<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Dark Star Media Ltd]]></title><description><![CDATA[Dark Star Media's updated and redefined media training skills help the modern business environment help improve all types of communication.]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 11:25:55 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.darkstaruk.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Why do we tolerate airline delays—but not train delays?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every year, the headlines resurface: airport delays, flight cancellations, passengers stuck on the tarmac for hours. It’s become so...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/why-do-we-tolerate-airline-delays-but-not-train-delays</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6813c7c080e2422fe5109880</guid><pubDate>Thu, 01 May 2025 19:13:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_0690008953a74433b909f2bada45d7be~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dear LinkedIn: It’s Not Me, It’s Your Notifications...]]></title><description><![CDATA[Is it just me, or has LinkedIn become that overenthusiastic friend who really wants to tell you everything, all the time? I’m talking...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/dear-linkedin-it-s-not-me-it-s-your-notifications</link><guid isPermaLink="false">680a383b150c80953f03648e</guid><pubDate>Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:11:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_18db862186fb4ab4acdd2c09a3a8e4a7~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_520,h_522,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Media Training...it's like magic!]]></title><description><![CDATA[I often say that being a Media Trainer is a bit like being a magician. Sound odd? Stay with me.... When I tell people what I do, they...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/media-training-it-s-like-magic</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68069542643b1aff49fffc98</guid><pubDate>Mon, 21 Apr 2025 18:59:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_6688bf3e1c124d95aaaaaf12788c8c41~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_947,h_937,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How long does it take to prepare a media statement?]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you're Mitchells &#38; Butlers, the answer appears to be: more than 5 hours. The pub chain behind Toby Carvery is facing what looks like a...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/how-long-does-it-take-to-prepare-a-media-statement</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67ffa3c9710f980e71bd37a8</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2025 12:35:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_e235f788ceb54438a2b5e3fa5215b0bf~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[When did you stop leaving the tap running while brushing your teeth?]]></title><description><![CDATA[It’s a serious question. For many people, the answer is: they never started. But depending on your age, there may have been a time when...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/when-did-you-stop-leaving-the-tap-running-while-brushing-your-teeth</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67ffa32975fa7138eeb4342d</guid><pubDate>Wed, 16 Apr 2025 12:33:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_744e1ae152674a6a84984c10ac712c5a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_720,h_403,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The miracle has happened – and full credit to LNER.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Proper, fast, reliable Wi-Fi… on a train! It’s only taken 12 years since I first worked with Network Rail on the near-impossible...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/the-miracle-has-happened-and-full-credit-to-lner</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67f5781cfece5ced8d66832c</guid><pubDate>Wed, 09 Apr 2025 07:15:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_d5afb7d851fb41e1b4b0b19895f8f83a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_976,h_549,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[From Gatekeepers to Click-Chasers: How Social Media Rewrote the Newsroom Rulebook]]></title><description><![CDATA[If someone told you 20 years ago that ‘the news’ would look like this – you’d be stunned…  Digital-first is the new mantra Mobile is the...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/from-gatekeepers-to-click-chasers-how-social-media-rewrote-the-newsroom-rulebook</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67f40a3879d1b0422f87a153</guid><pubDate>Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:25:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_a3e79210a04f456d9ac55bd80b866962~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_728,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Booming Demand, Limited Carriages: The CrossCountry Rail Squeeze Continues]]></title><description><![CDATA[Another day, another ‘ram packed’ (sic) CrossCountry Trains ‘tube’. This time from Birmingham to Bristol. Disappointing that the DfT...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/booming-demand-limited-carriages-the-crosscountry-rail-squeeze-continues</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67ed168bf9329bec87ad6551</guid><pubDate>Wed, 02 Apr 2025 10:51:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_30736a4901eb437eab2151355505cf7d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_800,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[‘Friday Night Dinner’ and ‘The Death of Stalin’: Trump’s Crisis Mode]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mr. Morris couldn’t have put it better. The US security leak fiasco feels like a scene straight out of ‘Friday Night Dinner’....]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/from-friday-night-dinner-to-the-death-of-stalin-trump-s-crisis-mode</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67e4596c21a7b44b35f62bc7</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:46:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_3de4ebb845364f36886a6d2abe19ba7e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_905,h_507,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Owning the news - how to position yourself]]></title><description><![CDATA[With the situation at Heathrow Airport now back to normal after a fire at an electricity sub-station forced its closure for 24 hours,...