We love analysing the media interviews that have grabbed your attention.
One recent media appearance has gained plenty of interest.
And some particularly stinging criticism.
Pensions Minister Torsten Bell appeared on Newsnight after the Government had outlined plans to cut disability payments by £5 billion per year by 2030 – a move that drew outrage from poverty and disability charities.
It was always going to be a difficult media appearance facing the tenacious Victoria Derbyshire, and you can’t help but think Mr Bell drew the short straw in being sent out to defend the cuts.
But regardless, it is hard to imagine how the interview could have gone any worse.
Here are some of the headlines the interview generated:
Additionally, Dan Hodges’ Daily Mail column said Mr Bell’s interview had made him “the living embodiment of everything people hate about Keir Starmer's government.”
Painful stuff.
Now, I know what you’re thinking - there have been many examples of politicians floundering in the media spotlight.
I hear you.
So, to mix it up a bit, I decided that instead of giving you my thoughts, I would run the interview through our new AI training companion – Thirty Seven.
Shall we explore what it thinks?
Looking through the extensive – and instant feedback – the system produces, one of the first things I spotted was its thoughts on Mr Bell’s evasive interview approach.
Thirty Seven said: “One area that needs improvement is your tendency to sidestep direct questions, which can undermine the audience's confidence.
“For instance, when asked directly, ‘Are you okay with making people worse off?’ you repeatedly responded with broader points about system sustainability without addressing the core of the question.”
Thirty Seven added: “Similarly, when discussing the potential £70 weekly support, you could have more clearly addressed why this support level is deemed necessary or how additional support mechanisms (like housing benefit) alleviate these concerns.”
The feedback, which is based on our unique media training methodology and extensive experience in preparing spokespeople to face the media, also highlights how Mr Bell tried to quickly move away from challenging questions by saying ‘well’ and immediately transitioning.
It advises using the bridging technique to acknowledge concerns – and not sound dismissive – before looking to guide the conversation.
So, when Mr Bell was repeatedly asked ‘Are you okay with making people worse off?’, Thirty Seven advises he could have said something like: "I understand the concern, and while some may be worse off in the short term, our goal is to create a sustainable system that ultimately benefits everyone.”
What about the ‘Could you live on £70 a week?’ question.
Personal questions like this are tough to handle. Many media spokespeople – not just politicians - have floundered trying to answer them.
Mr Bell responded by saying: “Absolutely not”.
That’s a short answer that immediately surrenders any control of the conversation. And it’s no great surprise the journalist returned to it. When he was pushed, he said: “I have a mortgage to pay.”
Not a great look – disabled and sick people also have mortgages. But what could he have said?
Thirty Seven suggests showing earlier compassion for those impacted by the cuts would have helped avoid the question being asked.
It recommends an answer like this to the question of young people living on £70 a week: "I understand that living on £70 a week is challenging.
“However, we are also providing additional supports like housing benefits and personal independence payments to ensure that young people have the necessary support."
What else does the feedback show?
Well, one of the other aspects that grabbed my attention was the speed at which the politician spoke – 222 words per minute is rapid.
If you compare it to Ms Derbyshire, she spoke at 171 words per minute. It’s a big difference.
Why does this matter? During our media training courses, we tell delegates that speaking too quickly makes it hard for the audience to follow responses. Messages and points are lost.
But the pace also suggests Mr Bell is uncomfortable, nervous and hoping to get the experience over and done with as soon as possible. Excessive speed reduces authority and gravitas in media interviews.
Thirty Seven also advises the politician’s language could have been simpler and says his technical jargon “made it difficult for a broad audience to fully grasp your message”.
It said: “Instead of saying ‘tightening the eligibility,’ you could say ‘making it harder to qualify’.”
I mentioned earlier that the Thirty Seven feedback is based on our unique methodology. If you have been on one of our media skills training courses before, you know we use the TRUTH test to look at the newsworthiness of content. It stands for Timely, Relevant, Unusual, contains an element of Trouble and has Human interest.
Thirty Seven says Mr Bell’s interview lacked the human element and says examples of people the reforms are designed to help would have improved his performance.
It said: “You addressed the current and relevant aspects of the news story and acknowledged the tension arising from the policy changes. However, your responses could have been more impactful by highlighting unique elements and using human case studies or examples.”
Our AI training companion also suggests Mr Bell should have used less negative language and tried to focus on what the Government believes are the long-term benefits of the changes.
It said: “You could say, "We are implementing changes to ensure a more sustainable and supportive system that will ultimately benefit more people.
Did Mr Bell do anything well?
Thirty Seven likes his limited use of filler words and lack of repetition.
And it says only three per cent of his words were weak - things like ‘absolutely’, ‘totally’, ‘very’, and ‘really’.
It also praises him for maintaining his composure while facing tough questions.
The Thirty Seven feedback doesn’t end there. For the remote interviews you can carry out at home with the system’s AI journalists, it also measures eye contact and whether you are centred on the screen.
And all this feedback is instant.
What would I add?
Don’t leave it until after the interview to get this level of feedback and analysis.
Get ahead now.
Develop and polish your skills with our AI ahead of your next media interview – regardless of whether it is with Newsnight or your local newspaper.
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Media First are media and communications training specialists with nearly 40 years of experience. We have a team of trainers, each with decades of experience working as journalists, presenters, communications coaches and media trainers.
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