PR Media Training.
There are times when organisations need to engage directly with the media, either for an interview, comment or simply a spontaneous phone call that catches you off guard. We can make sure you and your team are prepared and confident through comprehensive media training.
When challenges arise, it’s often too late in the day to think about PR media training so being prepared is essential and means that spokespeople are trained, confident and well informed ahead of time.
Plus, it’s essential to have clear processes to follow when things take a turn for the worst. We can help you identify reputational risks, refine your internal and external messaging, and ensure your responses are transparent and robust.
Media training prepares you to represent yourself, the brand or your company in the most engaging and professional way.
What is Media Training?
PR training is a type of communications training that helps individuals within business to be prepared should the media request an interview or comment. We do this through face to face sessions where we help you to refine your message, avoid pitfalls and present yourself in a way that is both engaging and professional.
To find out more, read one of our recent blogs on media training.
Who Would Benefit Most From PR Media Training?
Often businesses see their CEO called for comment repeatedly. Media training can help these individuals to navigate media requests more confidently, reassuring them in their task as well as offering journalists even more media commentary.
PR training can also help lessen the burden on one person by providing a number of key spokespeople with the necessary skills to speak to the media and navigate media requests. Additionally, it can help marketing teams to determine which opportunities are best for them to move forward with and which they can confidently turn down.
What Does Media Training Involve?
Our PR media training begins by giving you an insight into why journalists do interviews, the reasons you are doing an interview, how to prepare for a media interview, and some techniques to help interviews go smoothly. The overall aim is to build media confidence in your spokespeople.
Participants will learn about some of the company’s key PR messaging, their stance on certain topics and how to effectively fly the flag for their organisation.
We can offer theoretical training sessions as well as role-play sessions so that everyone can be supported through their challenges in liaising with the media.
Our Media Training Tips
Define the story or it will define you – set out your goal or objective before you even agree to speak to a journalist. It’s wise to plan what your key messages will be and keep them handy.
Remember that you are being asked for comment because you are an expert. Be confident in what you say.
Lead with the positive and tell succinct stories if you can. Real life situations and people bring stories to life and make them more memorable and meaningful.
Support what you say with statistics and facts. Be the most credible source of information.
Don’t use acronyms or technical terms.
Prepare, prepare and prepare some more !
Always try and answer the question. Listen to the question carefully.
Don’t answer questions that are leading, hypothetical or based on inaccuracies.
Correct errors and don’t hide behind saying “no comment”. There’s always something you can say.
Why Choose Altitude PR For PR Training?
We are highly experienced consultants with years of experience working with (and in) the media so we know how best to manage this and what journalists expect. We work by embedding ourselves into your team so we can help deliver the media training that will benefit you the most.
We create bespoke packages for our clients to meet their needs. We can help with you with one-off training sessions or engrain it into a wider strategy which involves more focused mentoring.
Book Your Complimentary Media Training Consultation
If you are interested in booking pr training for yourself or your team, please get in touch via our contact us page.
We’ll then be in touch with you to determine what your needs are, what we can offer and to book in your training.
Altitude PR strike the right balance of support, advice and guidance with regard to PR consultancy, media training and campaigns.
RNN Group have engaged Altitude PR to support with creative thinking and media opportunities and they bring a refreshing approach with both ideas for campaigns and media opportunities.
They provide an invaluable support as a ‘critical friend’ wth regard to media relations and PR, as well as ensuring there is time for planning and strategic thinking for the Group to support the elevation of the brand.”
Lucy Barnwell, Director of Marketing & Learner Recruitment at RNN Group
PR Media Training Frequently Asked Questions
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Without media training, your organisation and your spokespeople are already behind when a journalist requests an interview or a comment. Media training helps reassure and prepare staff so that they can handle these situations when they arise confidently. A poor performance in front of a tv camera or a stumbling interview can result in negative media coverage which can damage reputation.
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We can help provide a bespoke theoretical media training package which will help you to develop and familiarise yourself with your organisation’s key messaging or external stances on key topics.
After this, many spokespeople want to be able to put their training into practice so we can follow this up with a practical role-playing training session where your spokespeople are put into role-play scenarios to practice navigating the media, speaking to camera, and talking about key messaging.
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As every package we create is bespoke, the costs differ. The reputational cost of untrained or poorly trained media spokespeople being put in front of journalists, especially in times of crisis, can be immense.
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Being PR media trained means that you are a spokesperson for your company and are well-prepared for any media requests that may arise so that you can give comment on behalf of your organisation. It also means that you have the necessary training to help with interviews as part of a PR or marketing strategy which can help with your outreach or profile building externally.
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Media training sessions usually last half a day but we can offer full day courses.
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What your media training should cover depends on what your needs are as a person or a business, where there might be weaknesses or risks to consider, and the confidence of each spokesperson in their role.
However, our training usually covers the principles of media training, messaging, setting up an interview, saying no to journalists, interview tactics, how to master a reactive interview, and practical tips to ensure good performance.