Matthew Freud knows the secrets of Britain's most powerful people

Matthew Freud, a pivotal figure in British public relations, reflects on his career's evolution over four decades, emphasizing the shift from traditional media control to navigating the complexities of the digital age. Known for his discretion, Freud discusses his role in managing crises for high-profile clients, noting a shift from collaboration with media to real-time challenges posed by social media. He touches on his family's notable connections, including his marriage to Rupert Murdoch's daughter, and comments on the influence of media narratives in politics. Freud underscores the importance of authenticity and addressing real issues rather than merely managing perceptions.

• Matthew Freud is an influential figure in British public life, known for his work in public relations (PR) and crisis management.
• He has connections with several former Prime Ministers and is a prominent advisor to celebrities and public figures.
• Freud is the great-grandson of Sigmund Freud and has a strong family background in psychoanalysis and media.

"The interview you're about to hear is a rare beast. This is a man who's felt the heartbeat of British public life for four decades, but it's unlikely you've ever heard his voice before."

• This quote highlights Freud's significant yet discreet influence in public life, emphasizing his rare public appearances.

• Freud believes in staying hidden and letting his clients take the spotlight, only stepping in when necessary.
• His role involves helping clients navigate crises by contextualizing media focus and encouraging them to address real issues rather than just managing perceptions.

"I've spent 40 years hiding. Not completely successfully. I think if your role is to promote and amplify the people that you're working with, you should remain hidden mostly."

• Freud underscores the importance of maintaining a low profile to effectively support and amplify his clients' voices.

• Crisis management has evolved over the decades, with Freud initially helping clients when they got into trouble, and later being sought out for his expertise.
• The nature of crises has shifted from personal scandals to more complex professional and personal issues.

"The crisis stuff has emerged and changed over the decades. I think in the early years, when people we worked with got in trouble, we helped."

• This quote illustrates the changing landscape of crisis management and Freud's adaptability in addressing different types of crises.

• Managing media narratives involves dealing with unexpected issues, such as a foaming red carpet at a Bafta event, which can overshadow the main event.
• The relationship between PR professionals and media has shifted from collaborative to more challenging due to the immediacy of social media.

"You're managing a news story or you're managing an event and the camera happens to find something that is not at the heart of the story."

• Freud explains the complexities of managing media narratives and the impact of unforeseen events on public perception.

• The rise of social media has made it difficult to control narratives, as stories can break and spread rapidly without a central point of control.
• The dynamic between PR professionals and journalists has changed, with less opportunity for negotiation and influence over stories.

"You're now in real time with a billion points of light and stories are breaking on social media and being commented."

• This quote captures the challenges posed by social media in maintaining control over narratives and the rapid dissemination of information.

• Freud's success is partly attributed to his extensive network of influential figures in politics, media, and business.
• Building and maintaining relationships with key individuals is crucial in the field of PR.

"You have assiduously built up a network of people."

• The importance of networking and relationships in PR is emphasized, highlighting Freud's strategic connections.

• In the 1980s, communications and public relations were peripheral fields with little scientific basis or influence. Reputation was not highly valued as most individuals and entities already had good reputations.
• The media narrative shifted from admiring exceptional individuals to focusing on human flaws, leading to a culture of exposing personal frailties.
• Fame was traditionally a byproduct of exceptional achievements, but media narratives have shifted to sensationalizing ordinary aspects of individuals.

"There was very little science to it, very little influence, actually, partly because reputation was not highly valued. Most people had a good reputation."

• The quote highlights the initial lack of emphasis on reputation management in communications and public relations.

"Extraordinary Person, apparently is a bit Ordinary is much cheaper as a journalistic narrative."

• This quote indicates the media's preference for sensational and less costly narratives, shifting focus from exceptional achievements to ordinary flaws.

• The media plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions of political entities, often focusing on crisis narratives.
• New governments face relentless media scrutiny from the outset, making it challenging to achieve tangible results within short timeframes.
• The slow legislative process and lagging data flows render real-time political coverage ineffective in showcasing government achievements.