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/owning-the-news-how-to-position-yourself</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67e14c65da30493f05ffdc4e</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Mar 2025 12:17:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_7d54d9ef5e3544bca581bbcbd9a3def4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_943,h_953,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[How former NATO top brass showed the human touch]]></title><description><![CDATA[It was only a fleeting moment, but Jamie Shea demonstrated how the best communicators draw in both their audience and their interviewer....]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/how-former-nato-top-brass-showed-the-human-touch</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67daa4fbfe7bd94a3aaddcc1</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:06:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_443f88bcc8b542ca8b0ad43b1fa88378~mv2.avif/v1/fit/w_1000,h_777,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Time: The Ultimate Frenemy in Media ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Time isn’t your enemy because you don’t have enough of it when you're delivering a media exchange - no. It’s because you don’t feel  it...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/time-the-ultimate-frenemy-in-media</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67cf0b5c6ee571608c122a7b</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Mar 2025 09:00:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_31d20d2fabfc482591cca32fd15169f9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_773,h_425,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Even When You Do Good, the Media Still Gives You a Kick in the Nadgers!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Ah, the media—forever lurking, ready to pounce, even when you’re trying to do something nice. Just ask Nationwide. You can picture the...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/even-when-you-do-good-the-media-still-gives-you-a-kick-in-the-nadgers</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67d05a686ee571608c16daf8</guid><pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2025 08:45:06 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_e39c5ec2e3244f9fb0f9c6c3b707d6b8~mv2.avif/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why do smart people forget what "good" looks like?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Seriously. You’ve spent years soaking up world-class visuals - flawless Netflix graphics, slick news presentations, eye-popping ad...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/why-do-smart-people-forget-what-good-looks-like</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67cf05d36ee571608c12169a</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Mar 2025 15:05:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_fa844ded788a4bdebe78daee46528d2a~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["If you’re crap on the telly, people think you’re crap at your job."]]></title><description><![CDATA[It’s a line I use often - though, depending on the audience, sometimes with a little more diplomacy. But the truth is universal: a poor...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/if-you-re-crap-on-the-telly-people-think-you-re-crap-at-your-job</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67ceba2c19a2e100f112d44b</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2025 10:09:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_7bf163da14f94fbf8beebc68b8278d28~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA["Alroight bab, anyone oop for a beer?!"]]></title><description><![CDATA[While researching the differences between national and regional news for a client, I was struck by the stark contrast between the same...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/alroight-bab-anyone-oop-for-a-beer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67c82467e197017de8ebc0c1</guid><pubDate>Fri, 07 Mar 2025 07:00:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_b52e6e1a6ae44900b04ed3032d3bd9ed~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Public Speaking - The BBC Does It Best. Now, So Can You.]]></title><description><![CDATA[As former BBC broadcasters, we know what great presentation and strong visual communication look like - that’s why we’re the best people...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/public-speaking-the-bbc-does-it-best-now-so-can-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67c5c315f837bb6abfa4d094</guid><pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2025 10:00:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_d5009ade80e04c608253299e84cabd89~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Daily Star - a real opiate for today's masses]]></title><description><![CDATA[I always turned my nose up at the editorial line of the Daily Star.  It’s front pages were always ‘Elvis-on-the-moon’ derivatives. Their...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/daily-star-a-real-opiate-for-today-s-masses</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67c5c1c244bc4a713bdff6d6</guid><pubDate>Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:30:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_d226d2c542d8422b8b6b1322ac44e7ab~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is the CV officially dead?!]]></title><description><![CDATA[According to The Times today, the rise of AI-generated job applications is making it difficult for firms to distinguish between...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/is-the-cv-officially-dead</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67c58afaecfababf87d535ac</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Mar 2025 10:57:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_e4a00854aca94767993e12e7277d7ea6~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Same Brush, New Bristles – Mastering the Art of Modern Messaging]]></title><description><![CDATA[Media training—it’s a bit like Trigger’s broom, isn’t it? You remember Trigger from “Only Fools and Horses” - he swore he’d had the same...]]></description><link>https://www.darkstaruk.com/post/same-brush-new-bristles-mastering-the-art-of-modern-messaging</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67bed9458c4221c847f682b4</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Feb 2025 09:06:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/6ab42a_a9fc9b6eb0c948fe9aa4f01785ab5943~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_599,h_451,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy Hitchcock</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>