A lot has been written over the past week about Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s half apology for remarks made about the UK being “colonised by immigrants”.
While the statement saying sorry, his “choice of language has offended some people” will have made many comms professionals squirm, the way Sir Jim got himself into hot water in an interview is what I found interesting.
For 10 or 11 minutes of a 14-minute interview with Sky News journalist Ed Conway, the billionaire gave strong views on the challenges facing the chemicals industry and the decline of UK manufacturing. He had key points to land on behalf of his business Ineos and did so clearly. It was a solid business interview.
Then, to close, Conway asked a seemingly very general question: “What’s your take on the UK government and their economic strategy?”
Cue an answer about the Prime Minister needing to make unpopular decisions – as Radcliffe himself said he has done at Manchester United, where he’s a minority owner.
He then strayed into the much-criticised lines about immigrants – doubling down when the journalist questions the word “colonised”.
When delivering media training, we advise people to consider whether a question is a “red” or “green” question before answering – i.e. safe, or not.
Most spokespeople are naturally on the lookout for a “gotcha” question, and if they are expecting a hard-hitting line of enquiry, prepare robust answers and messaging.
But often journalists get a story simply by letting interviewees talk. It is an approach which understands people in positions of power often can’t resist giving their own personal view, for example, on what’s wrong with the country. By framing it as an open question, Conway was likely hoping for an unguarded opinion, but let the interviewee decide what on.
CEOs and Chairmen are used to telling people what they think. Getting them to stick to talking points when asked for their personal views can be hard. But people in those roles also know they are synonymous with the brands they represent – which is why the comments have been so problematic for Manchester Utd, a club with a global, multicultural fanbase.
The “and finally” or “before you go” style of question has long been a staple of media interviews. They are normally slotted in towards the end of a conversation when interviewees are in their stride, comfortable and feeling confident.
In media training, we advise people to have a broad idea of the live issues in their sector and to anticipate questions related to the economy or politics that they might reasonably be expected to have a view on. If that subject is controversial, think of a diplomatic comment that won’t create a headline. And once you’ve made your point, stop talking! Find out more about our media training service here.