"This government has been in crisis from before they were in power. The very sort of relentless assault on this new government as individuals and as a collective began on polling night."

• The quote underscores the media's immediate and persistent focus on crisis narratives surrounding new governments.

"Covering politics in real time is a pretty pointless pursuit because the outputs, you have to wait."

• This quote highlights the inefficacy of real-time political coverage due to the slow nature of legislative processes and data availability.

• The media-driven narrative can distract governments from focusing on substantial issues, leading to wasted time on trivial matters.
• Governments have the option to ignore media provocations and focus on long-term goals, as media power is proportional to the attention it receives.

"The dangerous aspect of a media driven narrative is that it's distracting. So trying to manage it is a waste of important time."

• The quote emphasizes the counterproductive nature of engaging with media-driven narratives at the expense of addressing significant political issues.

"The media have as much power as you give them."

• This quote suggests that governments can choose to limit the media's influence by not engaging with trivial narratives.

• Having a famous surname can create identity challenges, as individuals are often judged by their family legacy rather than their personal achievements.
• Families with significant wealth and shared identities face complex dynamics, where personal relationships can be overshadowed by financial and legacy issues.

"I think it's a terrible thing to do to a child to give them that much baggage."

• The quote reflects the burden of carrying a famous surname, which can overshadow personal identity and achievements.

"Families are hard enough when there's a shared identity. That makes it much more difficult because everyone is reflective or reflecting on everyone else."

• This quote highlights the challenges faced by individuals within prominent families, where personal identity is intertwined with family dynamics.

• Personal and family crises are often misrepresented as legal or media battles, diverting attention from the underlying emotional issues.
• Resolving personal relationships should be prioritized over engaging in legal or media narratives, as these often serve as proxies for deeper issues.

"The temptation is to proxy a battle that is an emotional and personal one into a legal one because it's got a framework."

• The quote underscores the tendency to address personal crises through legal or media channels, which may not resolve the core emotional issues.

"Get your relationship sorted out."

• This quote advises prioritizing personal relationship resolution over engaging in external legal or media battles.

• Open communication in a safe space can help resolve conflicts between people who fundamentally care for each other.
• Outsourcing conflict resolution to third parties with different agendas, such as legal entities or media, can exacerbate issues rather than resolve them.
• The example of the Royal Family illustrates how media coverage can complicate and worsen family difficulties.

"In my experience, yes. You know, I think when you outsource conflict to people whose agenda or whose objective is not to resolve that conflict, but to extend it. So, so in a, In a legal environment, you've got, you know, I think there were 85 lawyers on the docket in the Nevada case. And you go, really?"

• The speaker emphasizes that involving external parties with conflicting agendas, such as lawyers or the media, can prolong and complicate conflicts rather than resolve them.

• The speaker has worked with King Charles on the Sustainable Markets Initiative, focusing on global solutions to the climate crisis.
• The work aligns with sustainable development goals, encompassing development, health, mental health, sustainability, climate, social, and gender issues.
• The speaker deliberately avoided working with the Royal Family for a long time due to the complex relationship between the media and the Royal Family.

"For the last five or six years, I've worked with the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles, on the Sustainable Markets Initiative, which was his incredibly successful attempt to bring industries around the world together to find solutions to the climate crisis."

• The speaker highlights their involvement with King Charles on a global initiative aimed at addressing the climate crisis, showcasing their commitment to sustainability and development goals.

• There is a perception that the arc of history is moving away from justice, with issues such as environment and gender being under threat.
• Companies once prosecuted for racism are now facing criticism for promoting diversity, indicating a shift in societal and regulatory perspectives.
• The media is seen as unreliable, and people are increasingly skeptical of institutions, relying more on their judgment of celebrities, companies, and politicians.

"I think the media is a very, very unreliable people. I think no longer trust institutions. And the way that they filter the information that comes with them from social media, from conventional media is, I think, quite healthy."

