On a recent episode of The Rest is Entertainment, Richard Osman and Marina Hyde discussed how David and Victoria Beckham once perfected the art of narrative control. In the late nineties and early noughties, “Brand Beckham” wasn’t just a nickname, it was a strategic exercise in media management. Every photoshoot, every sponsorship, every tabloid story was carefully curated to project a certain image. The Beckhams demonstrated that if you could manage relationships with a handful of editors, columnists and broadcasters, you could shape how the world saw you.
But as Osman and Hyde note, that kind of centralised control has loosened. Today’s media landscape is too fragmented, too democratised. Social platforms, podcasts, YouTube channels, Substacks, newsletters – anyone can be a publisher, and everyone has a voice. The upside is greater diversity and a richer public conversation. The downside is noise, disinformation, and a loss of trust in traditional gatekeepers. For public figures and institutions used to owning the story, this has been deeply destabilising.
Yet in that shift lies opportunity. The democratisation of media doesn’t just mean celebrities and corporations have lost control. It means independent journalists, creators and professionals now have tools to build their own presence, command attention, and reshape the agenda. You don’t need to be a Beckham to develop your own brand of credibility and influence. You just need the right platform, discipline, and support.
We built LettsNews to help independents reclaim the power to set the agenda. Our AI-powered newsroom tools are designed to put speed, polish and distribution back into the hands of journalists, PR professionals and content creators. Instead of shouting into the void of social media or relying on opaque algorithms, LettsNews provides a professional publishing hub: a place to create, refine and share stories that matter while building long-term audience trust.
Think of it as Brand Beckham, without the entourage of PR handlers and Sunday tabloid editors. A streamlined, accessible way for individuals and small teams to command the same tools of narrative that were once reserved for the famous, the powerful, or the well-connected.
The big shift in media today isn’t just about fragmentation. It’s about control. Who owns the story? Who sets the frame? Who has the tools to move quickly, credibly and convincingly? As Osman and Hyde observed, the Beckhams lost some of their monopoly on narrative because the world opened up. But that same opening makes it possible for thousands of new voices to step forward if they seize the chance.
LettsNews exists to make sure they can.
Subscribe today for your free LettsNews account and start taking back control of the narrative.
Thanks to Richard Osman and Marina Hyde for sparking the thought on their brilliant podcast, The Rest is Entertainment .
