Arise Sir Goldenballs. With David Beckham all set to receive a knighthood, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at whether it's possible to use PR to get yourself a major honour.Whisper it quietly, but there might be things you can do to, let's say, maximise your chances.Also, in the extended edition on BBC Sounds, they look at how to spin a change of direction after a week of high-profile U-turns. And they discuss what other campaigners could learn from Jamie Oliver as he sets his sights on how the education system treats kids with dyslexia.Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
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29:47
'Humanity Deserves Better'
What do you get if the designer of the iPhone teams up with the founder of OpenAI? Unbelievable hype, that's what.This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis examine the huge buzz created by the news that Jony Ive and Sam Altman have joined forces to create 'the coolest bit of tech the world will have ever seen'. The claims don't end there - even though we have no idea what their new product will be. So how do you PR something that doesn't yet exist?Also, on the extended version on BBC Sounds, we all saw it but did it even happen? The bizarre attempt to blame President Macron being shoved by his wife on AI fakery. How the best laid PR plans can dissolve in a moment.And from golden keys to black eyes, Simon and David break down the Trump/Musk press conference.Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
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27:00
You're Banned!
It's that moment when a boss, a CEO or football manager goes all Peggy Mitchell and screams: 'You're Barred'. It might work in EastEnders but is it sensible in the world of PR? In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis look at the motivations behind banning journalists. Is a ban just one big power play and does it ever achieve anything? And more importantly, are there darker arts that can be more effectively employed to freeze someone out?Also, in the extended episode on BBC Sounds, they'll be answering your burning PR questions - including how to fight back against cuts and what you should really tell your client in the moments before a big interview.Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
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29:13
Robotaxis: Look, no hands!
How do you PR the future? That's the question David Yelland and Simon Lewis are wrestling with this week. As Uber says it's 'ready to go' with driverless cabs, can the British public be persuaded to jump in? How do you sell a vision? Also, in the extended edition on BBC Sounds, they look at Gary Lineker's departure from the BBC and the PR rules around staying silent or speaking out. And when is a gift not just a gift? Possibly when it's a $400m plane. David and Simon pull back the covers on the world of freebies.Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: Eve Streeter
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
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31:20
The Spy Who Leaked Me
Spying tends to be a fairly secretive game, for obvious reasons. So eyebrows have been quizzically raised (a bit like Roger Moore's 007) following the naming of the woman apparently favourite to become the new chief of MI6. This week, David Yelland and Simon Lewis explore the murky world of leaks. Who benefits from them, why are they done and just how damaging can they be?They'll explain why leaking is far from victimless and reveal their own experiences of turning on the news and realising someone is out to get you.And in the extended episode on BBC Sounds, have the Beckham's lost control of their PR? With pages of newspaper coverage devoted to their supposed family rift, David and Simon look at when two PR tribes go to war.Producer: Duncan Middleton
Editor: Sarah Teasdale
Executive Producer: William Miller
Music by Eclectic Sounds
A Raconteur Studios production for BBC Radio 4
Inside the world of crisis managers and spin doctors as David Yelland and Simon Lewis watch the week's biggest PR disasters unfold. In each episode our hosts go behind the scenes of the latest news stories and find out how, where and when it all began to hit the fan. When It Hits The Fan is hosted by two of the most influential and experienced people in the game; David Yelland is the former editor of the Sun and alongside him is Simon Lewis, former trouble-shooter for the Queen and Gordon Brown, as well as for major corporations like the Nat West, Vodafone and British Gas. Together they bring decades of experience in both creating and managing crises. They'll share all they know about what's keeping those big stories in and out of the news.
UK