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
Friends: The One About PR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:25
When you’re in a crisis, you discover very quickly who your friends are. Or perhaps more accurately, who your friends aren’t.This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis examine how different types of friends are deployed to…
Heart v Head PR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:55
How do you fight a PR battle when everyone's already decided you're the bad guys?That's the problem facing the water industry on the eve of a new Channel 4 factual drama called Dirty Business. The clue is in the title. I…
Is the Office of PM Beyond PR? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:47
Some jobs just can't be done. Circumstances, events and a changing world simply make them undoable.This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis ask whether one such job is communicating on behalf of the Prime Minister. Not j…
Are Andrew and Mandelson Beyond the Fan? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:14
How close is the Palace to being sucked into the Epstein reputational black hole - again?In this episode David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the latest revelations from the Epstein files about Andrew Mountbatten-Windso…
Is the Beckham Brand in Jeopardy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:05
It started with a bombshell but the aftershocks are only just getting started.This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis ask whether David and Victoria Beckham's seemingly bulletproof brand is under threat. The cause is of…
A New Blueprint for PR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:54
Reputations supposedly take years to build and seconds to destroy. But what if that's no longer the case? What if the normal rules about earning - and keeping - a reputation simply don't apply any more.This week, David Y…
Is the Worm Turning on 'Fat Jabs'? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:48
When everything's going really well, there's always a lurking fear that it can't possibly last.This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at how the discussion around weight-loss injections is suddenly, subtly shiftin…
3. Don't Break the Fourth Wall [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:39
Call it smoke and mirrors, call it sleight of hand. The best PR is often invisible PR.In this latest episode of our mini-series on the Golden Rules of PR, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at the risks of showing your w…
2. Don't Delay PR [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:13
Most of us are guilty of it. A problem looms or a crisis kicks off and the knee-jerk reaction is often to ignore it and hope it goes away.Newsflash - it rarely does.In this latest episode of our mini-series on PR's Golde…
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…