person runs a prosperous national company and […]

Sir Joh

Answer the Question!

By Doug Weller There have been some subtle changes in media message delivery over the years – subtle but important. Back in the days of the former Queensland Premier, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, there were many media players who refused to answer the question, but Joh turned ignoring questions into an art form. Comedians got great mileage […]

Obama speaking

Who’s a Great Public Speaker? Barack Obama, that’s Who!

By Doug Weller Whenever anyone asks me “Who is a great public speaker?”, I always give the same response…Barack Obama. Obama is amazing; his public speaking and media skills blow me away. His presentations are brilliant. Always articulate, always engaging and always to the point. Barack Obama speaking about Donald Trump’s presidential ambitions demonstrates his […]

Interview Nerves

Are journalists out to get you?

By Doug Weller Are journalists out to get you? In my humble opinion, no. Do some journalists and commentators come with agendas? The answer is probably yes. Don’t forget that journalists are human beings and have personal opinions on a range of issues. But the vast majority of journalists are simply trying to pull together […]

Abbott's Background Mishap

This Photo Opportunity Should Have Been Rejected

By Corporate Media Services Politicians are a mobile lot, looking for a photo opportunity at every turn. A media pack chasing you around a shopping centre might seem annoying to most of us but politicians generally love that sort of publicity. In the world of politics photo opportunities are crucial. The unfortunate downside is that […]

Julie Bishop

The Julie Bishop Eye Roll Incident

By Doug Weller   Politicians, especially those in the state and federal arena, do a lot of media interviews – it goes with the territory. If you spend a lot of time doing media interviews you get an understanding of how the media operates and you quickly learn how to conduct yourself around cameras and […]

Germanwings crash site

Online Crisis Communications – Germanwings

Online Crisis Communications – Germanwings By Corporate Media Services The Germanwings aviation tragedy demonstrates how fast news travels via traditional and social media during a crisis. In the midst of the disaster, Germanwings and its parent company Lufthansa had to respond to the crisis while continuing to operate their businesses. During a crisis, speculation, opinions, […]

Doug Weller

Broadcasting from the world’s longest commercial flight

By Doug Weller It’s August 1989 and QANTAS is about to fly the longest non-stop commercial flight in history. The aircraft doing the honours is a QANTAS Boeing 747-400, registration VH-OJA, ‘City of Canberra’. When I received a call from ABC management asking me what my August plans were I said “I’ll be on holidays”. […]

Journalist in firing line

Journalism – A Dangerous Job

By Doug Weller It’s easy to forget journalism can be a very dangerous job. The dangers are many for journalists who cover conflicts in various international hotspots. A shocking example is that of freelance war correspondent, James Foley, who was abducted and beheaded. Freelance cameraperson, Ashoka Mukpu, is another example having contracted and survived the […]

bananas in pyjamas

Media Message Mayhem – When And How To Backtrack

By Corporate Media Services   Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, made an election eve promise not to cut funding to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Mr Abbott then seemed to have a memory lapse, denying that promise. The Communications Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, weighed in with mixed messages. Once Mr Abbott’s […]

Obama speaking

Tan Suit Gets In Way Of What Obama Has To Say

By Corporate Media Services Obama’s ‘suitgate’ scandal rocked the world! Well, it got a good run in the media anyway. In a shocking back flip on his policy of only wearing navy, grey and black suits, President Obama had the nerve to wear a tan suit…the cheek of him. Some people were horrified, a social […]

Queen and Prime Minister

Prime Minister David Cameron’s Purr-fect Media Blunder

By Corporate Media Services If you’ve signed up to be recorded and filmed 24/7 in the ‘Big Brother’ house, you’d expect anything you say could be broadcast. That’s the ‘reality’ of reality T.V. But what about the news media? Surely you can  have a private chat without the world knowing what you’ve said. Well, here’s […]

Doug Weller

Helping Journalists Get It Right

By Doug Weller When I began my media career in the mid 70’s as a cub reporter in Brisbane, the world of journalism seemed very scary. Fronting up to the news room each morning to be given a complicated story to follow was a terrifying prospect. Sometimes as a young reporter I started writing a […]

