Media Training for CEOs and key spokespeople: everything you need to know
As a CEO, executive, or key spokesperson there is always the chance you will be asked to do media interviews on behalf of your organisation, and when that moment comes preparation is vital.
An important component of that preparation is media training. Because it takes only one bad interview to damage a reputation.
So, whether you’re announcing company growth, the latest industry trends, launching a new product, or managing a crisis, media training teaches you the skills and techniques to be a clear, concise, and confident spokesperson.
What is media training?
Media Training is practical coaching, preferably on camera, that teaches you how to manage media interviews for TV, radio, print, online articles, or podcasts.
Through experiential learning, you learn:
- an understanding of the media
- how to stay in control and ‘on message’
- how to answer difficult questions with ‘bridging’ techniques
- how to control nerves
- where to look
- what to wear
- what to say and how to say it
Importantly, you learn how to deliver media-friendly ‘grabs’ or ‘sounds bites’ in your natural voice, so you don’t sound rehearsed or wooden.
“The best interviews are delivered with confidence and where you sound authentic and credible. Media Training is about teaching CEOs, executives, industry leaders, and key spokespeople the formula to stay in control and deliver their key messages so that what they say lands with the audience,” Adoni Media‘s Managing Director, Leisa Goddard, said.
Why CEOs, executives, and key spokespeople need media training
CEOs, executives, and key spokespeople are experts in their industry and, as industry leaders, journalists will always seek their expertise for comment in news stories.
However, if they haven’t had media training, they won’t be experts in talking to journalists. And that’s completely normal.
The skills needed to communicate effectively in a media interview are very different to the skills needed to communicate with each other day-to-day.
In a media interview, you only have a few seconds to explain complex issues, respond to difficult questions with confidence, or manage your organisation’s reputation when something has gone wrong.
If you have been media trained, you will know how to:
- deliver clear, memorable messages
- stay calm when facing difficult questions
- avoid industry jargon and acronyms
- use ‘bridging’ techniques to stay in control
- build trust with your target audience
These are skills and techniques that not only improve the way you perform in media interviews. They also help improve public speaking engagements as well as presentations to boards, stakeholder meetings, investor days, town halls, and community events.
What happens during media training?
Media training sessions should be practical as experiential learning is the most effective way to learn the skills and techniques needed to perform well in media interviews.
Participants should experience one-on-one media interviews, press conferences, A Current Affair style ‘doorstops’, and live crosses for TV and radio to learn what is required for news stories on TV, radio, print, and online.
The most valuable part is practicing interviews on camera and then watching the interviews through video playback.
“People are often surprised by how different they look and sound on camera. They quickly pickup habits they often don’t realise they are doing and can make adjustments to improve the way they present,” Ms Goddard said.
“At Adoni Media, we have been providing media training since 2012, and every participant in every session has improved.”
Why journalist-led media training matters
Adoni Media’s trainers are former senior TV journalists who have worked at the highest levels of the Australian media as war correspondents, foreign correspondents, political correspondents, investigative journalists for A Current Affair, news bosses, Ministerial media advisors, corporate communications specialists, and university-level presentation coaches.
“We know what journalists need to tell your story. For decades, we have set news agendas and covered stories around the world and at home from terror events, natural disasters, federal elections and scandals to royal weddings, major industry announcements, and charity events. We also know the tricks journalists use to try and get you to say something you don’t want to say,” Ms Goddard said.
“We give participants a first-hand account of how newsrooms and journalists really operate to prepare CEOs and key spokespeople to understand not only how to answer questions, but also why certain questions are asked and how to anticipate them.”
Our trainers work with news camera operators who have a full-sized TV news camera, audio and lighting kit to simulate a real-world media environment in either your boardroom or one of our TV studios in Sydney and Brisbane. Our camera operators are still working in the news environment and often come straight from working on a live cross on breakfast television into media training.
Confidence comes from preparation
One of the biggest misconceptions about media interviews is that confident speakers are simply born that way.
The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Confidence comes from preparation and practice.
The more interviews you experience in a training environment where it is safe and you are supported, the more comfortable you will feel when you are doing media interviews for real.
“Confidence comes from being in control. Journalists have 100 per cent control over the way they ask the questions just as spokespeople have 100 per cent control over the way they answer the questions,” Ms Goddard said.
Investing in your reputation
Every media interview is an opportunity to strengthen the reputation of your organisation and you as a spokesperson.
By demonstrating your expertise, interviews help to build trust and credibility and done correctly can also help turn CEOs and key spokespeople into thought leaders or ‘go-to’ spokespeople for your organisation and industry.
‘No comment’ is seen as a lost opportunity no matter what the issue. In a crisis though, it can be seen as lacking empathy, as if you have something to hide, or even worse that you are guilty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does media training take?
Media training can be delivered in either a half-day or full-day session, depending on the number of participants, experience levels, and objectives. Ongoing refresher training is strongly recommended for spokespeople who do regular media interviews.
Who should undertake media training?
Media training is valuable for CEOs, executives, industry leaders, subject matter experts, key spokespeople, board members, and anyone who may be interviewed by a journalist.
Is media training only for television interviews?
No. Effective media training prepares participants for all types of media interviews whether they be for television, radio, print, online publications, or podcasts.
What skills will I develop?
Participants learn how to present with impact and gravitas, deliver key messages that land with the audience, stay in control when responding to challenging questions, stay on message, and communicate with confidence across all different types of media.
