Impress Media Australia offers a customised Media Skills Workshop where the program contents are tailored with media examples and experiences relevant to the industry sector and professional needs of the course participants.

Media Skills Overview

The Media Skills Workshop is a highly interactive program that engages participants to draw out their experiences with and perceptions of the media as well as delivering concise, practical insights and strategies for successfully managing media.

A foundation issue is developing key messages to communicate in media interviews while also providing relevant answers to the questions asked by journalists. An important part of the Media Skills Workshop involves simulated "to camera" interviews, drawing on topical issues related to work undertaken by participants. Subsequent analysis of interviews identifies strengths, shortcomings and areas for improvement.

The Media Skills Workshop prepares participants to deal with all sorts of media, including print, radio and television. An important deliverable of the program is that participants come away with a clear understanding of the various motivations and objectives of each particular medium.

Context: Meet the Media

This opening segment focuses on providing participants with an understanding of the media including: The value received by organisations from effective use of the media including increased profile public goodwill and new business opportunities.

  • How the mass media is structured

  • Needs of different types of media

  • Various elements of the "story cycle"

  • Building a relationship with journalists.

This segment will contain an initial on-camera interview with each individual as preparation for a more gruelling encounter in the final session. Results will be replayed and reviewed.

Content: Manage the Media

This segment will go into the specifics of why and how the media is likely to interview the participants. Topics covered will include:

  • What "drives" the media

  • Previous experience with the media

  • Understanding which story "angles" journalists want

  • Understanding the importance of deadlines - yours and theirs

  • Preparing for an interview - the importance of simplicity and brevity

  • Anticipating questions so you can prepare answers

  • Your "rights" in an interview - you can ask "why?"

  • Pro-active "backgrounding" - offering briefing details to the media

  • Creating compelling press releases.

Contact: Mind the Media

This session will deliver practical information about talking to the media, including presentation, pitfalls and other problems including:

Speaking tips to produce "quotable" quotes for TV, radio and press.

  • Concentrating on the positive while accepting negatives

  • Communicating at a press conference

  • Communicating in a one-on-one interview

  • How to say "no" without putting a journalist offside

  • Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

  • Practical advice regarding clothing and makeup for TV

  • Posture, body language, eye contact and elocution

  • Legal aspects of the media, including defamation and libel

  • "On the record / off the record / exclusive / embargo" …which one do you mean? - make yourself clear.

Lights, Camera Action! Master the Media

This segment will provide participants with a second, more demanding "news" interview scenario, filmed on camera and then review. The workshop concludes with a question and answer session covering all aspects of the training.

More Information about the Media Skills Workshop

To discuss your specific requirements in relation to the Media Skills Workshop, , call Impress Media Australia on 08 8431 4000 or email John Harris at jharris@impress.com.au

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