Practice

Media training

interview prep · press training

Definition

Media training is rehearsal for interviews: likely questions, answers grounded in real numbers, what not to say, and how to stop talking. It is not charm school. A trained executive who lies is still a liar. A shy expert with facts often beats them.

Do it before the tour, not in the car.

How it works

Run a taped mock with the ugly questions. Watch the tape. Cut the slogans. Confirm every number against the fact sheet. Practice going on and off background out loud.

Worked example

A CFO survives a 12-minute satellite tour because she has three bites and one “I won’t speculate.” An untrained CEO uses the same slot to joke about layoffs. Training would not invent ethics, but it would have killed the joke.

How it differs

Talking points are the document. Soundbites are the cuts. Training is the practice. Crisis comms is the live use under threat.

Common errors

Teaching “block and bridge” as evasion. No numbers. Never filming a mock. Training only the CEO and not the person who actually gets the call.

Sources