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Print Media Training

Understanding how the media operates is paramount during challenging times. Whether your organisation operates in healthcare, education, or the charity sectors, mishandling these interactions can result in long-term reputational damage, so your in-house team must be well-versed in the rules of media engagement, journalist tactics, and press regulations.

With proactive preparation in print media training, your team members will focus on critical decision-making when responding to challenging enquiries. This will result in a strategic advantage that will strengthen your organisation’s resilience in a crisis.

Our print media training includes:

  • Knowing how to communicate with journalists effectively.
  • Handling hostile media inquiries.
  • Effectively dealing with media reporting.

By equipping your staff with these fundamental skills, your organisation will stay in control of its narrative and minimise negative media coverage.

Our print media training method

As crisis communication consultants, we offer print media training services that equip various organisations with the knowledge and skills to manage media interactions effectively. Our courses range from dealing with complex media enquiries to understanding the fundamentals of press regulation, and each session is bespoke to the audience, whether you are preparing for potential crises or if you’re looking to build your in-house team’s confidence after dealing with an issue.

Before a training session, one of our crisis specialists will meet with you to understand any specific vulnerabilities and ensure the media training is tailored to individual needs. These training sessions can be delivered online or in-person and can last between an hour to a half-day course, depending on the scope of the training.

Our Courses

Understanding the Newsroom

Journalists are essential in shaping public perception; this is why fully understanding their workflow is important for effective media engagement. This essential introductory session is led by specialist partner and former Sun features editor Ben Griffiths. Here, you will learn how journalists source and develop stories, what criteria editors use to decide the news, how to get your stories into the news (and out of the news), and the meaning behind terms like "off the record" or "on the background." This is an essential session to help build an understanding of the newsroom and ensure your internal teams are equipped with the core skills to engage with the media and journalists.

Managing the Media

Handling media inquiries can be daunting, especially under the pressure of tight deadlines. With this training, led by our specialist PR crisis team, you will be provided with the best practical strategies for responding to journalist calls, deciding when and how to reply to media enquiries, and monitoring social media for potential issues. These sessions ensure your team can manage media relations with confidence, maintaining control over your organisation's narrative and reducing the risk of negative press coverage.

Press Regulation

This session helps your organisation navigate the complexities of press regulation. You will learn about key concepts such as door-stepping, reporting rules, and the process for lodging complaints against press coverage. We will teach the essentials of UK press regulation, including the Editors’ Code and IPSO, providing a solid grasp of journalistic standards and behaviours so you can protect your organisation's interests and respond appropriately to any journalistic misconduct.

Building Positive Press

Creating positive press coverage requires skilful communication and effective strategic planning. Our training, conducted by former BBC and Mail on Sunday correspondent Alison Brace, teaches you the fundamentals of crafting compelling press releases, identifying the best times to contact journalists, and understanding what stories attract media interest. This practical session refines your team's copywriting skills, helping them produce newsworthy content that captures the media's attention and promotes your organisation's positive image.

Bespoke Training

Our crisis PR specialists have decades of experience in national and sector media and can provide bespoke training programmes tailored to your organisation's needs. Whether your focus is on building out scenarios based on media enquiries you have received or running a crisis simulation, we can design an ad-hoc training program that tackles your unique challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is print media training important for an organisation?

A crisis can strike an organisation unexpectedly, and if not managed effectively, it can turn a minor issue into a front-page headline. Effective print media training includes both theoretical advice and hands-on practice, equipping you and your teams with the strategic insights and the right tools to navigate high-pressure situations. By reinforcing these skills internally, print media training helps you handle media scrutiny confidently and promotes preparedness and resilience to maintain control over the narrative during crises.

Get in touch

Our clients rely on us to manage a wide range of sensitive issues. For a free, no-obligation conversation, please phone us on 020 7692 5675 or email us on [email protected], and we will get back to you as soon as possible.