Crisis Media Training Seminar

Crisis Media Training

Managing the organizational aspects of a crisis is stressful enough. Equipment failures at a company plant that lead to an environmental crisis, employee errors that create damaging outcomes, accidental injuries or deaths and other unforeseen situations can all lead to terribly sensitive situations for a company. Unfortunately, some people may have the added tension of having to represent their organization and interpreting its policies and actions for the media. How successfully you handle your relations with the media during a crisis may make the difference between a major "public relations disaster" and an opportunity to enhance both your company's image and your career. There is a "right" way and a "wrong" way to handle a crisis situation and relations with the media. Not knowing which is which and having to deal with the fear associated with public speaking can be disastrous for your organization. This highly participatory two-day Crisis Media Training seminar focuses on the need to manage a successful interaction with the media.

The Crisis Media Training seminar centers on providing participants with the tools and skills required to successfully communicate with members of the media during a crisis. These same training skills can be put to use when maintaining general media relations, even when holding press conferences unrelated to a crisis situation. Training discussions related to effective public speaking and how to handle the fear of speaking before a crowd are also covered so as to reinforce your organization’s image and message. During this training workshop, participants practice by preparing and delivering a formal statement which could be used in a crisis media situation. Videotaped presentations are followed by one-on-one coaching sessions designed to provide individual feedback from a training instructor. This format allows participants to evaluate personal progress and alter any distracting behaviors or areas of needed improvement. Strengths and weaknesses are analyzed to help participants set up an action plan for success. Additional time is spent working on training modules, individual exercises, question and answer sessions and group training activities. All skills taught in this crisis media workshop are modeled by our senior team of training instructors.

Crisis Media Training seminar participants will learn to:

Properly interact with the media during a crisis
Enhance voice projection, articulation, pacing, and fluency
Enhance body language, eye contact, and gesturing
Determine audience attitudes and needs
Overcome nervousness
Use presentation media effectively
Conduct face-to-face media interviews during a crisis
Satisfy the media’s needs during a crisis while focusing on a message
Present accurate information without appearing misinformed
Plan a crisis media presentation
Appear knowledgeable and calm under the pressure that results from a crisis
Maintain control under the most challenging situations
React quickly to a crisis situation