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Handling the media is not a dark art

There can be no question that the new world we live in presents some extraordinary challenges for businesses; some we have never seen before and others we could have easily deflected in the past… not anymore. We live in a world of increasing transparency and accountability not least in terms of media expectation. We now have both traditional media and “new” media – a true age of 24 hour news.


Businesses are expected to talk, often on issues that are less than comfortable and certainly defend their position across a range of media platforms from newspapers to broadcast, LinkedIn to Twitter. In the past, an understanding of how the media works and how to deal with them may have been a “nice to have” but now it is vital if a business is to be seen to be reputable, accountable and to have a clear understanding of their position and messages to demonstrate expertise.


Being a credible spokesperson with an ability to craft positive and controlled messages has never been more important. Hiding and not engaging with the media is not an option. Worse still is being interviewed or writing a statement without understanding the media and doing it badly. The worst is rehearsing your message so much it is the only thing you say in an interview and you come across as a bit of a robot…


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Understanding what the media do, how they do it and how you can deliver your business’ proposition in a credible and palatable way brings a level of confidence in the engagement which heightens awareness, reputation and trust in the spokesperson and the business.


Dealing with the media is not a dark art. It is a learned skill which can be taught and, once taught, it is a muscle that needs exercising to keep it honed.


Orchard PR aims to help you do exactly this: understand the media; refine your messages; and be seen as experts in your field. We are offering a comprehensive media training course at The Farmhouse in Guernsey on 24 April. The full-day course includes theory and practical exercises in a dynamic environment. You will leave the course with knowledge and confidence; able to flex your muscle in a variety of business communications.


For more information on the course, download our course flyer or visit the training section of the Orchard website.


Posted by Emma.