Can Keir kill spin?

Can Keir kill spin?

Author: BBC Radio 4 July 9, 2024 Duration: 28:33

Just days after Sir Keir Starmer entered Downing Street, David Yelland and Simon Lewis take a special deep dive into what may prove to be a great communications reset at No 10 under the new Prime Minister, with greater transparency at its heart.

But will Sir Keir be able to create the space to govern between the media and his administration? And if he plans to build, build, build, how is he going to manage being very unpopular in a populist era?

Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4


Tune in to When It Hits the Fan for a masterclass in reputation management, hosted by two insiders who have lived through the pressure of the headlines. David Yelland, former editor of The Sun, and communications expert Simon Lewis, bring their unparalleled experience to this BBC Radio 4 podcast. Each week, they dissect the most spectacular public relations meltdowns making news, offering a rare glimpse into the frantic world of crisis managers and spin doctors. You’ll hear them trace the origins of a scandal, pinpointing the exact moment strategies began to unravel and public perception shifted. This isn't just commentary; it's a forensic breakdown of how modern media storms are weathered or worsened by those in charge. The analysis is grounded in real-world stakes, exploring the political and personal consequences of every misstep and recovery attempt. For anyone fascinated by the intersection of media, power, and human error, this podcast provides an essential and gripping narrative. Listening feels like being in the room for a candid, post-mortem between two veterans who understand the game better than most. Their conversations reveal the mechanics behind the news cycle, making sense of how stories explode and what happens when control is lost.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

When It Hits the Fan
Podcast Episodes
1. Rolling the Pitch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:19
This episode will change your life. Seriously.It's a big claim and carries an enormous risk of over-promising.Welcome to the latest episode in our mini-series on the Golden Rules of PR. This week, David Yelland and Simon…
Why Optimism is a PR Superpower [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:37
It may be the season to be jolly but there's not a lot of good cheer going around at the moment. With so much unrelentingly bleak news, how do you persuade anyone that not everything's as bad as it seems? This week, Davi…
Simon Cowell's PR: Judged! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:15
It's panto season and panto villains don't come much bigger than Simon Cowell.The music mogul's made a career and fortune playing the Bad Guy on TV talent shows. But is there more to him - and crucially, is it good PR fo…
Nuns on the Run [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:14
It's not easy winning a PR fight when you're up against three octogenarian nuns whose story has become a global smash.This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at the case of Sister Bernadette, Sister Regina and Sist…
Power, PR and the 'Epstein Class' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:43
Imagine being able to read the private emails sent between some of the most powerful people on the planet. This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis do exactly that. The release of thousands of pages from the so-called Ep…
Is the BBC 'hopeless at PR'? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:34
"They make really stupid basic mistakes and they are hopeless at PR."If you're a podcast about PR, then that quote - made about the BBC this week - is a good place to start when assessing the reputation of the Corporatio…
Two Weeks that Shook the Palace [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:43
It was barely a fortnight - but in that time everything seemed to change.This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at the dramatic way Buckingham Palace responded to the growing crisis over the then-Prince Andrew. Go…
The Strictly Bombshell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:06
As PR moves go, it would surely have earned a '10 from Len'.But what about the BBC's own communications team, who were seemingly as surprised as everyone else when Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman announced they were leav…
The Prince Andrew Crisis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:59
No more Duke of York, no more Order of the Garter. But he is still Prince Andrew. And he is still the King's brother.This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at how Buckingham Palace is trying to distance the Royal…