The straightforward answer is that media training is not necessary for everyone. If you handle interviews naturally, read what journalists are looking for, stay calm under pressure and know exactly what to say in the brief time a broadcast segment gives you, training is not for you. For most executives and spokespeople, it is.
Very few people communicate as well as the media requires without preparation. Politicians, athletes and actors all practise extensively before they perform in public. Corporate spokespeople are no different — the difference is that many go into interviews without having done so. Media training is how you close that gap.
It is particularly valuable for executives and specialists who come from technical or operational backgrounds. Their instinct is to be thorough and accurate. A journalist's instinct is to find the quotable line and move on. Training helps bridge that difference.
What media training covers
Message development and delivery
- Defining two or three core messages and returning to them regardless of how a question is framed
- Adapting tone and register across interview formats — print, broadcast, online, public statements
- Keeping messaging consistent across different journalists from competing outlets
Interview technique
- How to prepare for different formats: print interviews, live broadcast, radio, recorded video
- Handling hostile or off-topic questions without being drawn away from your message
- Simulated interviews with structured feedback — on camera or via video call
Non-verbal communication
- Body language, eye contact and posture — how they affect credibility on screen
- Facial expressions and gestures that reinforce or undermine your message
- Practical guidance on attire for different formats
Understanding how journalists work
- What journalists are looking for — and why their questions are structured the way they are
- How to read the angle an interviewer is pursuing before they reveal it
- The difference between a supportive interview, a neutral one and an adversarial one
Crisis communications
- Preparing holding statements and key messages for scenarios before they happen
- Staying composed when the questions are designed to destabilise
- The importance of transparency — and what happens to companies that are not
Preparing for a critical interview
Not all interviews are adversarial, but preparation for difficult questions is what separates spokespeople who stay on message from those who do not. Media training builds that preparation into muscle memory rather than leaving it to improvisation on the day.
Rehearsing two or three phrases you can return to — almost regardless of what the journalist asks — is one of the most practical tools training provides. Under pressure, having something solid to anchor to is worth more than a detailed script you cannot remember.
Preparing as an expert spokesperson
Experts bring a different challenge. Their value to a journalist is the ability to explain complex topics clearly and add authority to a story. The risk is over-explaining — giving a journalist more than they can use in a way that makes the usable parts harder to find.
A phone interview with a journalist writing a feature requires less preparation than a live television segment where every word is final. Training calibrates your preparation to the format.
Questions and quotes
You will rarely receive all questions in advance. What you can usually ask about is the journalist's angle, who else they are speaking to and their deadline — all of which help you prepare more accurately.
Reviewing your quotes before publication is common practice for correcting factual errors. You cannot rewrite entire sections, but journalists will generally share technical content to verify accuracy, particularly for complex or specialist topics. Staying on good terms with journalists before, during and after an interview — rather than treating them as adversaries — is what makes that process work smoothly.