Thorpe Parkinson Tell All Interview

Ian Thorpe’s Strategic Outing

By Corporate Media Services It must have taken a lot of guts for Olympic swimmer, Ian Thorpe, to out himself on international television. Thorpe chose to be an athlete, not a celebrity. His talent brought him fame. With fame comes a heavy price – a loss of privacy. In this age of social media, 24 […]

Jacqui Lambie and Heart Radio's Kim & Dave

Jacqui Lambie’s ‘Well-Hung’ Moment

By Doug Weller – Corporate Media Services   Australian Senator, Jacqui Lambie, made some below the belt comments – quite literally, on Hobart’s Heart 107.3 breakfast show with Kim and Dave. In the interview, the radio hosts asked Senator Lambie about her relationship status and what she looks for in a man. Her response was blunt; […]

Ricky Muir struggles

Ricky Muir Fights Back

By Doug Weller – Corporate Media Services Call me unusual if you like but I find politics really interesting. I started covering politics when I was a cub reporter and I’ve been following politics ever since. So forgive me for having another chop at the Ricky Muir/Mike Willesee interview, but the debate which has followed the […]

Ricy Muir Interview enlarged

Ricky Muir – A Deer in the Headlights

By Doug Weller – Corporate Media Services Some people like doing media interviews. They are confident, love the limelight and are naturally good at it – but most are not. The majority of people struggle with nerves and anxiety at the thought of being on TV, with cameras in their face, answering questions. The problem is fear. […]

Abbott Wink Image

Abbott’s wink – Body language in the media

By Corporate Media Services A wink of the eye can say so many things. You can give a reassuring wink, a flirty wink, or even a conspiratorial wink. This small and simple physical gesture can send many different non-verbal signals. Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, was reminded of what a wink can mean as he took […]

n The Media Spotlight: James Packer and David Gyngell

In The Media Spotlight: James Packer and David Gyngell

By Corporate Media Services Media big shots forget the media’s rules of engagement Watching happy snaps and YouTube re-runs of the Packer – Gyngell biff reminded me of a 60’s episode of Batman. “Holy media mogul Batman, is that your tooth flying through the air?” Boom! Bash! Kapow!!! Back in the days of the original Batman, […]

Social Media Versus Traditional Media

Social Media Versus Traditional Media

By Corporate Media Services Media spokespeople often complain that media interviews with journalists, microphones and cameras are stressful. However, unlike social media, media spokespeople are aware of the moment and the possible ramifications. With social media, you may not be aware of the possible ramifications of what is recorded online in text, audio or video. […]

Crisis Media Communications Case Study – Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370

Crisis Media Communications Case Study – Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370

By Corporate Media Services Case Study Background The terrible tragedy of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will no doubt be discussed in crisis communications case studies for many years to come. It’s hard to imagine a crisis with so many tragic elements, 227 passengers and 12 crew presumed dead, hundreds of devastated family members and […]

The Bali Media Circus Continues…

Australian Media Circus in Bali by Doug Weller The money driven, ego driven, Australian media circus in Bali needs to end. Every non local media representative in Bali should just pack up and go home. Then cover something that really matters to the Australian community – something in the public interest. http://goo.gl/wy48uc

The Bali Media Circus

The Bali Media Circus Posted by Doug Weller The media circus in Bali is in full swing and Shapelle Corby is yet to be released. It will be very interesting to watch this roll out over the next few days and watch the major news outlets scramble for exclusives. News becomes entertainment – there’s a […]

Dealing With a Crisis

Dealing With a Crisis Posted by Doug Weller The current diplomatic crisis with Indonesia is a really interesting case study in crisis management. It backs up our firm belief that you need to do the following as a crisis develops: Move quickly – understand how bad it could get. Communicate early – get the messages […]

Remain Calm Under Pressure

Remain Calm Under Pressure When the pressure is on ensure you remain calm – especially when there are TV cameras everywhere. http://goo.gl/BXL5DJ Posted by Doug Weller Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

media training

Another Sensational Performance By Hillary Clinton

This is how we need to answer questions. Too long for most media but really credible and powerful. Posted by Doug Weller Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

Why Shock Jocks Rate

Posted by Doug Weller Interesting article on why shock jocks are a ratings hit. http://goo.gl/pGGQjX Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

Clear and Concise Media Messages

Clear and Concise Media Messages Posted by Doug Weller Great to see these clear messages being delivered during the New South Wales bushfires – so important during an emergency. http://goo.gl/exFoMo Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

