Play Video

Professional Media Training

Heard Communication believes in the adage ‘knowledge is power’. Once you know how the media works and what journalists really want, you can make the most of every interview opportunity.

About Heard Communication

Christine Heard

A journalist/producer/presenter for 20 years, Christine Heard has extensive, in-depth experience in Australia’s news media. Career highlights include foreign correspondent assignments, federal parliamentary reporting and longform current affairs. Christine is also adept at selling stories and promoting brands, having worked as a senior communications specialist.

With Media Skills Network accreditation, adult learning qualifications and a love of mentoring, Christine’s clients span all industries including banking and finance, energy, law, tourism, education, agriculture, health, food and beverage, welfare, manufacturing, engineering, retail, transport, science, construction, childcare, state government and not-for-profit sectors.

Heard Communication offers:

  • media training for individuals and groups
  • specialised coaching for beginners through to advanced spokespeople
  • bespoke sessions
  • hands-on exercises and practice interviews with working journalists

The Media Skills Network™

Heard Communication is a member of the Media Skills Network. Founded over 20 years ago, Media Skills is a proven and unique set of techniques, methods and formulae, underpinned by a strong understanding of adult learning, creating a powerful and memorable training approach.

Workshops & Coaching

Media Essentials

Got a large group needing basic media training? This workshop is for you. It helps participants understand what makes journalists tick, discusses the different news mediums, offers advice on pitching and planning interviews, provides a template for writing media releases and a structure for developing strong messages.

Managing the Media

A 1:1 or small-group workshop, this broadens participants’ experiences of dealing with journalists, developing key messages and handling difficult questions. It hones their existing news sense, fine tunes their interview technique and offers deeper insights into the world of the journalist.

Maximising the Media

A 1:1 or small-group workshop, this advances the skills and techniques of participants who already have considerable experience in handling the media. The aim is to develop their flexibility in dealing with different situations, different journalists and different styles of interviews.

Crisis Management

This workshop covers the principles of dealing with a media that’s homing in on a particularly difficult issue or the first stage of a crisis. It includes writing and presenting a statement, dealing with difficult questions and the attributes needed for strong public leadership in a crisis.

Professional Facilitation

Need someone to host a focus group, chair a meeting, MC an event or encourage debate? Heard Communication offers professional facilitation services that help you delve deeper into the issues that you want to know more about.

Presentation Training

Are you preparing for a big speech or need help refreshing a well-worn presentation? This session covers the building blocks of successful presentations including developing a theme, diagnosing your audience, creating a structure, factoring in storytelling and using best-practice body language.

We've Worked With

Whatever your sector or size, Heard Communication can train your spokespeople to make the most of every interview opportunity. The companies we’ve worked with span some of Australia’s biggest corporate names and brands, SMEs, not-for-profits and start-ups.

Work with Heard Communication and you’ll come away feeling confident and better prepared for your next media moment:

Contact us

Call 0418 821 726
or
send a message to Heard Communication

Name(Required)

Media Essentials

Number of participants and length of workshop is flexible to suit your needs 

This workshop is perfect for giving large numbers of people a solid, broad overview of working with the media.  It can be tailored towards potential spokespeople, or to communications staff who are preparing spokespeople for interview. Depending on the brief, it will take participants through the 8 Universal News Values that journalists work by, the different types of interviews and what journalists need for each type, a structure for creating key messages and good technique for tricky questions.

Participants complete a variety of activities, including short interviews, with everyone else watching and contributing to the learning environment. A professional journalist (confidentiality assured) joins the group for these activities.

By the end of the session and depending on the brief, each participant will have:

  • An understanding of what makes news and what motivates journalists
  • Knowledge of different mediums, deadlines and needs
  • A proven structure for creating key messages
  • Tools, rules and techniques for talking in media-friendly ways
  • A checklist for planning their next pitch or media interview
  • A template for writing media releases and alerts
  • An understanding of their own natural communication style
  • Constructive feedback on their strengths and areas for development
  • A better appreciation for their Corporate Affairs team

 

Each participant receives recorded activities/interviews on a USB and a Media Essentials workbook to keep.

