The Importance of Media Training
Even though any interaction with the media relinquishes a certain amount of control to the news reporter conducting the interview, whether it be print, broadcast, or online, you can still be an effective spokesperson for your brand.
However, you can ensure that your key messages are heard by your target audience when conducting an interview on your organization's behalf.
Professional media training can prepare you for the tough questions and unexpected twists that you may encounter in an actual interview. It will help you communicate more effectively with the goal of not being quoted out of context and staying true to your brand's key messaging.
How important is media training?
Media training is paramount in increasing your understanding of how news outlets approach a story. Proper training tips provide insight into how to adequately approach a journalist with relevant information and engaging stories.
Media training is a powerful tool used to gain coverage for your organization, all while strengthening your relationship with members of the media landscape.
Your company news is usually not worthy of a story in a journalist's eyes. But, if you understand the process and know how to find the "news hook" that relates to your company's news, the reporter can use it to convince their editor to run the story.
They will respect and appreciate your contribution to the process and likely be more willing to find a way to include the core messaging you want conveyed in the article or story.
Once you have convinced or been approached by a media outlet to tell your story, your interview skills and ability to provide sound bites with the concise messages needed by a reporter, while also complying with your own business strategy, will help guarantee the outcome is a positive one for your brand.
Effective communication in an interview setting is your most powerful form of control over the core message of the story.
Why is Media Training Important?
Proper training from public relations professionals will prepare you for more than just a routine interaction with an outlet. It can also assist you in repairing any damage done by a bad interview, or help you understand how best to execute your plan for crisis communications should the need arise.
Sometimes knowing what not to say can be equally as important as what you are saying.
Professional training also addresses more than just how to handle challenging questions. It also focuses on other factors beyond just what is being said, including body language, eye contact, news cycles, follow up tactics, etc.
Training sessions can also be tailored to prepare an executive or business owner to present themselves as a subject matter expert providing expert commentary pertaining to a particular field or topic and its target audience.
Is Media Training Beneficial for Executives?
Equipping your company spokespeople with the vital tools to handle difficult questions while pivoting to relay key messages is an invaluable asset to business advancement. Executives who are prepared for broadcast interviews and potential interview questions with a focus on the entire process can give you a competitive edge.
Emerson Street Media can help you tell a compelling story that engages your ideal customer. Keeping that audience in mind and increasing one's comfort level with mock interviews is an ongoing process. Executives should continue to hone their public speaking and communication skills on a regular basis.
Expert Training from Emerson Street Media
The Emerson Street Media team holds over 40 years of collective experience in the broadcast media field. We share our unique blend of on-air and behind-the-scenes production knowledge in our tested curriculum fit to meet any of your media training needs.
