Electric Train(er)

Approximately the size of Wales

It's not easy to come up with quick and easy comparisons that make it clear how big, small, expensive, or devastating an issue might be.  It's something we often talk about during media training sessions.

Traditionally, burning trees in the Amazon are 'roughly the size of Wales', or perhaps 'twice the size of Belgium'. A satellite is usually 'the size of a freezer' or weighs 'as much as a London bus'.

These are brave - and probably doomed - stabs at the tricky task of grabbing the audience's attention.

Yesterday two politicians used two different arresting analogies on BBC Radio 5 Live while describing prison policies. They caught my attention because they were both arresting and meaningless.

The first comment was:

"There are twice as many people in prison than there are in the Royal Navy."

The second:

"It costs more to keep someone in prison than to send them to Eton."

I haven't got a clue how accurate these comparison are, but they are interesting because they have no relation to each other.

There is no meaningful link between the Royal Navy and prisons, so the comparison quickly breaks down.

The Eton comment was presumably used to show both Eton and the prison system in a bad light. At least that was the effect it had on me.

These phrases just made me want to find out how many people are in the Navy and (more intriguingly) how much does is cost to send someone to Eton. The fact that I haven't got a clue about either of these figures underlines the weakness of the analogies.

At least I know the size of Wales. I used to live there.

What is ordinary?

An intriguing comment on Radio 4's WATO earlier this week. An interviewee used a phrase which had me running for my notebook. Talking about grammar schools he said:

"The kids who are getting the benefit of selection where there are grammar schools are middle class kids, and there are very few kids from ordinary backgrounds who are getting into these schools."

It made me realise that the word 'ordinary' only has meaning in a relative sense. For the speaker (from an organisation that helps under-privileged children) you are not 'ordinary' if you are middle class. This probably came across as bizarre to listeners to the most middle class radio station on the dial.

But then perhaps middle class is a relative concept too.

Panorama, Scientology and Media Training

John Sweeney's extraordinary contribution to the Scientology debate was strangely fascinating to watch. Animal passion was the term that came to mind - or perhaps just animal frustration.

Unfortunately the knock on effect for those of us in the media training business may not be so positive. I like to work with charities and NGOs. It's rewarding work as I meet so many dedicated and clever people.

At an exhibition for the voluntary section last year I met a lot of people who think that all journalists are rude and bullying, and would prefer not to have anything to do with them.

I find it frustrating that my training often has to start with lots of reassurance to sometimes nervous trainees that they are very unlikely to be trapped, shouted at or in any way Paxmanned.

My view is that media training is about focusing on the message and getting plenty of interview practice. After all, a 2'30" interview is hardly a normal situation. Practice helps you retain your passion for your subject while addressing the subject in question in an unnaturally short period of time. (And I agree with a lot of what Julian Henry wrote recently.)

I suppose John Sweeney has at least provided something to break the ice at the beginning of a training session. Having a good laugh about his outburst might just put trainees at their ease.