Speaking the Same Language ™

Effectively Engaging the Media and Media Training

Case Study

One of our most popular workshops, Effectively Engaging the Media and Media Training has been delivered to hundreds of clients. What sets us apart is that every session is tailored for client relevancy – case studies, examples and mock interviews are designed to directly meet the unique needs of each individual or organization. 

Learning Objectives

Effectively Engaging the Media and Media Training workshops help scientists and engineers better communicate with journalists and media consumers. Participants gain an understanding of today’s media landscape, including the role of both traditional and digital media platforms, and the value of engaging with these audiences. In this workshop, participants will learn to evaluate the newsworthiness of their information and research, how to engage with various types of media, and best practices for conducting interviews. Media training involves rehearsing for interviews to develop more effective outcomes in a real-life interview setting.

Workshop Outline

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Who are the media – traditional, social and citizen journalism;

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Understanding your audience and why it’s important;

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What do the media want, what makes science news, how to draw coverage and widen audiences;

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Key messages, proof points, storytelling and preparing for media interviews;

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Designing an effective social media strategy;

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Strategies for illustrating your story;

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Strategies for overcoming nervousness.

Through this interactive media workshop, participants view relevant video examples showing techniques that they will be able to put into action right away. Participants spend 50% of their time practicing the techniques through on-camera interviews with real journalists. The workshop is conducted by a former science journalist and a digital media specialist who have worked with multiple groups and organizations, including: health care providers, Crown Corporations, municipal, provincial and federal governments, research institutes, businesses and organizations in the fields of biotech, high-tech, civil / geological / chemical / electrical / software engineering, medicine, pharmaceuticals, environmental sciences and geology. A media training and social media strategy design workbook will be provided to each participant.

Workshop Participant Feedback

I’ve attended media training before, and this workshop was by far the best. The research about our organization was amazing, which made this so relevant.

The instructor was powerful, compelling and well-informed.

I’ll never be afraid to do an interview again, loved the approach to storytelling.

I especially liked that there was no “hard core, angry journalist” approach. Very professional.

Excellent. 10 out of 10.