Exclusive Masterclass at BUV with the PR Mastermind of Financial Times, Manchester United & Royal Family

With extensive experience in public relations and communications internationally, Mr. Patrick (Paddy) Harverson – co-founder of Milton Partners global advisory firm – brought practical insights about the media industry in his exclusive masterclass with BUV students.

With its dynamic and creative working environment, combined with diverse career opportunities, media and communications remains a “promised land” for fresh graduates. However, the industry landscape is changing rapidly, from media merger trends to new policies like Decree 147 – all placing urgent demands on adaptability and continuous updates.

Speaking at a masterclass organized by the School of Communications & Creative Industry (SOCCI) at British University Vietnam (BUV), Mr. Patrick (Paddy) Harverson – former Royal Communications advisor – brought many profound lessons, helping students shape their professional mindset in a world of volatile media.

Mr. Patrick Harverson and Dr. Paul D.J. Moody – Head of SOCCI at BUV (right) at the Masterclass

Mr. Patrick (Paddy) Harverson is co-founder of Milltown Partners International Communications Consultancy (UK). He previously worked at the Financial Times, served as Communications Director of Manchester United Football Club, Communications Secretary to King Charles III (when he was Prince Charles), and currently leads a global communications consultancy with 150 experts supporting technology corporations and high-profile individuals.

Enduring Values in Journalism

In the new media era, journalism still plays an important role. Media professionals need to equip themselves with foundational journalism skills. According to Mr. Harverson, young people need to continuously seek and access new knowledge to keep up with the ever-changing market. “If you want to do well in media and communications, it is to consume as much news, opinion, and analysis as possible. In the digital age, I adore what digital technologies allow me to do, which is read every newspaper I want, every day as long as I want,” the expert shared.

His time at the Financial Times helped Mr. Harverson realize that quality journalism is of the most importance, more than speed or quantity. Journalists and media professionals should not compromise information accuracy to race for quick publication, as this can significantly impact market stability and public trust.

He emphasized: “The British media world is very competitive. We have a lot of newspapers and media companies, and they will compete to get the story first. But in the Financial Times, our slogan was: It’s better to be right than to be first. It was really important that what we reported was accurate rather than necessarily first.”

The Art of Crisis Communications Management

While serving as Communications Director of Manchester United Football Club and Communications Secretary to King Charles III (then Prince Charles), Mr. Harverson had to resolve many communication crises for the clients. His advice for young professionals facing media crises is that: decisions based on ethics are more important than legal or PR factors. Swift acknowledgment, sincere apology and unambiguous action are essential.

The experiences of handling communications for the British Royal Family is a major case-study. Mr. Harverson shared an incident when the Prince attended an event with an attire that could be considered unsuitable, which could cause adverse reactions in the media. The incident quickly escalated, becoming a major scandal affecting not only the Prince individually but also seriously impacting the Royal Family’s image. From that experience, Mr. Harverson drew a profound lesson: “In crisis management, the first and most important thing is to know how to say sorry and mean it.”

The former Manchester United communications director said effective crisis management needs to follow three basic steps. First, you must frankly admit that the incident happened and those actions were mistaken. Second, offer a sincere apology – because every word in an apology carries great meaning. And finally, you must clearly show what you will do to remedy the situation and prevent it from happening again.

The Era of Social Media

In the digital age, it is no longer a simple process to understand the users. With the rapid development of social media platforms, public behavior and expectations constantly change, requiring companies and brands to seriously invest in market research, especially research on user opinions and behavior.

“If you want to craft a message that reaches the voters, you need to understand what they’re thinking, what they believe, what they don’t believe, what they care about, and what works,” Mr. Harverson analyzed. According to him, research is the only tool that helps communications overcome the fragmentation wall of modern society.

As society becomes increasingly diverse and complex, media professionals cannot approach the public with generic messages. Instead, they need to personalize content, choose the exact channels and timing to reach the right target audiences. To excel, media professionals need not only to solve strategic problems but also need to have the sensibility and understanding of psychology.

Mr. Patrick (Paddy) Harverson’s sharing session is part of the masterclass series of SOCCI at BUV, aimed at providing valuable opportunities for students to learn from industry-leading experts, as well as expanding practical perspectives on the professional media industry in the context of rapid global changes.

All programs at SOCCI have extensive connections with industry experts and organizations, high-quality internship opportunities and international study programs. With 100% faculty with international qualifications, interdisciplinary programs combining theory and practice, and 5-star campus with world-class facilities such as filming studios, recording studios – sound design, students are comprehensively prepared to build quality portfolios, solid language skills and career readiness for the global job market.