# Lindsay Boswell: media relations genius

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/10/11/lindsay-boswell-media-relations-genius/
- Published: 2010-10-11T12:07:33+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Tributes have been flowing in for Lindsay Boswell left, right and centre – and
justly so. Most of these concern his leadership on such projects as establishing
self-regulation for fundraising, promoting membership or moving the conference from
Birmingham to London (mmm).**

I’d like to contribute a short story that exemplifies Lindsay’s skill in dealing
with the media.

When I was editor of _Professional Fundraising_, Penny Stephens and I used to get
in freelance support to help us with the news every other issue. My freelance journalist
of choice was one of my best mates, Pete Mason, the editor of _Ethical Performance_,
who is also one of, if not the, best journalists I know (Pete also had a knack of
always getting through the person he wanted to speak to first time of calling – 
a skill that always seemed to elude me and Penny).

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My way of working was to provide Pete with a list of stories I wanted him to follow
up, a briefing to the story with angles or ideas he might like to explore, and a
list of contacts. One such story about six or seven years ago was about something
the Institute were up to (really can’t remember what) and we thought they needed
to provide a bit more justification for doing it (or something like that). So I 
briefed Pete to talk to Lindsay.

Pete dialled the IoF’s number, asked to speak to Lindsay and, as usual, went straight
through. I heard Pete having a long chat with Lindsay, asking questions, pursuing
responses, throwing in different angles and asking for Lindsay’s reaction, and then,
after about 10 minutes, signing off.

“How’d it go?” I asked.

“Yeah, good,” Pete replied, “he answered all my questions. It was a good interview.”

So Pete got down to reviewing his notes and writing up the story. After another 
10 minutes or so, I glanced over at Pete and saw him leafing back and forth through
his his shorthand, going over and over the same pages.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Pete looked up with a slightly bemused expression and said: “He didn’t really answer
any of the questions at all.”

 * **[Institute to overhaul its training and qualifications framework](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/10/15/institute-overhaul-its-training-and-qualifications-framework/)**(
   15 October 2010)
 * **[Institute invites proposals for National Convention presentations](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/10/19/institute-invites-proposals-national-convention-presentations/)**(
   19 October 2010)
 * **[IoF London conference last speakers confirmed](https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/11/03/iof-london-conference-last-speakers-confirmed/)**(
   3 November 2010)

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