Media training for executives and marketing teams

Become more confident – and effective – at dealing with the media

I’m a former Sydney Morning Herald editor and journalist who helps people get their message across — whether it’s in an interview, managing a crisis or by generating story ideas for the press.

I train a wide variety of people from high-level executives to PR and marketing professionals.

Executive 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:

• practicing different interview scenarios
• preparing for difficult questions
• understanding the different techniques journalists use – and knowing how to respond to them
• becoming aware of your body language and tone of voice
• using rhetorical techniques (such as the power of three – otherwise known as as the tricolon) to become more persuasive
• steering the interview back to your key message (without being obnoxious or sounding like a robot)
• knowing how to respond when the media contacts you
• becoming comfortable when being interviewed (this can include on camera training and conducting interviews over Zoom).

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.

Confidential media training that can be run online or at your office

I can run this training over Zoom or at your office.

I’ll take the time to customise the training to suit your particular situation and can guarantee the training will remain entirely confidential.

Dealing with Grumpy Editors – the book

Dealing with Grumpy Editors is an ebook that explains what does and doesn’t work when it comes to pitching story ideas and press releases to the media.

It covers:

• • how to write press releases that will grab an editor’s interest
  • how to pitch stories
  • the danger of offering exclusives
  • the real reasons why some stories don’t make it to press
  • understanding what makes editors tick
  • what information editors and journos need from PR
  • what to do – and not do – when calling an editor
  • what should be on a PR’s and client’s website
  • how to handle media requests
  • interviews (and how to give good quotes)
  • PR damage control tips.

Price: $4.99