Learn from Liz Truss’s mistakes with UK regional media
The former PM’s brief tenure included a disastrous local media tour. Here’s what went wrong.
Early on during her 44 days in office, former prime minister Liz Truss decided to take on a morning of interviews with local BBC radio stations rather than speaking to the national media. Her aim was to reassure listeners about her highly controversial “mini budget,” possibly believing that local journalists would be more sympathetic than their national counterparts. What she entirely failed to take into account was that the journalists would want answers on issues that mattered to people in these areas, such as government plans for fracking in Lancashire.
The PM was unable to respond effectively to any of these questions, instead attempting to parrot the same messages to each interviewer. The morning constituted a PR disaster which certainly played a part in her short tenancy at Number 10. For several days after the interviews, compilations of the highlights were replayed gleefully across social media.
We took a look at what Truss got wrong and have drawn up a few pointers to help you better understand the UK regional media, and how to work with them.
How to score a U in regional media relations (the worst grade you can get in a British exam)!
Truss’s campaign had three major failings:
How to do better
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