So what’s the difference, really, between eating cows and eating horses? And what about dogs and cats? And the more you think about it, the more likely it is you might want to eat less meat or even stop eating meat altogether.
This was one of the points made by Lynne Elliot, chief executive of the Vegetarian Society, in a recent interview about the scandal of horse meat being found in products billed as beef. She was measured, conversational, relaxed, confident – even humorous. Most importantly, she appeared passionate without being fanatical.
Unfortunately, you won’t have seen this interview being broadcast. It was filmed as part of a Media Trust interview training course she did at the PR firm Porter Novelli, and it won her the prize of Charity Voice 2013. Six people from her charity will now get free media training.
I was one of the judges for the prize, and Lynne was the clear preference of everyone on the panel. We also awarded a ‘highly commended’ to Una Moran of St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield, another relaxed and confident interviewee.
Five people – all women – were on the shortlist drawn from the charity staff who did the course last year with the Media Trust, the charity that works with the media industry to help charities improve their communications.
Some of them had particularly complex subjects to talk about in their interviews, such as the ins and outs of the Health and Social Care Act and the latest policy on homelessness. But they all showed that they were using the skills they had learned, such as mentioning an example of their beneficiaries by name and holding steady eye contact with the interviewer.
In today’s world of 24-hour media, a charity can live or die by a soundbite. When opportunities come to appear on radio or TV, it’s a great advantage to be able to put up someone who not only knows their stuff, but also knows how to put it over effectively in a stressful and sometimes hostile context. A few people can do it naturally; a few are unsuited for it by nature; most mortals need some help, and can benefit from some simple guidance.
The other three contenders were Laura Keely from Macmillan Cancer Support, Laura Robinson from National Voices and Pam Orchard from Providence Row. The competition will continue next year: anyone who takes part in a Media Trust interview training course until the end of April 2014 will automatically be entered. Prices to cover the trust’s administrative costs range from £200 to £350, depending on the size of charity, and Porter Novelli’s facilities and staff time are provided pro bono.