Reporters Need Sources, Sources Need Media Training

Media Preparation: Reporters Need Sources, Sources Need Media Training blog header

Strategic communications are a powerful tool for amplifying your reputation. Given the speed of today’s news cycle, just one slip-up can damage your reputation in minutes. We’ve all heard the infamous “I want my life back” BP oil spill interview as a textbook example of what not to do. 

Reporters have an obligation to serve the public interest through their storytelling, but the challenges facing media are greater than ever. Journalists are overworked, overwhelmed and desperate for credible sources. That’s where you can come in.  

The 2023 Cision Global State of the Media Report cites: 

  • The biggest challenge for journalists over the past year is keeping up amid downsizing and reduced resources 

  • When asked specifically what communications professionals can do to make their jobs easier, 66% of journalists responded with “provide data and expert sources” 

  • Journalists find the most value in communicators who alert them of events, find sources, provide interesting story ideas and provide exclusive information 

LET US BREAK IT DOWN FOR YOU

Now is an optimal time for brands and organizations to work with the media to enhance your awareness. Journalists are eager for relevant information from credible sources with so many constraints on their time and energy. 

So, what’s the hold up? You might be afraid of trusting a third party to tell your story, but putting yourself in front of a microphone or camera is uncomfortable. What if you ramble or misspeak, and don’t hit your most important talking points?  

Let’s face it…media training is a necessary part of the communications toolbox but easily the most neglected. It’s awkward. It’s uncomfortable. It’s outside your comfort zone. Most people dread it, but when done right the outcomes speak for themselves.  

With proper media training, you can: 

  • Learn how to control your narrative and deliver an impactful interview 

  • Build confidence in front of any audience or medium 

  • Amplify your brand or organization’s mission 

  • Invest in your and your team’s professional development 

  • Build rapport as a trusted and credible subject-matter expert

CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF MEDIA TRAINING

If your organization invested in developing more approved, trusted and trained spokespersons, how much additional positive media coverage could you generate? How many more potential customers or team members could you attract? How much stronger could your reputation or position as an expert in your industry be? 

That’s the power of media training.

Join us next week for a case study on media preparation with a global manufacturing company. 

BlogErin VogtPeritus PRTraining Resources