Tag Archives: media training

BP not ready for media, says Tony Hayward.

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That was apparent.

The former BP chief executive went on the air in a BBC documentary to say that if he had a degree in acting “rather than a degree in geology I may have done better” in handling the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster.

Hayward didn’t acknowledge BP’s failed crisis communication plan, if one existed at all, nor the company’s failed understanding of the news media and their mission.

This is Haywood’s first in-depth interview about his handling of the crisis. Here’s a clip.

Hayward revealed a corporate and personal insensitivity when he famously said, “I want my life back,” while families and workers grieved the loss of 11 men killed in the disaster.

He even tried to diminish the gravity of the situation by saying the amount of oil which had leaked into the Gulf of Mexico was “relatively tiny” compared with the “very big ocean.” In fact, this disaster is the world’s biggest accidental marine oil spill.

Remember, the mic is always hot.

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This has happened to so many politicians: They speak as if no one outside the room can hear — even though the lights are up and the lavalier microphone is attached.

California’s Republican U.S. Senate nominee Carly Fiorina joins the group. No matter what the hair-do, this isn’t pretty.

The Fiorina campaign is brushing off the comments as “early morning small talk” (a Fiorina press secretary email to CNN). Perhaps the chat will fade, but for now it reveals a cattiness that is no more complimentary to the candidate than it is to teenage girls when they act this way.

This candidate has been media trained, and she’s experienced. But it’s times like these, when she’s distracted from the win and likely short on sleep, that she needs her trusted media staff to keep her safe. A pro in the studio would have seen this one coming.