Media training for executives, PR and spokespeople

Become confident – and effective – at dealing with the media

I’m a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and journalist who offers two kinds of media training:

• executive media training, which prepares leaders for interviews, managing crises and talking to the media
• a high-level refresher course for PR and marketing professionals, so they can refine both their stories and the way they pitch them.

Executive and spokesperson media training

Whether you’re giving an interview on camera, over the radio or to a newspaper or magazine, I can help you prepare (and relax) for it.

The training will vary depending on your needs and situation – but it can include:

• how to answer difficult questions
• refining what you need to say – and how to say it
• steering the interview back to your key message without sounding like a robot
• giving quotes that will actually be used by the media
• how to avoid being misquoted
• knowing how to respond when the media contacts you
• becoming aware of body language and tone of voice
• crisis comms essentials (and how to avoid making the most common mistakes)
• using rhetorical techniques to become more persuasive
• becoming comfortable when being interviewed.

The training usually includes mock interviews, so participants can practice answering questions in a realistic interview environment – and directly receive valuable feedback.

Most participants find these simulated interviews the most valuable part of the training, as it allows them to put theory into practice. Although most people (including senior leaders) are nervous at the beginning, by the end they’re always more confident – and self-aware – about how to handle themselves when talking to the media.

Participants will also receive a handbook filled with tips to help them prepare for interviews.

Crisis communications training – covers media interviews and communicating with the public

I also run training purely on crisis comms.

As someone who has worked across every industry, I can customise this training for your particular organisation and situation.

The training covers:

• crisis comms planning
• what does and doesn’t work in a crisis (hint: most people get this wrong)
• using your own media channels (such as social media) to quickly respond
• creating key messages that build, rather than erode, trust
• how to engage with traditional media, from television and radio to newspapers and other publications
• using bridging techniques in interviews to shift the focus back to your key messages
• managing and speaking at press conferences
• calibrating your tone of voice and communication style when talking to the media and the public.

Perhaps most importantly, we will then put theory into practice by running simulated interviews, ensuring you’ll be able to respond to any crisis calmly, confidently and with control.

Media training for marketing, PR and comms teams

Topics that can be covered include:

• understanding what the media wants – and how journalists work
• identifying the kinds of stories that different media outlets will run
• pitching your story to the media
• writing press releases that will be read and not deleted
• becoming comfortable and confident in media interviews
• how to use key messages without sounding like a robot
• contacting journalists and editors
• handling media requests.

If you only have one or two staff members who need training, I also offer half-day public courses on press release writing and pitching to the media.
 

Who will be running the media training?

Every session will be run by myself, a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and journalist with over 30 years of experience.

I have written for and edited almost every section of the newspaper, covering areas from travel, hospitality and entertainment to health, science and technology.

In other words, regardless of what industry or area you work in, I understand exactly what kind of questions you’ll be facing from journalists – because at one time or another in the past, I was the person asking them.

I also have extensive experience in media training, having run my business for over 15 years now. I’ve trained people from all sorts of organisations, from C-suite executives at large councils right through to finance and hospitality CEOs.
 

Confidential media training customised for you

Everyone’s media training needs are different, which is why I’ll take the time to customise the course to suit your particular situation.

For example, if your organisation might face a certain kind of crisis – whether it’s a cyber attack, outage, product recall or employee misconduct – we can prepare your leaders and spokespeople on how to respond to that. The training will remain entirely confidential and I’m willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement if needed.

How long are the sessions – and how will the media training be delivered?

If the session is for a small group or individual, it usually runs for half a day – but this can vary depending on your needs. If you want me to run mock interviews (which I usually recommend), it’s best to keep group sizes small if possible. However, I am flexible with this and can make the session work for you regardless.

The sessions can be taught at your office, online or a combination of the above.

I’m happy to provide support after the training is over, and can offer short follow-up sessions or refreshers as needed. I’m also always happy to answer questions from participants even when the training is over.
 

Who can benefit from media training?

I’ve run media training for almost every kind of organisation across every industry, including:

• education
• finance
• hospitality
• technology
• government
• health.

Most of my clients tend to be:

• CEOs and other C-suite executives
• founders
• spokespeople
• general managers
• board directors
• team leaders.