Presentation Pressures On High Profile Women

Presentation Pressures On High Profile Women Posted by Doug Weller Great article from journalist Annabel Crabb regarding the presentation pressures on high profile women: http://goo.gl/xpQxza Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

Poor Choice Of Message

Poor Choice Of Message Posted by Doug Weller Poor choice of message sparks a predictable response: http://goo.gl/2ifzdw Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

Remain Calm During Media Events

Remain Calm During Media Events Posted by Doug Weller One of the first lessons of media communications – remain calm: This may be entertaining but it’s not a good look: http://goo.gl/2O8jlk Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905  

Caught On Camera

Caught On Camera Posted by Doug Weller We now live in a world where cameras are everywhere: http://goo.gl/ZXldc8 Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

Get Your Facts Straight Before a Media Interview – Part Two

Get your facts straight before a media interview By Doug Weller Media communication 101: Before you front the media, get your facts straight. http://goo.gl/hHy2Es Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

Get Your Facts Straight Before a Media Interview

Get your facts straight before a media interview Posted by Doug Weller Media communication 101: Before you front the media, get your facts straight. http://goo.gl/RwdPv5 Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

Changing Style of TV News Coverage

Changing Style of TV News Coverage Posted by Doug Weller Interesting to view the changing style of TV news coverage. Here is an ITN news bulletin following the birth of Prince William about 30 year ago. Interesting when compared with today’s royal birth media circus. To view: http://goo.gl/wRzoZG Make an enquiry now or call us […]

News Anchor Nightmare

News Anchor Nightmare Posted by Doug Weller Television news and current affairs anchors cop a lot of flack, but when there is chaos off set, they are the ones who wear it: http://goo.gl/DKq9q Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905  

Great Use of Social Media

Great Use of Social Media Posted by Doug Weller There has been more than 50 million hits on this award winning Metro Trains Melbourne video. Great use of social media. Details here: http://goo.gl/E6oT5 Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905  

Live Clanger

By Doug Weller Here is another example of someone forgetting the microphone was on during a live broadcast. If you are involved in a live interview or broadcast be aware of where you are and what you are doing.  Click here to see the clanger: http://goo.gl/wzYsj Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 […]

Media Ratings

Media Ratings People often forget that the media, including radio, is a business. This item explains how crucial ratings are for radio commentators. We should never forget the level of competition involved in the media and the impact it has on those working in the media industry. If you can’t watch the whole program, make […]

A Great Article About Journalism

This is a great article from a good journalist. By Doug Weller http://goo.gl/FCRjg Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

Unusual Broadcast Interview

Unusual Broadcast Interview By Doug Weller Never go near a microphone after a few drinks. Here’s why: http://goo.gl/OuyIH Make an enquiry now or call us on 1300 737 913 or +61 412 298 905

How to build relationships with journalists

How To Build Relationships With Journalists

By Doug Weller Have you ever wondered how to build relationships with journalists? It is important that you build and maintain strong, professional and mutually beneficial relationships with journalists. If your organisation has a media or public relations division, work with and be guided by, these media professionals to facilitate this process. Most journalists work […]

How to use radio to communicate your media message

How To Use Radio To Communicate Your Media Message

First Published: 9/7/10 Last Update: 08/09/12 Author: Doug Weller Words: 1,668 Radio is one of the most useful mediums in terms of getting a media message across. People tend to fear radio because it is a live medium. Some people feel that they can’t communicate properly if they can’t see the person who is conducting […]

Interview Nerves

Three Major Myths of Media Training

First Published: 08/07/10 Last Update: 09/07/12 Author: Doug Weller Words: 1,760 Media Training-Media Training-Media Training. Why is there such a thing as media training? Why do we conduct Media Training Programs and Media Training Courses? A few decades ago media training did not exist. Media training has only been around, in a formal sense, since […]

Communicating with the media if you are in business

Communicating With The Media If You Are In Business

First Published: 01/07/10 Last Update: 07/09/12 Author: Doug Weller Words: 1,423 Today we are going to talk about the media and media training. I’ve been involved with the media industry for more than 30 years. I’ve worked in all areas of the media – print, radio, television and public relations, both in Australia and overseas. […]