In this episode, Elizabeth Sutherland, President and CEO of Sutherland Weston, explores the blurred lines between fiction and real-world media access, sparked by a plot twist in Richard Osman’s We Solve Murders, part of the Thursday Murder Club series.

Using the fictional scene as a springboard, Elizabeth and Ric Tyler offer a behind-the-scenes look at television media protocols, typically involving multiple layers of approval from producers to anchors before a story sees airtime. The idea that someone could simply walk into a studio and share a narrative unchecked is, for most people, pure fiction—unless they carry significant fame, and even then, it’s not that simple.

Elizabeth shares a rare Maine-based exception involving Senator George Mitchell, adding depth to the conversation and highlighting how influence and integrity can sometimes bend the usual rules.

YOU’LL LEARN:

– Media Vetting Processes: What it actually takes to get airtime on a professional broadcast.

– Celebrity Influence: How fame can shift access to platforms, but not eliminate gatekeeping entirely.

– Real-Life Media Exceptions: A rare case of unscripted airtime featuring a well-respected public figure.