S, will you post the talks you gave in the end?

How bloggers are the new fact checkers.

See
http://www.mattwardman.com/blog/2008/01/07/columnists-and-reporters-are-the-new-bloggers/

Matt

What is the subject?

As for the NUJ, I do hope you take up the subject of the dangers of a compliant media. And the importance of proper sourcing of material.

How about juxtaposing a free but compliant media with state controlled media? Are they the one and the same in outcome?

Or how about how the media may (or may not) change if and when Obama is in the Whitehouse?

Just some thoughts.

Actually, plum wine helps. I had some before a phone interview, and huzzah–!! I nailed it!

Allow 2 weeks to prepare a 45 minute speech?

30 minutes and 15 minutes questions?

Seriously (some of these don’t work if you are tied down by a microphone lead or autocue or if it’s really formal).

* Take *everything* out of your pockets. Jingling does not help.
* Decide on the quiescent position of your hands – i.e., whether you are going to put them on the lectern (do you have a lectern?), behind you etc. when not waving them around. Stick to it.
* Use your hands to wave around, point at things etc. to keep people interested – but not all the time.
* Put your notes on the DESK so they don’t shake. Don’t try and read them surrepticiously – stop and look.
* Have a plant in the audience to wave at you at 30 minutes. If you haven’t got one, grab one.
* Talk at the person at the back. Arrive 15 minutes early and do a test.

My top tip:

* Move around. Get out from behind your lectern. Perch on the desk like a C5 newsreader. Walk up a gangway and sit on a desk half way up if it is a lecture theatre. Keep ‘em watching you and surprised. If anyone is getting sleepy, walk over and speak for a bit from near them.

MW

A debate about the definition of ‘Britishness’
Speakers: Professor Anne Phillips, professor of Political and Gender Theory at LSE, and Professor Sir Bernard Crick, emeritus professor of Birkbeck College
On: Tuesday 11 March at 6.30-8pm in the Old Theatre, Old Building LSE

“As the composition of British society transforms with immigration and transnational identities, ideas about the notion of ‘Britishness’ are changing too. In the interest of a cohesive citizenry, must the UK return to ‘core British values’? Or should Britain’s identity change with its population? Should a British identity even exist? ”

rumbold’s got a good suggestion..
rohin, you are funny..!

anyway such speech-y things are usually rubbishly artificial i always find, just say any old thing and the real natter happens when the drinking/tea sipping starts..

This includes cutting the cheese, running your tongue over your teeth, picking your teeth, shuffling your feet, picking your earwax, pulling out your murphs, slipping into Punjabi, scratching your beard, cleaning out your nose, etc.

I am nothing like my blogging persona. Nothing.

“I just never have anything worth saying.”

That is because you are too busy stealing my kidneys!

“Saying that though, the last time I asked ideas about ‘changing the world’ at the Fabian conference, all you folks came up with was some idealistic airy-fairy ideas! (Yes, I’m looking at you Desi Italiana).”

Oh foo-foo. My ideas were NOT “airy-fairy,” they were quite realistic, just that they fly in the face of hawkish realpolitiking! Just because it’s outside of the mainstream doesn’t mean it’s idealistic.

Now, I suggest you breathe. It’s such a simple suggestion, but it honestly does wonders to actually pause and breathe. This not only slows down anxiety, but also, it gives you time to make sure your words are not garbled and that you don’t ramble.

Please do not pick your ears as you talk, which is what Tariq Aliji has a tendency to do.

Saqib – it went well! City circle talks are always easy. It wasn’t like I was going to annoy the audience or anything!

Make jokes (”some of my best friends are white”, that sort of thing).

but… but… but..!

the backing bhangra dancers are a good idea. They’ll take the heat off me.

I don’t know how easy this is to do. But if you let your enthusiasm for your subject into your voice, then you are there!

Having heard you from early Sunny to now, you are getting a lot better. Just slow it down a bit. Consider the spoken word as the jewels you write here.

But really, Sunny, you have a point of view, and frankly a better pov than whatever you are likely to face. You know that. You have argued about it here and elsewhere.

OK, that was OTT, but it is a matter of confidence, and I think we should all be saying, go Sunny go!

You are not alone up there, you represent a lot of folk here particularily. Do not be hesitant, tell them the truth as we see it. That is a worthwhile cause, is it not?

And we are all rooting for you.