A few words about media trainings

Posted by Peter Ivanov on June 23, 2009 under Articles/Cases/Analytics/Advices | 3 Comments to Read

It is a well-known fact that in 1916 a scientist had forced a monkey to spell «father» and «cup». Surely, that scientist didn’t provide media trainings for a monkey but he used some similar methods.
There is no need to dig deep inside the media trainings theory, because I am sure professional PR specialists are familiar with a concept. I myself can’t speak of this issue as pro because I am in the middle of studying the media training theory. To my mind, that sphere is quite complicated for everyone for work with. Sally Stewart, for example, claims that companies pay $5 000 – $20 000 per single media training.
Most of Ukrainian PR managers either do not pay a lot of attention to media trainings or don’t know exactly what that is. Some of them mean by media training only the TOP manager’s behavior during an interview. Some go further and try to advice its clients how to answer reporters’ questions. Nevertheless, a question “why do Ukrainian managers need to me be media trained?” remains actual. Frankly speaking, I think only some 20 companies can be interested in professional and complex media trainings. For most of all, those are the person whose success is deeply depends on the informational activity.
It’s a pity, but most of our businessmen (or businesswomen) are not ready to observe and use complex media training. We (and by “we” I mean Ukrainian PR specialists) often have to start our consulting from explaining the role and essence of mass media. Sometimes, there is a need to argue that business magazines aren’t advertising materials. Moreover, the editors and reporters don’t have an aim to destroy the reputation and good name of TOP manager. It is quite difficult to explain that newspapers and magazines do not have to print bad speeches or unchecked comments that can lead to firing a stupid speaker. The most important task of media – is to distribute information! The task of media trainings – to organize and pack information before journalist will get it. This should be done by PR managers.
First of all, media training is a work with a speaker. Once, I’ve mentioned for myself an interesting issue. PR is a very “young” sphere in Ukraine. An average age of PR specialists here is 23 to 28. At the same time, lots of TOP managers represent an age group “35 and more”. In the result, we have a situation when successful businessmen (-women) has to work with much younger but already well-experienced PR specialists! During the crisis a lot of PR specialists had lost their jobs in CIS countries. So, those who still have jobs obviously afraid of being fired. Such situation make PR managers lose their faces and don’t argue with a TOP manager. In other words they prefer not to criticize bad interviews or incorrect comments. That can create a tragedy either for businessman or PR manager. Naturally, if you are a good and successful TOP manager, that doesn’t mean you, can work with mass media properly. You may lose your reputation.
How young PR specialist can make TOP manager pay attention to advice?
• Clear argumentation. All company managers are rational creatures who trust only to the facts, not other people. If PR manager comes to boss with nothing but emotional words “ugly” and “incorrect” there is high opportunity to be ignored. Specialist has to collect examples of awkward and unclear comments by the competitors or public persons. It can be even some journalists’ opinions concerning badly arranged press events, unprofessional articles or comments.
• Share holders. If TOP manager isn’t either an owner of the company or a share holder, PR specialist can easily “use” share holders as an influential instrument. Although, such mechanism should be used very careful, in order not to hurt anyone. Obviously, share holders often need to get their company informational transparent. I am pretty sure that hired management understands that too. They just a bit lazy and have to be “motivated”.
• The results of PR activity. Without any doubt, this is the most efficient instrument. Even though, people say that PR efficiency can’t be measured one should try. For example, ROI counting, media activity ratings etc. Plus, PR specialist should collect data from the front-office. Sometimes (or very often) clients can mention to sales managers about articles containing comments of the TOP managers.
We all should understand that media training success 50% depends on speaker’s agreement to cooperate and pay attention to advice. If you were not able to make your boss or client loyal concerning PR, even the best media trainer in the world will be useless.

  • Andrew Gilman said,

    Credible media training in a crisis is not an issue of age. It is an issue of whether senior decision making executives will accept your advice and direction. Catch 22, most young counselors don’t have the experience and perspective to give the best advice. Many of our crisis assignments have come from clients who say: “Find me someone who worked on Tylenol.”
    It’s not about packaging information before reporter gets it; it’s about thinking through the information you have and what you can or can’t say. For example, most reporters in a crisis will ask hypotheticals. There is no obligation to speculate in most interviews, let alone a crisis.

  • Brian Lambie said,

    If the training is happening during a crisis, it’s too late — and it’s important to media train the spokesperson and all those who will support him or her during a crisis. How else can you ensure that messages and briefing materials are on-target or useful? The whole crisis team has to work together well, anticipating issues, preparing strong communications material and delivering it well under pressure. That requires planning and practice, well before an event. Most companies need it. Certainly more than 20 in Ukraine. They just don’t realize it until it’s too late.

    PS — I enjoyed my last visit to Ukraine Peter and I would gladly return to do training for less than $20,000 per session. :)

  • Vernon Mann said,

    As a supplier of media training courses to the oil and aviation industries worldwide – based in the UK – I continue to find it astounding how little the average business manager knows about the media, the way the news business works, and how the media can be used to their advantage.
    Most execs still regard the media as enemies rather than potential partners.
    We encourage businessmen to be proactive with the media, but proactive with care!
    Prepare what you want the media and the public to know,
    practice if you can, then engage and hold your line, sticking to what you want to say rather than what the reporter is trying to get you to say. Simple really!

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