Program Overview

The recent MH370 crash is a good reminder for us to take crisis communication seriously. The media can make or break any corporate organization depending on how the news is written or slanted during a crisis. Now, with social media comprising Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, businesses are more vulnerable to media attacks. For this reason, it is important to have your CEO or spokesperson well trained to Face The Media.

When corporate leaders assume facing the media is an easy task, they often make mistakes and complain about misquotes when they read the news reports the next day. The spokesperson gives your organization a human form during a crisis. One area of control that must be exerted by the organization’s public relations or corporate communication officer is to ensure that its spokespersons are trained. No one should represent the entire organization unless they have invested time and energy in developing effective spokesperson skills.

It is not about the color of the tie or scarf one wears on television but the ability to effectively connect with the audience, either through the media or in person. Spokespersons must be trained and be familiar with the basic principles of crisis communication. They should play a role in developing messages so they can “own” them and deliver them well. Therefore, it is imperative the spokesperson be trained to face the media during a crisis or transition of a company. The spokesperson will be tasked with portraying a positive image and message for the company.

The spokesperson will need to communicate, engage, and connect with stakeholders and the public. They must build trust and credibility for the organization, remove psychological barriers within the audience, gain support from the public, and reduce the incidence of a crisis, illness, injury, and death by getting the message right.

The Art of Facing the Media in a Crisis is a skill that, through practice and role-playing in a mock press conference, CEOs can master in overcoming negative media coverage on the organization.

Attending this one-day hands-on course will help you become eloquent and professional in a press conference.