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Media training
Our approach
We are highly professional but not in a ‘fixed’ way. We take particular care to ensure that we tailor our training sessions to suit the ethos and particular needs of the organisation and people we are working with. We understand that some participants will be nervous and our ‘step by step’ approach reassures them and enables them to cope with the ‘pace’ of the training. We never humiliate people by exposing them to a training situation they are not ready to experience.
Essentially, there are three approaches to Media Training.
First there is the Psychological approach which often uses trained counsellors to work with inhibitions. It aims to strengthen the sense of self and self-confidence. There tends to be little research into the organisation and little focus on messages and technique.
Then there is the Media approach. The tendency here is to talk to – or at you – about how the media work, the media environment etc. There tends to be lots of anecdotes; lots of ‘I did this and I said that’. There can also be lots of handouts telling you how to do things. However, much of this can be irrelevant to your particular training needs.
Then there is the integrated approach – which we follow – with its emphasis on getting your technique and messages right. We know, because clients and others have told us, that our approach is different and that it works.
From the outset, our aim is to understand the organisation we are working for and the particular requirements of the people we are training. We want to be on your wave-length. We don’t try to force you to be on ours.
A key aspect of our approach is the introduction we give trainees to the technique of ‘bridging’. This is invaluable because it enables our trainees to bridge away from hostile or negative questions to their key messages. It is a vital skill and irritates journalists because they recognise they are dealing with someone who knows how to handle a difficult media interview.
Bridging is additionally useful because it helps interviewees to identify answers which illustrate what they want to say in a memorable way.
Our interactive approach does not focus on showing or telling trainees what to do. Instead, we enable them to become confident interviewees by taking them through the process step by step. This enables them to fully understand how to formulate the best messages and develops their confidence in being able to conduct a successful interview. This is particularly important when interviewees do not have time for extra coaching or help in agreeing a ‘line to take’.
A key point which helps differentiate Surrey House’s approach is that we do not cut corners or sell the client short by not giving them a realistic experience of what it is like to face probing cameras and microphones inside or outside a studio.
