Effective media training is vital to empower your spokespersons and members to communicate core messages and respond to the media.

We provide media training in half-day and full-day formats that are informative, interactive, and entertaining. Our media training experts have extensive experience as both journalists and public relations experts, providing important perspective from both sides.

Training includes preparation for print and broadcast media interviews, message delivery and “bridging” techniques, dealing with hostile reporters, media role-playing, and distribution of media tip sheets to spokespersons for future use.

We develop media interview topics and scenarios customized to the client industry or profession, conduct a mock interview with each participant, and provide a digital file of the interviews following the session.

Our media training also includes advice on handling the social media – blogs and online postings that may warrant response from an association spokesperson. If time allows at the end of the session, we also have a “Media Training Jeopardy” game we play with participants, which is an entertaining way to quickly review key points learned in the training.

We also provide a full year of informal consultation with all media training participants. For example, if they are facing upcoming media interview nine months after attending the media training session, they can simply call or e-mail us and to review the specific situation and receive customized advice as needed. This includes researching background information on the media outlet and reporter using our Cision database of more than 300,000 individual media contacts.

Association Vision has also created 14 Tips for Dealing with the Media to help you with your next media encounter.

For advice on crisis communication, consult the 17 Commandments for Crisis Communication.

Media Training Testimonials

Here’s what some participants in recent Association Vision media training seminars had to say:

"Wow! From the title of the seminar (Media Encounters of the Difficult Kind: Media Training You Can Use) I didn't think it would be relevant. Was I wrong. This was awesome in all respects of life, business, and organization. Thank you."

"Excellent session - lots of interchange with instructor and group. Very helpful."

"Exceeded my expectations. Excellent decision by the Board to retain this firm. Good role playing exercise."