HOW TO TELL THE EU STORY
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON COMMUNICATING
“Get the people who panic out of the room,” was Amadeu Altafaj’s blunt advice on how to handle a crisis at the latest News and Booze event for NGO communicators.
As a European Commission spokesman during the financial crisis, Amadeu knows how to keep calm and carry on communicating when things go pear-shaped. So does experienced comms consultant Jo Sullivan, who advised: “You need to be at the front of the crisis with a solution.”
Other tips on how to handle a crisis were: Make sure you have an updated crisis communication strategy, accept there is a problem and talk about the solution, and stick to your core principles when messaging.
If you missed the session, News and Booze co-founder Julia Ravenscroft has kindly summed up all the tips for you.
HOW NOT TO ZUCK AT CHAIRING
After pontificating for an hour, MEPs let the Facebook boss cherrypick which questions he answered in his 20-minute response. This technique of bunching questions together encourages long-windedness from interrogators and evasiveness from speakers. It also makes for a lousy debate.
If only MEPs had read our ’10 Commandments for Conference Organisers’ first: lnkd.in/gCyJB3b
In line with the new GDPR regulation entering into force on 25 May 2018, we have updated our privacy policy to provide more transparency.
The following article provides information on the type of data we’re collecting and how we use it.
NEW COURSE: HOW TO SHINE ON CAMERA
Many people dread being in front of the camera as much as going to the dentist. The problem is it’s difficult to be professionally camera-shy when communication relies more and more on you looking and sounding good on video.
In our new hands-on course with media trainer and former TV reporter John Holland, you’ll discover how to deliver snappy soundbites, convey powerful messages and tell compelling stories on screen. Whether it’s for a corporate video, Facebook live or televised debate, we’ll help you tell your story more clearly and confidently in front of the camera.
Details Here.
TOP TIPS FOR PRESS TRIPS
Getting eight European and central Asian journalists to a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Gulf to report on progress in defeating ISIS was a logistical headache. But the press trip we helped organise for the US-European Media Hub was an unforgettable experience. As one journalist said: “I’ve covered the World Cup and reported from inside North Korea, but this tops them all.”
So what makes a great press trip? Here are our 5 tips for making sure your media visit is a success:
1. Keep it short: 2-3 days max. Any more is difficult to justify for busy reporters.
2. Plan the trip around potential stories rather than smart restaurants.
3. Avoid conference rooms. Journalists like to see stuff not hear about it.
4. Don’t try to pack too much in. Leave time for reporters to file stories.
5. Be aware that most US media outlets and newswires will refuse free press trips.
More tips and tricks in our Working with Journalists course.
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MARKETING & COMMUNICATION INTERN
Clear Europe is looking for a marketing and communication intern to help promote our services both online and off. You will also be expected to update the website and social media accounts, help write our monthly newsletter, do some basic administrative tasks and organise training courses, press trips and networking events in Brussels.
The position is paid, full-time and for six months.
EU communication has a reputation for being boring, stuffed with jargon, obsessed with process and hardly cutting edge. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
One EU official who seems to be on a personal mission to shake up the way Europe communicates is Dan Sobovitz, an Israeli, Swiss and Hungarian national who is a speechwriter and digital communication strategist for European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič.
We’re big fans of the campaigns Dan runs so we invited him along to talk about ‘How to Spice up EU communication’ at the monthly News and Booze meeting for NGO communicators we co-host with Joanna Sullivan and Julia Ravenscroft.
SANTAPPLAUSE TO 2018 ?
It’s been a busy year for us at Clear Europe and we’re taking a well-earned break. We hope you are too and wish you and your loved ones happy holidays and a cracking new year.
To get you in the Christmas spirit we’re posting our favourite festive video – from the BBC above. But if you’re looking for something slightly less Santamental check out Greenpeace UK’s epic trolling of Coke to hammer home a powerful message about protecting our oceans.
SKILL UP THIS AUTUMN
Over the past year we’ve had a lot of enquiries from people looking to join open training courses as opposed to the tailor-made ones we usually provide. So we have decided to lay on 10 media and communication courses in the autumn, which are open to everyone, affordably priced and taught by experienced practitioners.
