Paul Griffin Communications media interview skills training program can be delivered in both a full day and half day format to clients in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne & Canberra. As a general rule, the full day training format permits more of the one-on-one trainer to trainee coaching and tutorial time that produces quality outcomes.

All our Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne & Canberra media training programs are personally conducted by Paul Griffin, the principal of Griffin Communications assisted by a video camera news crew and other trainers as required. Training can be conducted at client locations in Brisbane or anywhere in Australia. If preferred, a professional training venue can be used.

Our media training programs place heavy emphasis on role playing highly realistic print and electronic media interviews that participants could quite conceivably face in their real life situations and are typically based on the various issues currently impacting on a client´s business.

Participants are trained in the following media skills:

• taking a proactive approach to the media interview
• understanding media organisation and culture
• appreciating the journalistic mind set
• developing targeted media messages (must airs)
• knowing journalists favourite trick and difficult questions
• staying calm and in control under pressure
• learning how to handle aggressive journalists
• projecting confidence and credibility    
• delivering brief and succinct responses
• staying focused on your agenda
• preparing answers for the negative questions
• dealing with off the record / on the record comments
• using 'no comment'
• evading awkward questions
• understanding crisis communications and issues management

We engage participants in various video taped TV, Radio and Print style news and current affairs interviews as required by the client´s brief. We adopt a collegial approach to taped interview playback and analysis in which participants and the trainers are all encouraged to discuss and comment on individual performances in a constructive, supportive but frank manner. We seek to empower our participants, not embarrass or intimidate them.

Command presence is a term used by the military to describe an individual´s ability to stay calm under intense pressure and to remain in charge of a situation no matter how extreme the provocation. Command presence is also a key personal attribute necessary to achieve a successful outcome during a crisis situation or aggressive media interview.

A media spokesperson is not completely ready to step up to the news camera or public speaking podium unless he or she has undergone training that takes them at least partially outside their comfort zone. The prospective spokesperson benefits greatly from experiencing intensive media questioning in the safety and privacy of the behind-closed-doors training environment. Only then, when participants learn to acknowledge, deal with and remain unfazed by the destabilizing range of feelings and emotions aroused during this type of unfriendly grilling are they then free to move to deliver a confident media performance.

Participants learn:

• don´t get personal, focus on the issue not the interviewer
• the hearts and minds of the audience/readership are your real end-target
• channel your emotional energies into uplifting your response delivery
• respond to negative questions with positive responses
• don´t repeat negatives
• proactively drive your own agenda of key "must air" messages
• maintain solid eye contact with the interviewer
• keep your responses short and simple (kiss principle)
• stay calm, pleasant and professional no matter what
• the keys to a successful result: preparation, preparation and yet more preparation

Participants are invited to complete a pre-training questionnaire to provide the trainer with a better understanding of the individual needs and experience of each trainee.

Similarly, at the conclusion of the training, participants are invited to complete training assessment questionnaires in order to obtain their perspective on what has been achieved and their views on the quality of the training provided. A written report is provided to the client upon conclusion of the program detailing the trainer´s assessment of the outcomes and any apparent need for follow-up action.

Following is a draft outline of a typical full-day media-training program which can be conducted in Brisbane or elsewhere. It should be noted that all Griffin Communications media training programs are tailored individually to meet the particular needs of participants following in depth consultations with each client.

8.30am	Introduction Opening remarks by Paul Griffin and an outline of the day´s media training activities
8.35am	The Strategic Approach. Effective tactics for a successful media interview. How to plan to get your essential messages across. How to prepare for the negatives. The importance of becoming a media student. Distribution of media interview checklists.
8.45am	Media Culture The media - friend or foe? In this session, a general overview of news media culture is examined, what motivates and drives many journalists to behave and perform the way they do. How media newsrooms really work
9.30am	Tips for a Successful Interview  Things you really must know and do to achieve a successful interview result. An overview of appropriate strategies and tactics to proactively sell key messages through the media interview. Effective verbal communication, body language and presentation skills are discussed.
9.45am	Issues Management in the Media.  How to identify and then develop key communications messages for media interviews. Participants are taken through the process of developing the essential "must air" points that need to be at the core of their individual media interviews to be recorded and appraised in later sessions. This is the all-important process of determining ?what to say´.
10.30am	Morning Tea Break
10.45am	Difficult Questions. Favourite question formats used by interviewers to entrap and embarrass the novice player and ways to handle them
11.00am	Developing an Affinity with your Target Audiences. Techniques for getting on side and winning the hearts and minds of the public through the interview process.
11.15am	Handling the Media Ambush. What to do when the media suddenly comes barging in unannounced and uninvited with lights blazing and cameras rolling
11.30am	Crisis Communications  Why people react the way they do to bad news, how to break it to them, how to reassure them and how to win their confidence through the media interview
11.45am	The Components of Credibility  The qualities that need to be developed by spokespersons to win the trust and confidence of the general public
12.00pm	Round One TV News Interviews Using realistic scenarios as their subject matter, trainees are given a brief preparation time prior to individually recording probing, interrogative style television interviews with Paul Griffin in front of the group. These are then replayed and analysed as a learning exercise for everyone involved. Simultaneously, those participants not immediately involved in recording TV interviews record separate radio interviews on the same subject with a radio journalist.
1.00pm	Lunch
1.30pm	Round Two Media Interviews                   Participants are each taken through another challenging television interview where lessons learnt from the first round are now put into practice. Simultaneous newspaper style interviews are conducted with each participant.
2.30pm	Round Three Media Interviews  Further refinement of participant´s interview skills and techniques particularly those still requiring additional work and fine-tuning.
3.00pm	Afternoon Tea
3.45pm	The Media Conference. When to call one. How to manage one. How to survive one. Participants are taken through the process of preparing for and organising a media conference before role-playing a simulated major media conference event. Results are recorded and played back for analysis and coaching.
4.45pm	Recap of Key Points  Distribution of training manuals. Completion of course evaluation questionnaires.
5.00pm	Conclusion Why not talk to Paul Griffin today about your Brisbane media training needs? Ph: (07) 3359 1988 or email: info@grif.com.au

 

    

 

    .