• The speaker suggests that the public's skepticism towards media and institutions is healthy, as it leads to more critical filtering of information and reliance on personal judgment.

• The speaker acknowledges the brilliance of the TV show "Succession" but clarifies they have no personal connection with the show's creator, Jesse Armstrong.
• The show is recognized for its well-informed portrayal, though the speaker denies any direct influence or inspiration from their life or experiences with the Murdoch family.

"Yes, yes. I, I've absolutely no idea who his sources were, but I, I."

• The speaker appreciates the quality of "Succession" and its insights but distances themselves from any direct involvement or inspiration for the show's content.

• The speaker discusses the importance of managed storytelling and understanding the consequences of communication strategies.
• They reflect on their role in helping individuals navigate public scrutiny and minimize lasting damage to their careers.
• The speaker's work with Mo Farah is highlighted, where they helped address and clarify allegations against him through thorough investigation and evidence.

"I think the art of narrativity, managed storytelling, is to have some notion of how serious the consequences of getting it wrong are. It's a bit like being a. A sort of oncologist."

• The speaker compares their role in managing public narratives to that of an oncologist, emphasizing the seriousness and precision required to mitigate potential damage.

"It took two to three years to establish that the allegations made against him were not correct. Because we managed to get hold of every blood test he'd ever taken in his entire career and got that analyzed."

• The speaker details their extensive efforts to clear Mo Farah's name, highlighting the importance of thorough investigation and evidence in addressing public allegations.

• Mo Farah revealed that he was trafficked to the UK at age 9, using a false identity, which he carried throughout his life.
• The allegations against Mo Farah regarding doping were influenced by a sense that he had something to hide, which was later confirmed by his trafficking story.
• The documentary aimed to explore Mo Farah's story not just for him, but to highlight the issue of child trafficking into the UK.
• The film was made in collaboration with the Home Office and Department of Education to ensure it raised awareness about systemic failures.

"He'd been trafficked, age 9, arrived at Gatwick Airport, given a piece of paper with Mo Farah written on it and told to go through customs and tell them that was his name."

• Mo Farah's true identity was hidden due to trafficking, which he disclosed later in life.

"The reason we made the film is, how do you get a story like that out? Because he could have been deported."

• The documentary was a strategic move to safely reveal Mo Farah's past without risking his legal status or achievements.

"It wasn't a puff piece about murder?"

• The documentary's focus was on child trafficking, not merely a personal story.

• The documentary was commissioned by the BBC, highlighting the role of media in bringing important stories to light.
• The involvement of a PR company in producing the documentary was unusual but emphasized the power of effective storytelling.
• The shift from print to TV and film as dominant media forms is noted, with TV seen as a powerful tool for impactful storytelling.

"The film was commissioned by the BBC, would have been commissioned by any broadcast that I'd taken it to, because it was a, of course, extraordinary story."

• The documentary's significance and the media's role in its creation are acknowledged.

"There are lots of ways of telling stories, and I think, you know, television is the most powerful and impactive."

• Television is emphasized as a crucial medium for storytelling and influencing public opinion.

• The discussion highlights the erosion of trust in media and the shift from deference to indifference among the public.
• The impact of political events like Brexit and Trump's election is seen as indicative of a broader disengagement with traditional authority.
• The role of media in shaping reality is questioned, with the court of public opinion having limited impact compared to the ballot box.

"The vast majority of media is not neutral. The way that people absorb and process. The information they're getting from both social media and conventional media is not trusting."

• Media neutrality and public trust are significant concerns in the current landscape.

"We're now in an age of indifference. I think people have really tuned out to this idea that there was a singular point of view or that there was a singular opinion and that, you know, that was the truth."

• The public's disengagement from authoritative narratives is highlighted.

"The reality is what matters. But the media and the public's ability to, to affect that reality is, is, has always been quite small."

• The limited influence of media and public opinion on actual outcomes is acknowledged.