What is media training?
Media training is the process of working with a trained communications professional to improve your interactions with media. You’ll develop your interview skills and learn how to get your organization’s key messages across clearly and with impact. Media training will also help you develop meaningful relationships with reporters and, in the process, position yourself as a thought leader that can be tapped for future commentary.
Why is it important?
Media training is more important than ever, as the media landscape is changing rapidly. Having a clear understanding of how the modern-day newsroom functions can improve your results dramatically.
To begin, we are living in a 24-hour news cycle. That means there is unique coverage being shared around the clock. Hard news stories are in demand, but media companies also need human interest stories to fill in space and provide some balance for viewers and readers. Don’t give up on your feel-good story pitches just yet!
On particularly busy news days, stories may compete for airtime. Media training will help improve your interview skills, thereby elevating your story above others. It will also teach you the nuances of each media channel, as it’s important to adjust your interview tactics depending on whether you’re working with a broadcast television reporter or a podcaster.
It’s also important to note that, in the current media landscape, journalists’ deadlines are often extremely tight. Once you receive an inquiry, you need to act swiftly in order to stay ahead of the story. Media training will prepare you for these high-stakes moments.
In addition to working more effectively with your media contacts, media training will teach you and your team how to represent your brand with confidence. Key messages should be delivered clearly and concisely—think in terms of soundbites. If your response to an interview question was broken up into three pieces, would each portion retain the same meaning? Learning how to deliver key messages can help you avoid getting misquoted.
Finally, media training can help you and your team minimize PR crises by avoiding unnecessary issues, like the aforementioned misquote or off-the-cuff remarks. REED’s media training program includes mock interviews, which give you the chance to hone your interview skills on the fly and try delivering your key messages in several different ways in a safe space. You’ll also get to practice fielding difficult and uncomfortable questions and redirecting your responses back to your key messages. Building improvisation skills like these can also help your team as they grow in their careers and deliver keynote addresses, lead meetings and more!
Why is NOW a great time to get started?
The turn of the year is the perfect time to schedule media training. Use the course to onboard new staff and refresh veteran team members on your brand’s key messages. You can also use the course as an opportunity to introduce any new branding or messaging changes you’re implementing in the coming year.
Media training can also bring you one step closer to achieving common communications goals for the new year. For example, training can help you secure more positive new coverage of your organization or develop a few mutually beneficial relationships with local reporters.
Finally, media training can help you effectively disseminate the particular key messages you’d like your organization to focus on for the year ahead. After a day of practicing how to best represent these messages to the media, you can be sure your communications will be received loud and clear!
Ready to get started?
Contact REED to book your one-day media training today!