The winner – Lucy Harris on BBC Politics Live 

This week’s standout media performance came from former Conservative adviser Lucy Harris, who appeared on Politics Live during a heated discussion on President Trump’s proposed tariffs. In an environment often dominated by confrontation and interruption, Harris’s poised and deliberate communication style marked her out as a clear media winner. 

Harris demonstrated that a calm, measured tone can often be more impactful than volume or aggression. While her fellow panellists engaged in rapid exchanges – Harris remained composed, delivering her arguments with clarity and confidence. Her decision not to escalate gave her authority and ensured her points were heard in full. 

Defending Trump’s tariff policy – particularly in a UK context – is a challenging position to take. Yet Harris approached it with nuance. Rather than leaning into polemic or rehearsed soundbites, she reframed the issue, offering a broader, values-based perspective. Her line, “There is a conversation to be had… about the morals behind globalism”, introduced a more philosophical lens to the debate. This shifted the conversation from economics alone to ideas of sovereignty, identity, and national interest – without alienating viewers or provoking conflict. 

By introducing a line of thought rather than forcing a conclusion, she gave the audience something to consider, framing her argument as part of a larger and necessary debate. This approach often lands more powerfully with viewers than adversarial point-scoring and allows the speaker to appear thoughtful and solutions-oriented. 

Lucy Harris’s performance is a strong example of how to manage complex, high-stakes media appearances. She stayed on message, resisted provocation, and used tone as a tool for influence. For clients preparing for broadcast interviews or panel debates, her appearance is a reminder that credibility is as much about how you speak as what you say. A composed, thoughtful approach builds trust – and ensures your voice is not only heard, but remembered.

The loser – Blue Origin 

This week, Blue Origin attempted to position its latest suborbital mission as a milestone in gender representation, branding it as the first all-female crewed space flight in over six decades. However, the mission – featuring Jeff Bezos’s fiancée Lauren Sánchez, alongside celebrities like Gayle King and Katy Perry – quickly became a case study in misjudged communications and reputational risk. 

Blue Origin’s attempt to frame the 11-minute commercial flight as a historic moment lacked the necessary depth and substance to support such a claim. While the composition of the crew was noteworthy, the mission itself had no scientific objective, no research component, and no meaningful contribution to the wider goals of space exploration. The messaging – framed around empowerment – came across as superficial and, in the context of the wider news agenda, insincere. 

Effective PR requires alignment between messaging and public sentiment. Blue Origin’s mission took place less than one month after the return of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams – two NASA astronauts who were stranded on the International Space Station for nine months due to a spacecraft malfunction. This juxtaposition – a group of celebrities enjoying a brief recreational flight while career astronauts face medical complications – undermined the credibility of Blue Origin’s narrative and opened them up to public criticism. 

The backlash was swift and widespread. Critics across media and social platforms accused Blue Origin of wasting resources, promoting vanity over value, and prioritising spectacle over substance. High-profile figures, including Emily Ratajkowski, Olivia Wilde, and Olivia Munn, publicly condemned the mission’s environmental and social implications. Even commercial brands like Wendy’s joined in, amplifying the reputational damage. 

This episode illustrates the critical importance of strategic messaging and contextual awareness. Symbolic gestures must be underpinned by substance, particularly when public trust, social values, and brand reputation are at stake. Blue Origin’s media strategy failed to account for timing, audience perception, and broader context – resulting in a campaign that generated attention, but not respect.