Public affairs and communications management

"David Cameron’s recent appearance on BBC1’s The One Show would undoubtedly have been treated with some scepticism by many in the world of politics, who might argue that prime-time TV appearances by prime ministers should be kept to important affairs of state rather than entertainment. Others might argue it was the kind of publicity stunt which would have been favoured by the Blair government, hoping that the era of the ‘dumbing down’ of politics was over.

However, appearing on a light-hearted prime time current affairs show was an astute move by the prime minister. This single half-hour appearance would have conveyed the government’s message to a large number of voters who may be too busy or disinterested to watch PMQs on a Wednesday, or even the Andrew Marr Show on a Sunday morning, which is aired at a time when many people are catching up on sleep.

Explaining domestic policy and foreign affairs to the general public is a complex and difficult task. People are time-pressured and rarely have the time to disseminate detailed news stories, policy developments and government announcements. By simplifying and lightening the government’s key messages on The One Show, without being subjected to a Paxmanesque grilling, David Cameron was able to promote the coalition’s policies with the minimum of fuss.

Communications consultants face the same problems. Often dealing with similar complex information, consultants are required to condense and simplify detail in order to effectively get across a client’s messages - whether to the media, policymakers or wider stakeholder groups. It is important to note that simplifying messages does not necessarily mean ‘dumbing down’, but articulating a message in an accessible way for maximum effect."