By Roz Morris, Managing Director TV News London Ltd
Is this a time of uncertainty for both business and for public sector organisations? Let me count the ways.
A World Filled With Uncertainty
There is lots of local and global wobbling. There are currently more than 50 wars and armed conflicts in the world, commodities prices keep on rising and President Trump is not just threatening more wars, we also have to worry about his tariff threats with new versions every week, as well as his destabilising, negative attitudes to countries like the UK who are supposed to be his allies.
Global markets plunged after the President threatened to hit seven EU countries and the UK with new tariffs unless they supported his push for American control of Greenland. The S&P 500 ended down around 2.1% on January 20, its worst day since October, wiping out more than $1.2 trillion in value CNN.
Economic Pressures at Home in the UK
Meanwhile here in the UK where businesses are already complaining about high taxes stifling growth and leading to rising numbers of bankruptcies and job losses, a recent Financial Times poll of 103 leading economists suggests the Government is likely to raise taxes again before the next general election euronews.
According to the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry only 25% of London businesses expect economic improvement in 2026 and they cite the UK Government’s new Employment Rights Act as a major deterrent to hiring.
New Threats: AI, Weather and Workforce Challenges
In addition, the use of AI is threatening the existence of many office jobs and currently the weather is very bad in many countries, including the UK, with storms and floods here causing millions of pounds of damage.
Why Media Scrutiny Is Harsher Than Ever
News media – including the old legacy media of print, radio and TV, as well as social media – is now a huge global 24 hour industry. If the media spotlight falls on you there is no escape, no room for obfuscating.
We are living in a visual economy where so many pictures of controversial incidents are taken that anyone who wants to is able to see multiple angles online from different cameras and can make up their own mind about whether officials are telling the truth or not.
That’s why the Iranian Government shut down the media when it was repressing and shooting thousands of its citizens. That’s why ICE and President Trump’s administration have changed their tone and some of their policies after the fatal shootings of two American citizens.
When Crises Hit, Preparation Matters
There’s an old saying in business: ‘It’s too late to prepare when you’re in the middle of a crisis.’
Do You Have a Crisis Media Management Plan?
Are you prepared for a crisis in your organisation whether financial or accidental? You may have a Crisis Management Plan but do you also have a Crisis Media Management Plan?
Will you be able to answer questions professionally about events which threaten your reputation? For example: What would you say if your organisation was hacked?
When you have to deal with a crisis you don’t only have to deal with it in practical terms, you also have to know how to manage the media and be aware of the real possibilities of permanent reputational damage.
Why Media Training Is Essential in Difficult Time
It is very challenging to have to talk to the media during a crisis. Don’t take the risk of trying to do this without media training. You need to be prepared for problem issues, to know how it feels to be under pressure from journalists and how you can best put your messages across.
How TV News London Can Help
We have helped thousands of our clients to understand the media and prepare for crises, and we can help you to be prepared for the wide range of possible challenges in these very uncertain times.
Contact us at TV News London info@tvnewslondon.co.uk
