Public relations professionals have long provided media training as part of a comprehensive suite of services, but as the PR and media industries undergo a massive sea of change, this traditional offering is often swept aside.
Yet despite this wild roller coaster ride – or perhaps because of it – media training remains a very important offering. The goal of media training is to prepare a spokesperson for a media interview, arming him or her with key messages.
###ANSWERS WAITING FOR QUESTIONS
The ability to communicate your key messages – no matter what question is asked – is crucial in today’s world of short attention spans, shrinking news resources, citizen journalists and mega competition. Media training teaches you the art of key message delivery and reviews journalism interview techniques to help you navigate through it.
###MYSTERIOUS WAYS
PR – and Journalism – can be a mystery. Not everyone understands the nuances and how it works. Defining the roles and discussing the journalist’s world is a very important part of media training. Armed with these insights, a spokesperson is much better equipped to handle the situation and provide a reporter with the necessary information needed for a good story.
###PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
No matter how many times you do something and no matter how good you are at it, it still pays to practice. Media training is no exception. Many of the people I media train have had some sort of formal training in the past and have participated in multiple media interviews, but still find they can come away with helpful hints for continuous improvement. After all, LeBron still shoots baskets, Alex Morgan works on coming through in the clutch and Tom Brady continues to work on his perfect spiral (and his perfect smile). As Vince Lombardi once said, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.”
How do you handle media training? Do you find it’s still an important part of your PR planning? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter via @IntrinzicSays.
