MEDIA TRAINING
It’s a new day in the media world. The PR environment is changing, and many brands and organizations are struggling to keep up. In decades past, good PR was about developing positive relationships with influential reporters, editors, and publications. But the rise of smartphones and social media has caused a seismic shift: A viral tweet or TikTok can now have a greater impact on your reputation than a feature in the New York Times.
These days, you don’t need a journalism degree and a careful editor to tell a viral story; all you need is a smartphone and an internet connection. Everyone is a publisher and content creator, and every day, hundreds of thousands of critical posts about various organizations are shared for all to see. This new, decentralized media landscape creates an opportunity for misinformation about your company to spread like wildfire. If you’re unprepared, an unflattering hashtag, smear campaign, or negative blog post can do untold damage to your brand.
Criticisms of your company can go viral even if you are doing nothing wrong. An unfortunately worded tweet, a disgruntled business partner or employee, or a years-old negative review can quickly turn into a media frenzy you never expected. Many organizations believe their PR and communications strategies are airtight until they aren’t. More than ever, you have to be prepared.
In this new media environment, it’s essential that all employees—not just C-suite executives—understand PR best practices. It is a common misconception that reporters will only reach out directly to the CEO when something goes wrong. In many cases, journalists will call the first phone number they can find, whether it leads to a receptionist, a random team member, or someone in the mailroom, and collect quotes that could wind up on the front page of their publication. This creates a significant liability if your staff isn’t trained to speak to reporters.
MEDIA TRAINING CAN HELP!
What is Media Training?
Media training teaches your employees how to handle calls, texts, and emails from reporters. It prevents your staff from misspeaking or accidentally revealing information that could exacerbate a crisis.
How is Miller Ink Media Training Different?
Our team has decades of experience preparing employees to remain calm, collected, and confident through crisis situations. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach; our proven media training solutions are tailored to your company and employees and are sure to fit your unique needs and circumstances.
• We do our due diligence, collecting any and all information about your company, employees, and circumstances that will help us respond to the situation effectively. Our factual, non-judgmental approach means you will be taken seriously and provided with only the highest quality crisis communications.
• We ensure that your media spokespeople are properly trained to be effective communicators and advocates. We teach them how to prepare and internalize a message, navigate the complexities of a print or broadcast interview, handle complex and difficult questions, and leverage your media opportunities to advance your goals.
• We dedicate time to each and every one of your staff teams for a personalized experience and to ensure that every member of your team works cohesively and in accordance with your PR strategy.
• We assign each employee a particular role in the company’s crisis response. Our all-hands-on-deck approach sets us apart from other PR agencies, who undervalue the importance of training all members of an organization’s staff in crisis communications best practices.
• We train your staff to navigate a variety of conversations with journalists, from seemingly innocuous questions to accusations and beyond.
• We equip your team with a wide range of skills to field and successfully manage unexpected media inquiries.
• We help you to prepare an integrated strategy to manage social media, niche publications, online influencers, internal stakeholders, and more.
Miller Ink is a leader in the PR industry, trusted by globally recognized brands and organizations. We are your voice and your defender when something goes wrong.