In the current media landscape, media training is vital to all business leaders and spokespeople who want to communicate effectively across multiple media platforms. Media training will help you develop skills in how to present your story in an engaging and valuable way and also how to conduct a successful media interview.
The public relations team at Adoni Media know first-hand the importance of media training for brands because they’ve spent years conducting interviews as journalists and know the difference a well-spoken interviewee can make to a story. If you want media coverage, you need to understand how the media works and what journalists are looking for. Here are three reasons why you should do media training.
- Learn how to think like a journalist
Leaning what journalists look for in a story and how the media works is the first step to effective media relations. Media training will help you identify what journalists are looking for across different platforms including TV, radio, print media and online media. It will also help you deliver key messages effectively, adapting them as necessary. For example, you may have less time to communicate your key messages in a broadcast interview than you do with a print journalist.
- Practise makes perfect
Facing cameras and journalists can be very daunting so practising being put on the spot and dealing with tough questions is valuable. You will learn what to say and what not to say, and how to answer the tough questions in a way that puts your brand in a positive light. You will also learn valuable presentation techniques and skills including tone of voice, choice of clothing attire and body language.
- Prepare all staff
Often, the person answering a call from the media is a frontline staff member who isn’t authorised to be a brand spokesperson and may unwittingly say something wrong. It’s important that media training is given to all frontline staff, not just those who will be put forward for interviews, so they know what they can say and how to react if contacted by a journalist.