Working with the Media

Learn to Interact Effectively with the Media - Develop Skills for Press-Release Writing, Being Interviewed, and Using Social Media

This Media Relationship Training Workshop helps ensure your spokesperson succeeds at presenting your company's position in a positive manner and avoids costly media relation mistakes. This media relations workshop is tailored to your organization's needs and participant's level of experience.

Many employees are faced with a sudden need to communicate with the press, even in organizations that have a public relations department. What happens when there is a crisis after hours and the only employees available are your senior executives?  Or perhaps a special task force or project team has a need to communicate with the media on certain occasions, such as when you need to put out a public awareness campaign. Ensuring that these employees have the skills they need to do it well can make the difference between a positive public image for your organization and an embarrassing disaster. 

The right kind of media exposure can help your organization. The wrong kind of media can create challenges for the organization and the spokesperson.

So, who is a current and potential spokesperson for your organization? Have they had proper media relations training?

• Are they prepared to deal with the reporter who can't wait to get a "good" story - even if it is at your company's expense. 
• Remember, even casual conversations with reporters can become headlines.
• Do they know what is public information and what is not?
• Do they know how to quickly organize facts?
• Can they deliver the message concisely and clearly?
• Is Social Media really working for you?
• Can they dodge the bullet of the "trick" question - when no answer seems to be the best answer?
• Do they know how to create an effective news release?

If the answer to any of these questions is "No" - this training is for you.

Who Should Attend

This highly interactive course is designed for non-PR professionals of any level in the organization who may have an occasional need to communicate with print, radio or television journalists, or to use social media for PR purposes. Typically designed as a two-day course, we include extensive videotaped on-camera practice sessions for all participants, and limit attendance to 15 participants.

Training Benefits

• Increase the diversity and effectiveness of the real-time communicators in the public forum 
• More effective print and broadcast interview subjects
• Avoid media relations errors
• More powerful and persuasive public speakers
• More sophisticated PR
• Improved consumer relations
• Improved engagement of social media 

Overview of concepts and deliverables provided

• What makes news?
• Overview of types of media outlets and how they work
• Building relationships with journalists
• Types of interviews
• Developing key messages, verifying accuracy of information, and other preparation tips
• Basic presentation skills for in-person interviews
• Handling the tough cases
• Practice on-camera interviews with feedback sessions
• Press releases: the case for putting it in writing
• Structure and format of a good press release
• What makes it interesting?
• Writing style (AP) and proofreading tips
• Practice press release session with feedback
• Why use social media? 
• The technical process of using Facebook and Twitter
• Handling social media “hecklers”
  
  

Bring this seminar to your organization and begin applying powerful new presentation techniques immediately. Participants leave this session with necessary skills to deliver engaging presentations to clients, coworkers, executives and groups of all sizes.

 To receive more information about this training call toll free at 877-385-5515. 

You may also email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Meet one of our Working with Media Trainers: Anna DeBattiste

Anna DeBattiste has over 20 years of experience in oral and written communication skills training and public information. She has worked as a freelance writer for adventure sports magazines and for PR-related corporate projects, a writing instructor for the University of Vermont, and a communication/presentation skills and business writing trainer for Alliance. From 2007 to 2010 she worked as a public information officer for the Summit County Rescue Group in Summit County, Colorado, where she was responsible for all media handling, public information releases and public relations/outreach projects for a non-profit, all-volunteer mountain rescue team. She holds a Masters Degree in English from the University of Vermont.