Module Eight:Advanced Media Skills Training

You’ve learnt the Media Training basics. You may not welcome the thought of an interview, but you pretty much understand the rules of engagement. You are also uncomfortably aware that once you say something, it’s out there and can’t be taken back.

Can you now afford to be complacent about interfacing with the media? The same question could be asked of an Olympic medal-winning athlete: Should they stop continually improving their skills in preparation for the next Olympic Games?

In these tough economic times, if being ready is the secret to success, are you honestly prepared to address shareholders, the public and hard-core journalists?

In the Firing Line is a highly interactive communications intervention that will go a long way in preparing you for any issue-based interaction with the media, taking the basics of Media Skills Training to a much higher level.

This highly experiential programme focuses on the client’s particular issues and throws the spotlight on the following core segments:

Relationships: Local and National Media

There is a vast difference between the local and national media. Locally – newspapers, radio and TV stations depend on people like you to fill their pages and screens with local human interest. National journalists are the ones who are likely to ride roughshod over your feelings and sensitivities to get the sharpest angle and the best picture.

Understanding the difference between local and national media involves building rapport with the key media representatives. Good relationships with journalists means you will be better prepared to handle the tougher interviews and those ‘curved ball’ questions with more confidence.

Topics to be highlighted during this segment include:

• Building key relationships with select media
• Maintaining contact
• Knowing your media : Monitoring, strategies and relationships

Handling difficult interviews

The phone rings, and out of the blue a journalist is on the line asking you some tricky questions about your company’s activities.  How do you handle it? How do you make your point to adversarial and aggressive questions? Your company’s reputation may depend on the answers you give.
An interview with the media around controversial issues can be extremely daunting. Clear thought, adequate preparation and effective use of sound communication skills all go a long way in making the experience less nerve-wracking.

Here we’ll deal with:

• Establishing the ground rules
• Preparing your key messages
• Identifying with the audience
• How to use facts and figures
• Coping ‘under fire’
• Effective damage limitation techniques
• What to say – and what not to say

Handling challenges from the news media:

The media report news in swift brush strokes, rather than in depth and in detail. For negative news, the story line often follows the ‘heroes, villains and victims’ pattern. This leaves the media in what some see as the rather dubious role of watchdogs or champions.
In a tussle between any kind of bureaucracy and the public, the news media - especially the popular media - will take up the cudgels on the public’s behalf.

Understanding the news media will equip you to handle the barrage of challenges they throw at you.

Core topics to be covered to assist in achieving this goal include:

• News integrity
• News angles
• Human interest and how to use it
• Finding creative ways to ‘market’ your organisation to the media

The message of this coaching programme is a simple one: The media may provide you with enormous opportunity to get your message across to the right audience - and if you don't recognise and exploit this situation - your rivals probably will.

This is no off-the shelf course, but customised coaching that is personal, practical and highly intensive, but above all – relevant.