Media training is your golden ticket to confidently and clearly iterating your message to an awaiting audience. Not only can media training improve your confidence and coping skills in an interview, it can also help improve your communication skills in several challenging situations that often come with PR work.
While researching media training, I soaked up every bit of information I could from every book I managed to get my hands on. The list I’ve compiled for you here is guaranteed to share with you everything you need to know before you launch yourself into a PR campaign.
Recommended Reading
The Media Training Bible: 101 Things You Absolutely, Positively Need to Know Before Your Next Interview by Brad Phillips. This one is absolutely perfect for telling you exactly what you need to know. No beating around the bush, no fluffy little details, just the quick things you can implement to sound like a PR expert. Many books on media training have a tendency to focus on case studies and long explanations, but The Media Training Bible separates valuable information into short chapters so you can remember the necessary tips.
The Sound Bite Workbook: How to Generate Snappy Tag Lines, Scintillating Interview Quotes, Captivating Book or Article Titles, and Irresistible Marketing or Publicity Handles by Marcia Yudkin. This guide is going to help you upgrade and develop your skills with sound bites. You’ll be coming up with catchy phrases that leave your audience hanging onto every last word. This one is really useful for those of you looking for a tagline or slogan, something to really set yourself apart from competitors!
When the Headline is You: An Insider’s Guide to Handling the Media by Jeff Ansell. Jeff Ansell tackles the tough topics that can arise when communicating with the press and other outlets. This book acts as a guide that helps you traverse through risky PR situations. When it comes to giving bad news with minimal risk and downfall, this guide offers the map to handling just about anything.
How Does She Do It? A Beauty Book by Deidre Hall. This book is essential if you’re planning to be on TV. It can seem daunting, especially since everyone on TV seems so picture-perfect. Hall gives you the inside scoop on how you can seem just as flawless, from teeth whitening to eyebrow tinting, she can have you looking and feeling camera-ready by the time of your big debut!
The most important thing to remember about media training is to take it seriously. There will be times in public relations when you don’t know exactly what to do, who to talk to, or what to say, and it may seem overwhelming, but in these situations, media training will be your savior. These wonderful sources contain every piece of information you need to handle PR like a pro!
