Trump shooting, Biden and loser PR

When It Hits the Fan

David Yelland and Simon Lewis discuss an extraordinary and terrifying weekend of political drama in the US, with the attempted assassination of Donald Trump crowding out calls for Joe Biden to quit the presidential race. And they reflect on England losing out once more on the main prize at an international football tournament.

How does the invisible industrial complex of spin that quietly hums along, shaping so much of what you see and hear, kick into action in these moments of high public drama? How do communicators use their skill in crafting words - and images - to create history, to fashion phrases that capture moments which live forever? Simon takes us behind the scenes at Number 10 and the Palace.

They reveal two areas of PR not often discussed in public: Loser PR – how to lose in public – and Elder PR – the art of giving Fan-Hitting counsel to very old and very powerful men who are inclined not to listen. Is there an expert in Elder PR at work in the White House?

Producer: Eve Streeter Editor: Sarah Teasdale Executive Producer: William Miller Music by Eclectic Sounds A Raconteur production for BBC Radio 4