Media Skills for Managers and Spokespeople

Duration: 2 days

Summary
This enjoyable, hands-on workshop demystifies the media process and lets you practice interviews in a variety of media, in a safe, supportive atmosphere. It is designed and presented by one of the UK’s most experienced media trainers, award-winning writer, former BBC radio and TV reporter, interviewer, producer and presenter Tony Coll.

Why is this training needed?
Talking to journalists or interviewers from TV, radio or the written media is a great opportunity to get free, credible publicity. But it can also be a daunting prospect.
In today’s global, interconnected media landscape, your face, your voice and your performance can be all round the world in seconds. Handle a media encounter well and it can give an enormous boost to you and your organisation. Handle it badly and it can spell disaster.

So it’s important to get it right. But it’s not easy. The conventions of news and of the brash and competitive English-language media, plus the difficulty of giving an interview in your second or third language, deter many from even trying.If you want your target audiences to hear your point of view, it is worth learning and practising the rules of the media ‘game’ in a safe, supportive environment, and that’s where media training comes in.

Who should attend?
Anyone who ever has to speak to the media on behalf of their organisation.

What experience is assumed?
The training is suitable for delegates at all levels of ability and experience. On some courses, all delegates may be beginners; on others, all seasoned interviewees, or a mixture of abilities. All permutations can be accommodated because the level of difficulty of each interview can be adjusted to suit the individual trainee.

What ground is covered?
The course can be customised for any combination of newspapers, radio, TV or new media, and can also cover appearances in in-house videos. We start with tips and practical exercises on what news is and what journalists and other interviewers want from you. Then we give the authentic experience of being interviewed in a newspaper, on radio or TV. There may be down-the-line (telephone) interviews, double headers with an adversary, or a news conference.

What will delegates take away?
At the end of the workshop, delegates will be able to:
• Understand what news is and what interviewers want
• Prepare effectively for interviews or statements in any target medium
• Avoid the traps of each medium
• Be natural, relaxed and authoritative
• Experience realistic interviews in a variety of settings