Media Training Course

This course can be run as a full one day session for up to 5 participants with no media training experience or half day refresher sessions for those who have been trained in recent years. We can also run multi day or full week intensive courses concentrating on particular issues or areas of concern. Some clients prefer to work on certain disciplines where they feel they may be faced with media on the doorstep or requests for radio interviews either live in studio or via telephone. A typical single days session is shown below and is based on a maximum of 5 participants. Any more than that really is not cost effective for your company as the feedback process is every bit as important as the practical experience and too many participants will result in less time for feedback and interviews.

1. Newspaper headlines and content:

We look behind the headlines and show how you can take a negative story and turn it to a positive message. We look at the differences between the local, national and international written press and the different styles of writing. Newspapers now face huge competition from internet based news sources and tend to use more emotive headlines than ever. We use the top stories of the week to ensure that the course is 100% up to date.

2. Television Doorstep interview:

This is one of the most common encounters throughout the world and the one interview that does not allow time to prepare. We show examples of best practice and how not to conduct such an interview. Many company reputations have been ruined by lack of preparation for such an encounter and this will be one of the most valuable parts of the training day. You will be given some very basic information and just a few minutes to prepare before undertaking the interview. Where possible this is conducted outside the building, office, conference centre or terminal gate as 99% of doorstep interviews will be conducted there. Everything from checking your background to finishing the interview is covered in the debrief and playback session. On a one day course, this is the only playback we do as we would rather be working than watching however, we offer all participants a copy of their work via a cloud based file delivery system.

After this first session we then start to work on techniques to ensure that your company message is delivered at each opportunity. We use current and relevant video examples showing best and poor practice from company spokespeople who are in the exact position that most participants are preparing for.

3. Social Media

Without doubt, this has changed the news gathering map around the world. From Facebook to twitter the media can and will use information about your company, your workers, quote their updates and take pictures and footage straight from YouTube! Just a few years ago nobody had even heard of twitter yet now EVERY broadcast News outlet has their own twitter page and will invite viewers to contribute via that site or Facebook. If you don't embrace the technology or understand how it works, you will always be playing catch up. We show examples of International stories that have been broken on twitter, local news that originated from a Facebook update and the dangers of "citizen journalism" where members of your own community or even your own workforce post images on YouTube for all the world to see. We use a live demonstration to show the speed of twitter and other social networking sites.

4. Media Crush:

During any major incident there will be more than one journalist, reporter or camera crew. This session teaches how to tailor your message to each journalist while maintaining control of the situation. During this session delegates are invited to play the role of journalist in addition to being interviewed. This provides a different angle on the interview as we have discovered over the years, you will know far more about your company than most reporters and will ask your colleagues more difficult question By thinking like a reporter it also increases confidence when the questions start coming in thick and fast. We debrief after each interview and invite comments from participants who now begin to see things from the media side of the story.

After this session we look at the media v company objectives and try to find some common ground to ensure that the journalist will use your company message as part of the news package. There are many areas where the media and company are actually on the same side and this session will underline that fact. If time allows we cut to the lunchtime news live to look at the first news item on the programme then take a well deserved lunch break!

5. Radio Studio:

The area that Media Answers have the most experience - over 30 years to be precise and we carry a fully portable radio studio mixer, headphones and mics to simulate the studio experience. A totally different approach to visual media interviews and a useful learning as techniques can be applied to telephone interviews in addition to down the line style TV and radio. This interview simulates a live broadcast and is perhaps one of the most difficult as the message has to be delivered without the benefit of positive body language. The idea set up will have the studio in one room and the "listening audience" in the other. This adds to the realism of the radio interview and allows participants to assist in the debrief process.

We look at the various studio set ups and likely interview scenarios while continuing with the updates for the exercise of the day. 

6. Press conference:

The same throughout the world with journalists & reporters trying to outsmart each other in addition to putting company under pressure. Like the media crush, participants play the role of media to enhance the experience. The press conference is similar to a public meeting and the same rules apply! On the top table either one or two company spokespeople will start off with an opening statement, set the ground rules and then take questions. The pre- conference preparation goes through their individual roles, the media requirements, the role of public affairs or press officer and the various techniques required to ensure that the company can manage the press conference. We discuss the involvement of 3rd parties, emergency services and contractors to ensure that the company message is not lost during then conference.

On a single day course with 5 participants, this will normally bring the session to a close however, if numbers are fewer or this is a refresher we can then look at additional disciplines including. . . . 

7. The "one to one" interview

Directly after the press conference the media will be asking for individual interviews. Where time allows we always advise doing these with one golden rule - everybody or nobody! We look at the advantages and disadvantages then simulate the recorded or live one to one either as a sit down or doorstep style interview. This is often a good way to see the progress by comparing the initial doorstep before training and the polished media spokesperson after a one day session! No playback on the day but this interview can be added to the clips collection if requested.

8. Down the line

Both television and radio interviews are often conducted using both studio and remote facilities. We normally run this session on our refresher or during multiple day courses however, we still discuss and demonstrate the various techniques and equipment that participants may be expected to use in the event of a major incident. Using radio mics, earpieces and "straight to camera" interviews we can simulate this interview by using separate rooms for interviewer and company spokesperson. Becoming very common for most broadcast outlets and, in the UK, Millbank studios in London is a regular venue for these interviews as used by Sky, CNN, ITV and many American news outlets.