When It Hits the Fan

Quick Wins is a series of short episodes from the When It Hits the Fan team to help you navigate your own personal PR.In your professional life as well as your personal life, what you say no to can be more important than what you say yes to. In this episode David and Simon share their advice on how to do it the right way - to a boss who is asking you to overwork, to a job offer that's not the right fit or when you smell a rat. How to set the right boundaries?Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss South West Water’s handling of the Brixham water contamination and what this tells us about the fundamental problems in the UK water industry. Why were the people of South Devon told their water was safe when it was not? And when a crisis hits, who is the best person to speak on behalf of a company. Is it the 'chief customer officer'? Also, in the week The Sunday Times Rich List is published, Simon and David share some secrets about how the blue chip PR world tries to get people on the list - and also get people off it! And does the PR industry look after the mental health of its own people well enough? They take a look at a concerning report.Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

Quick Wins is a series of short episodes from the When It Hits the Fan team to help you navigate your own personal PR.In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the power of an apology. Professional - and personal - relationships are based on being able to say sorry at the right time. So how do you mark sure yours hits the mark? Do it before the sun goes down, do it the hard way and always mean it.Producer: Eve Streeter Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

This week, two of the world’s biggest tech companies have found themselves in PR crises of their own making. Why did Apple's new iPad Pro 'crush' advert misfire so badly? Meanwhile at Baidu - China’s biggest search engine - its PR boss has lost her job after videos of her promoting a toxic work culture went viral. David Yelland and Simon Lewis go to the heart of a secret and little understood reputational war and look at the real battle between the west coast of America and China’s Silicon Valley. And - bowing out gracefully. How Nadhim Zahawi’s exit strategy from politics ticked all the PR boxes.Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss Manchester’s Co-op Live arena opening delays – will these prove to cause long-term reputational damage to the great north-western institution, or will they be a blip that's soon forgotten? Also, why did so-called "well-placed sources" in Westminster seek to spin the London Mayoral Election result after the polls had closed? Was it good PR? And how’s it going for Donald Trump trying to spin from inside his Manhattan court room? David and Simon peak inside the Trumpian bubble and look at how PR advisors sometimes protect the rich and powerful from bad news.Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the resignation of Huw Edwards and how the BBC has handled this ongoing crisis – its PR, its strategy and the enduring power of the tabloids in this country to throw an incendiary device into famous places. They also lift the lid on the art of euphemistic spin and how the language of PR was used in the Post Office IT Horizon scandal - or should we say “anomaly”? And, runaway horses - how the Army responded to the surreal and shocking Household Cavalry rampage through central London and why you’ll now find a significant number of former Army officers in PR.Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

In a special episode of When It Hits the Fan, Simon Lewis and David Yelland talk to Matthew Freud about his 40-year career at the head of one of the most influential PR businesses in the world. Freud Communications has promoted and protected the reputations of the biggest names in Britain. Born into the famous Freud family, he married into a global media dynasty to become Rupert Murdoch's son-in-law. He has kept the secrets of the rich and the powerful as well as advising prime ministers and pop stars. In this rare broadcast interview, Matthew Freud discusses power, politics and his views on British public life from his unique perspective at the pinnacle of public relations.Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

On When It Hits the Fan, we often talk about crises as if they should be avoided at all costs. But Dorothy Byrne, the former head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4, is living proof that walking towards the fan is often a hallmark of people that effect positive change.In this special deep-dive interview, David Yelland and Simon Lewis talk to Dorothy about the relationship between PR and journalism, being lobbied, and her fearless approach to reporting the truth – including her 2019 MacTaggart lecture when she called the then prime minister a “known liar”. Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

In this special episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis talk to Mick Lynch, the leader of the RMT, about how to get your point across.We seem to be living through a time when words too often fail us. But there are some people in our body politic whose words cut through - regardless of our own thoughts on their views. Many of Mick Lynch's head-to-heads with journalists and politicians have gone viral. Like - when speaking directly to a government minister - “He’s lying… you are telling lies.” To a journalist: "You do come up with the most remarkable twaddle,” and, during a speech, his rallying call: "We refuse to be poor anymore.” He even managed to win public sympathy for that most unpopular of disruptions – a nationwide train strike.How does he do it?Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4

In this episode, David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss the lessons learnt from the Princess of Wales’s video announcement that she is undergoing treatment for cancer. It raises some important issues for the Royal Family in a social media age. And for all of us. What is privacy in the online world? How can people in the public eye manage their privacy in the global village that is social media? And for the Royal Family going forward, what can the Palaces do to protect individual members while also promoting the royal brand? The Royal Family are in the vanguard here. What Kate is experiencing is what many others may have to face in the future. Will this be a turning point?Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Assistant Producer: Sophie Smith Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4