Can You Spin ChatGPT?

Can You Spin ChatGPT?

Author: BBC Radio 4 March 18, 2026 Duration: 22:08

In the good old days, if you wanted some favourable PR for a client, you could call up a journalist and take them out for a jolly good lunch. It's not so easy when the thing you're trying to influence is a bot. So is it possible to spin the likes of ChatGPT?

This week David Yelland is joined by Lauren Beeching - a crisis management expert with clients that count their followers in millions.

They discuss how AI is changing so much of the nuts and bolts of the PR reputation game - from having to become a tech wizard to work out if 'evidence' is real, to understanding how to influence what AI chatbots say.

And on the extended edition on BBC Sounds, the Fan Hitter that almost broke the internet is back. The woman at the centre of the Coldplay KissCam scandal, Kristin Cabot, has done a big interview with Oprah - and discusses the PR advice she was given.

She claims she was told, "Stay quiet, everything will blow over in three days."

Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Producer: Duncan Middleton Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: Eve Streeter Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur Studios 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
Quick Wins: How to break unwelcome news [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:05
Quick Wins is a series of mini episodes from the When It Hits the Fan team to steer you through your own personal PR in your working life.In this episode, David and Simon answer listener Joe's question about how to deliv…
Trump shooting, Biden and loser PR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:21
David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss an extraordinary and terrifying weekend of political drama in the US, with the attempted assassination of Donald Trump crowding out calls for Joe Biden to quit the presidential race.…
Can Keir kill spin? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 t…
When It Hits The Fan x The Today Podcast x Newscast [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:08
Three podcasts, one question: How influential is the media on the election?Newscast, The Today Podcast and When It Hits The Fan are coming together for a special election episode. Hosts from all three podcasts will discu…
Can Starmer do PR?, the Green Party and being Taylor Swift's ex [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:30
David Yelland and Simon Lewis administer the Fan Hitter PR slide rule to Sir Keir Starmer's election campaign. How has the Labour leader dealt with some of his stickier PR moments around his previous endorsement of Jerem…
Sunak's D-Day blunder, is Farage using dog whistles?, and Mike Lynch [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:41
David and Simon analyse what is arguably the biggest PR moment in British electoral history - Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's decision to leave the D-Day celebrations in Normandy early. Simon takes us behind the scenes at N…

«1...678910