Media Training - half-day course

This session, designed as a refresher course or brief introduction to more intense training, works best with the active participation of trainees: This is not simply a lecture course and a number of exercises are included in order to encourage participation. Participants are asked to provide the trainer well in advance with their biographies and background information, along with any specific concerns about or experiences they have had interacting with the news media. Participants receive a booklet, “Basic Principles of Media Relations and Crisis Management” at the conclusion of the course, which covers the course materials. Training is done at a site of the client’s choosing.

1. Introductions of participants and discussion of their media experiences & course expectations
2. What is News?
3. Good News and Bad News
4. News is not advertising
5. Who are the media and what do they want?
6. Media bias/deadlines/attitude toward the media
7. What’s your message?
8. Delivering your message: news releases/news conferences/interviews
9. Answering questions and the “ten commandments” of answering
10. How to handle different types of questions
11. How to “stay on message”
12. TV tips: how to handle nervousness/the importance of appearance
13. Examples from print journalism
14. Wrap up/questions from participants

Media Training - full day course

The session works best with the active participation of trainees: This is not simply a lecture course and a number of exercises are included in order to encourage participation. Participants are asked to provide the trainer well in advance with their biographies and background information, along with any specific concerns about or experiences they have had interacting with the news media. Participants receive a booklet, “Basic Principles of Media Relations and Crisis Management” at the conclusion of the course, which covers the course materials. The course includes the services of a professional video cameraperson during the afternoon session.

1. Introductions of participants and discussion of their media experiences & course expectations
2. What is News?
3. Good News and Bad News
4. News is not advertising
5. Who are the media and what do they want?
6. Media bias/deadlines/attitude toward the media
7. What’s your message?
8. Delivering your message: news releases/news conferences/interviews
9. Answering questions and the “ten commandments” of answering
10. How to handle different types of questions
11. How to “stay on message”
12. TV tips: how to handle nervousness/the importance of appearance
13. Examples from print journalism
14. Lunch break
15. Examples from television journalism
16. Answering questions: theory refresher
17. Video taped interview practice and analysis
18. Wrap up/questions from participants