This is the tenth and last in a series of blog posts about what media training trainees think when they come to a session. We sum up, here, the overall expectations of trainees. Very few executives, engineers, sales people and others who are pegged by their organizations to take media training know what to expect from a session. Most have a vague idea that they … Continue reading It is YOUR story

This is the ninth of ten in a series of blog posts about what media training trainees think when they come to a session. We talk here about interviews that trainees face at typical media training sessions. If and when you take media training, the class will include practice interviews. These typically will be conducted by the media trainer sitting across from each trainee. Some … Continue reading Get interviewed but get real

This is the eighth in a series of blog posts about what media training trainees think when they come to a session. We talk here about preparing your story. Guess what? If you go into an interview determined to tell your story rather than sitting there waiting for the next question to be asked, you have to have a story to tell. Duh.  Simple but … Continue reading What is your story?

This is the seventh in a series of blogs about what media training trainees think when they come to a session. We talk here about keeping your feet out of your mouth during an interview. Many interviewees make errors during interviews; fortunately only a few of these spokespeople make mistakes that will have lasting repercussions. Nevertheless, interviewees can rue their misspeaks long into the future and, … Continue reading Curing foot-in-mouth disease

This is the sixth in a series of blogs about what media training trainees think when they come to a session. We talk here about preparing for media interviews and how this step is often a stumble. Many people, including top business executives, go into media interviews expecting only to answer questions. They believe an interview is a Q & A in which the interviewer – … Continue reading It is your interview; prepare!

This is the fifth in a series of blogs about what media training trainees think when they come to a session. We talk here about greeting journalists when they come calling. While it should be a welcome contact at most times, a telephone call or even a walk-in visit by a journalist causes dread in the hearts and minds of many business and government execs along with a … Continue reading Greetings, journalist

This is the third post in a series of blogs about what media training trainees think when they come to a session. We talk here about what most trainees see as their goal going into media training – and how wrong they are. Most people and, in this post, many executives don’t truly understand what news media are all about. This is a rather amazing … Continue reading What is my message?

This is the second post in a series of blogs about what media training trainees think when they come to a session. We talk here about how media get the news they print and broadcast. In our media training sessions, we help trainees unravel some of the mysteries of media including how journalists find their news in the first place. Few have thought about the … Continue reading How do they get news?

This is the first in a series of blogs about what media training trainees think when they come to a session. We talk here about satisfying the needs and likes of editors and producers. How do media function? Trainees haven’t given much thought, before our media training sessions, about how journalists function or what goals media pursue. They are a trifle surprised by the relatively … Continue reading Training Series: What do they want?