Why is Media Training Important?

"You can argue that media training has never been more important thanks to the emergence of social media."

Why is media training important?  Is your reputation important?  Is your brand important?  Of course they are.  That’s why media training is important.

You can argue that media training has never been more important thanks to the emergence of social media. The consequences of a business leader or politician saying something inaccurate in the media have never been higher, thanks to how quickly those comments can spread through social media.

The news media is much different now than it was a generation ago, thanks to the 24/7 news cycle. Many years ago, something wasn’t really “news” until it was in the morning paper, or on the evening news. Now both non-stop media coverage and social media can spread any media message within seconds.

Media training teaches spokespeople what to say, and how they should say it when they need to say it to the news media. It’s not something that’s taught often in university or a business course and as a result, few people understand how to prepare for a media interview and how to conduct one.

It’s very important for industry trade associations to provide media training for their leaders, because they likely have very little media experience.  If an association President needs to speak on behalf of his or her industry, it’s important they have the training to do so. There’s a lot on the line when people speak to the media on behalf of their association or industry, much like when a politician speaks.

In fact, I know of several organizations that won’t allow anyone to speak on their behalf until they take media training. There’s too much on the line not to take the training.

In addition, many organizers want to be aggressive and go after media coverage, rather than waiting for the media to contact them. They may have a new program or service they want to talk about, so speaking to the media can really work to their advantage to inform their customers, or the general public about what they’re offering.

Whether it’s to go on the offense, or play defence, media training can be very important.

Next up: What is Media Training?