Media Training Syllabus
Introduction
9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Session I: Media Basics
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Practice – Baseline on-camera interviews
In this section of the course, participants will learn how the media cycle works and how
to work within the timeless that media adhere to. Participants will also go through the
components of a typical interview and will practice their responses to the questions
reporters always ask.
This section will also cover:
• How to create effective key messages.
• How to tell an irresistible story to the media.
• How to speak in sound bites.
Session II: The Essentials
10:45 a.m. – Noon
This section of the course gets away from a typical non-hostile interview and delves into
the various tools available to the interviewee to ensure they are able to effectively
deliver their message, even in the midst of a potentially negative or hostile interview.
Participants will learn;
• The ‘tricks’ reporters use and how to avoid them.
• Bridging: your lifeline out of a negative interview.
A hands-on exercise will allow participants to solidifying their use of bridging skills and
use of key messages.
Session III: Group Practice
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Participants will be grouped and will be given a challenging/crisis communications scenarios based on their area of expertise within their organization.
Each group will prepare key messages and will face a hostile interview.
Session IV: What to Wear
2:10 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Participants will learn which colours and patterns to avoid for television as well the reasons they should keep hair and make-up simple.
In this section, participants will learn about effective and appropriate body language in greater detail. Participants will also learn about voice and tone for radio interviews.
With the increased reliance by media on Skype interviews, spokespeople need to know
how to work with new technology. In the second half of this section, participants will
learn how to set up a laptop/ipad camera and the importance of background visuals for
Skype interviews.
Session V: How to Prepare
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
While most participants won’t be in the situation of having to strategizing a
communications plan during a crisis, it is important for participants to be aware of
best practices and how to react during stressful situations. Participants will learn about
protecting and enhancing their organization’s brand during a crisis.
Session VI: Social Media and Reputation Management
3:00 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Most employees have heard that they should be careful with what they post on social media networks. This section of the course goes one step further and shows them why. This is a hands-on demonstration of why reputation management and social media are integral to organization. We ask for a list of attendees prior to the workshop because we perform a search of publicly available social media posts which are potentially harmful to the organization’s reputation. All posts shown in the workshop are completely anonymous. While the examples come from things staff have posted, we never divulge the staff member’s name, photo or any identifying information. We have yet to find an organization where staff have not posted a potentially negative social media post.
Session VII: Practice Interviews
3:10 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
One-on-one on camera interviews.
Participants will be in groups of 3-4 people and will be asked to create key messages for a real-life scenario they will be given. Each participant will need to be prepared for an on camera interview. Interview playback and critique will follow.
Session VII: Wrap-Up
4:00 p.m. -4:30 p.m.
Question and answer.