Media Training 101 , an invaluable resource for all public officials, offers proven techniques for working with the press and developing a winning public relations strategy.
Excerpt of Introduction
Media Training 101 teaches you how to work with the press by learning what journalists consider newsworthy and how they operate. This invaluable guide enables you to develop a concrete, effective public relations program that will help your office reap the public support you need.
Media Training 101 offers proven advice on topics such as developing consistent and compelling Key Message Points that will resonate with the public, gaining and maintaining control during an interview by following a few simple rules, employing crucial bridging phrases to help answer tough questions, handling crisis situations and emerging triumphant, avoiding gaffes during an interview, using effective body language to underscore your message, capitalizing on a story once it is out and utilizing Sally’s inside knowledge of what reporters are thinking so that you can be prepared for any question.
Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction
Part I Understanding the Media
Chapter 1 Foundational Rules for Media Success
Chapter 2 How Journadtsts Think and Behave
Chapter 3 Responding to Journadtsts
Chapter 4 What is News
Part II Practice Facing the Media
Chapter 5 Key Message Point Workshop
Chapter 6 Lethal Mistakes: The Dirty Dozen
Chapter 7 Playing the Interview Game and Winning
Chapter 8 Putting the Organic Keyword Method to Work
Chapter 9 Key Message Point Practice Questions
Part III Giving a Great Interview
Chapter 10 Interviews: What is What and Who is Who
Chapter 11 Things You Should Never Say to a Reporter
Chapter 12 When Things Go Wrong
Chapter 13 Dress For Media Success
Part IV Implementing Media Training on the Fly
Chapter 14 When the Media Just Shows Up
Chapter 15 Crisis Control
Chapter 16 How to Write and Review a Press Release
Chapter 17 How to Pitch Your Company’s Story
Chapter 18 How to Hire PR That Works
Chapter 19 How to Create a Stellar Press Kit
Chapter 20 Media Training and the World Wide Web
Chapter 21 PR Lessons From Law School
Conclusion
Glossary
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Are You Ready for Your Interview?
A Last-Minute Checklist
By Sally Stewart, author of Media Training 101
So you have an interview all lined up. You – or maybe your public affairs office – made a ton of calls and found a reporter interested in listening to your story. Now, the hard work begins. Make sure you do your homework so you don’t blow your chance to get your story out the way you want it. The key factors for preparing content for the interview include:
What is the message? Write down three to five bullet points and during the interview, make sure you verbalize those points. Don’t wait for the perfect question to get your point across.
Who is the audience? Visualize the different groups with which you are trying to communicate: Vendors, elected officials, employees, neighbors, etc.
What is the desired result of the interview? Direct people to your Web site, ask them to support your initiative by calling your office. Give your audience something to do.
Did you prep for answering “tough” questions? Don’t just practice in your head. Find a colleague to play the role of a tough reporter and put yourself on the hot seat.
THE AUDIENCE
When they are in the middle of an interview, many people think they are communicating only with the reporter. They are wrong. Your real audience goes far beyond the reporter – it’s all the people who will see, read, listen to or talk about your interview. Your message must be tailored correctly to reach everyone, not just the reporter sitting across from you. The audience wants to know how your message affects them:
So what?
Who cares?
Should I be listening?
Why is this important to me?
THE DELIVERY
Knowing your message and your audience is not enough. Take it to the next level and make your message accessible to every audience member. Show your passion for your subject – don’t just drone on and on like a college professor. Boil down your message into short, simple answers and deliver those answers with energy.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The relationship between the reporter and the interview-ee should benefit each one. If you can explain your story clearly, quickly and interestingly, then you make the reporter’s job a lot easier. You also make it easier for the audience to understand your point of view. The bottom line: When you are prepared and focused, the message will be clear and succinct.
To order Sally Stewart ’s book, Media Training 101, click here ( have this hypertext to our bookstore). To inquire about her course, visit our course offering page.
