Unaccustomed as you are...

Help is at hand for academics with a phobia of public speaking and a pathological mistrust of the media. West Media, a consultancy run out of Westminster University's school of media, arts and design, is offering academics training in things such as coming across well on television and how to handle press Rottweilers.

The consultancy is run by Sally Feldman, dean of the school, who will be tapping into the school's in-house expertise and also looking to old friends such as visiting professor Jenni Murray, who presents Radio 4's Woman's Hour - which Ms Feldman used to edit. "A lot of people in higher education, particularly senior people, could benefit from some training," Ms Feldman said. How right she is, for Peeps has learnt from its spies that one of the first to sign up for some training is a vice-chancellor.