Media Training 

As experts in higher and business education communications, we understand the importance of effectively communicating your message to the media. Our media training services are designed to provide senior spokespeople and faculty with the framework and confidence to communicate their opinions, research and expertise in an engaging way in the media.

Drawing on our extensive experience working with and writing for publications such as Forbes, BBC, The Economist, Bloomberg and the Financial Times, and working with faculty to secure phone and video interviews with leading press outlets, we will create a bespoke interactive workshop to provide insights and techniques for effective and compelling writing, including headlines and social media summaries, as well as tips and tricks for faculty to engage with journalists over the phone and in-person, including role playing challenging scenarios.

Key areas of focus often include:

Why do media interviews

Our workshops deliver increased stakeholder by-in for media relations by demonstrating the value for both themselves and the institution.

Interview preparation

Media interviews can be nerve-wracking but with our help, your faculty will be ready to face the spotlight with confidence. We'll work with them to develop key messages, anticipate potential questions, and practice their responses in a simulated interview setting.

Getting your message across

It's not enough to simply have a message in mind, it's important that it's communicated effectively. Our team will help participants to craft their message in a way that is clear, concise, and compelling. We can also teach them how to use body language and tone of voice to enhance that message.

What not to say

In the heat of an interview, it's easy to say something that is later regretted. We'll teach academics how to avoid common pitfalls such as making controversial statements or getting bogged down in technical details. Our goal is to help them to navigate the interview with grace and professionalism.

The format

We recommend working with two groups of four to six faculty that have been selected based on the institution’s priorities, ensuring a mix of subject expertise to generate a more collaborative environment.

Each workshop runs for an average of two to three hours, and is delivered on-site in either the morning or afternoon. Virtual options are available on request.

Our workshop content uses data driven research from Forbes, insights from editors such as John Byrne from Poets & Quants, and guidelines from TV networks such as Al Jazeera.

Ultimately, people gain valuable skills from undertaking media training. The desired outcome is not only to make academia easier for media outlets and the general public to understand, but also for faculty to effectively craft messages that resonate with key audiences, maintain composure under pressure, and build their personal brand as well as that of their institution.

To learn more about our media training services, please contact us at peter@bluesky-pr.com or call us on +44 (0) 1582 790700.