For more information, email [email protected]

Managing the Media

1 – 3 people, 4 hours
3 – 4 people, 5 hours
5–6 people, 6 hours

This 1:1 or small-group workshop introduces participants to the basics of dealing with the media. It includes developing their sense of what makes them newsworthy and why, creating strong key messages, answering “nice” questions and dealing with difficult ones. It also touches on planning and strategy, right from the first moment of contact with a journalist.

In addition to hands-on activities and group discussion and critique, participants experience two practice interviews with a professional journalist (confidentiality assured).

By the end of the session participants will have:

  • A better nose for identifying story angles and recognising potential threats
  • A solid understanding of different interview types
  • A step-by-step approach to preparing for interviews
  • Experience in creating a “quotable quote”
  • Techniques to control interviews with difficult questions
  • Observed a journalist processing an interview, giving a deeper understanding of what motivates them

Each participant receives a USB of their practice interviews and a Managing the Media workbook to keep.

For more information, email [email protected]

 

Maximising the Media

1 person, 2-3 hours
2–3 people, 4 hours
4–5 people, 5 hours

This 1:1 or small-group workshop is designed to advance the skills of participants who already have considerable experience in handling the media. The aim is to develop their flexibility in dealing with different situations, different journalists and different styles of interviews, with an emphasis on tough interviews.

The starting point for this workshop is an interview with a professional journalist to assess existing skills. From there the trainer will encourage a higher level of performance, working on individual strengths and weaknesses.

By the end of the session participants will have:

  • Solid knowledge of bridging/control techniques
  • Powerful, highly-developed quotes and key messages
  • Experimented with different techniques and messages
  • Identified performance strengths and areas for development
  • Improved their own natural communication style
  • Explored a more strategic approach to media appearances
  • Discussed and analysed different techniques and experiences with the trainer and journalist.

Each participant receives a USB of their practice interviews and a Maximising the Media workbook to keep.

For more information, email [email protected]

 

Managing the Media in a Crisis

1-2 people, 4 hours
3-4 people, 6 hours

This workshop covers the principles of dealing with media organisations that are homing in on a crisis. After first defining what a crisis is, participants are taken through the various stages of a crisis and their responsibilities, before doing interviews based on a realistic crisis scenario for their organisation. A professional journalist (confidentiality assured) accompanies the trainer.

The workshop covers:

  • Defining a crisis and how it differs to a problem or an issue
  • Understanding how the media’s normal behaviour changes in a crisis
  • Dissecting the different stages of a crisis
  • Understanding the roles and expectations placed on spokespeople
  • Preparing and delivering statements
  • Dealing with hostile interviews, press conferences and doorstops
  • Avoiding groupthink
  • The different communication options open to organisations in a crisis

Each participant receives a USB of their practice interviews and a Managing the Media in a Crisis workbook to keep.

For more information, email [email protected]

 

Professional Facilitation

Need someone to host a focus group, chair a meeting, MC an event or encourage debate? Heard Communication offers professional facilitation services that help you delve deeper into the issues that you want to know more.

Professional facilitation includes:

  • Multiple client briefings, to understand the nature of the facilitated event and its aims
  • Research into the client’s industry and typical issues
  • Suggested draft questions to ask during the facilitation
  • Suggested MC script, if required
  • A written report as an extra service, if required

For more information, email [email protected]

 

Presentation Training

1-3 people, 4 hours
4-6 people, 6 hours

This workshop coaches participants in how to plan and deliver effective presentations.  It covers the building blocks of good presentations and the need to express one clear, central idea within the first 60 seconds.  It also includes practice in answering any tricky questions that may arise from the floor.

Participants are expected to give a five-minute presentation and take questions at the end of this workshop.

The workshop covers:

  • Defining the central ‘Idea’, the premise of the presentation
  • Diagnosing different audience types and appropriate communication strategies for each
  • Structuring a presentation, including storytelling elements
  • The different modes of delivery
  • How best to use visual aids
  • Good body language and use of space
  • Dealing with nerves
  • Identifying tricky questions and how to handle them
  • Each participant receives Presentation Training course notes and a USB of their own presentation, complete with verbal feedback.


For more information, email [email protected]