MEDIA RELATIONS (TV & Radio)

Register your interest in a public group session

We understand individuals and small businesses may not have the resources to book an exclusive group or one-to-one session, so we operate a wait list system. Give us you contact details and when enough people have registered their interest we'll be in touch to organise a date. For most sessions you'll be alongside (virtually that is) no more than five other trainees.

Organise an in-house private course

This is the way most organisations choose to work with us. You get to choose the workshop, nominate who you want to sit the session, fix a time and date that suits everyone and decide whether you want online or in-person delivery. We do the rest – even down to tweaking the training to match your specific needs. All we need is a bit of information about you so click the organise button to get the ball rolling.

Price

From £999 per session

AIMED AT

Our most popular one day workshop, it suits those with little or no media experience looking to acquire new skills or intermediates looking to improve. The workshop is highly practical in nature and leaves participants with a set of skills they can immediately use to stay in control during real life interviews. It's ideal for individuals and organisations who'd like to get more from the media and as well as helping develop interview techniques includes hints and tips on how to harness the media to your benefit. The nature of our workshops means that we can train people with a wide range of abilities in mixed groups. The facilitator is the highly respected BBC broadcaster Richard Uridge. Please click here for his biography. Please note that, at present, this workshop is only available on an in-house booking basis.

CONTENT

The day is divided into four sections with regular breaks for drinks, refreshments and lunch.

Introduction
An introduction to the basic principles underlying an organisation’s approach to the media. By the end of this section participants should be able to appreciate: -
• The consequences of being “unavailable” or making “no comment” to the media
• The value of a corporate face when dealing with the media
• The pros and cons of passing the buck
• The importance of reacting quickly

Message
Getting the message right is the key to a successful interview so consequently the bulk of the workshop is spent on this. Each participant is interviewed twice to ensure that skills demonstrated and acquired during the recording and playback of interview one can be put to practical use in interview two. By the end of this section the following key points will have emerged: -
• Straight and sincere – say what you mean and mean what you say
• Know your job
• What to say when you don’t have the answer
• What to say when you do have the answer but rather wouldn’t disclose it
• How to deal with awkward interviewers
• Interview planning and preparation
• Identifying and selling a key message
• The use of soundbites - their strengths and weaknesses
• How to avoid being taken out of context

Medium
So that the workshop is as close to a real life experience as possible we use only the very latest broadcast equipment and crews with current industry experience. Throughout the day participants are encouraged to demystify the technology by trying it for themselves. By the end of the workshop the following points will have been covered: -
• Camera, lights action – familiarity with the equipment
• Sound and vision - understanding the relative strengths and weaknesses of television, radio and newspapers as a platform for your message
• Journalists and how to deal with them
• Interview types - phone, face-to-face and remote links
• When the worst happens – what to do when things go wrong

Messenger
That’s you! Seeing oneself on TV or hearing oneself on the radio for the first time can be an excruciating experience. Yet with a few hints and tips the pain can be eased or avoided altogether. We cover the following points throughout the day and in a whole group session towards the end: -
• Demeanour – how not to look shifty, stupid or both
• Dress – what to wear, what to avoid and why
• Voice and tone – getting the best possible sound
• Usage and abusage – using the spoken word to maximise your message
• Self appraisal and improvement – how to get better

You’re in their hands – forging relationships with journalistsusage and abusage – using the written word to maximise your message