Who Needs Media Training and Why?

This post is the second in a series about media training, who needs it, what it is and why all media spokespersons should have formal media training.

Are you a spokesperson for your company? Most people would say no. They're either not in the executive suite or they are not in the decision-making loop.

However, most managers in a particular company have expertise in a certain area which could potentially make them a spokesperson in a given situation. Let's say you're a network engineer at a cellular phone company. You're probably not the day-to-day spokesperson, but if the entire network goes down due to a catastrophic accident or terrorist attack, guess who the media will want to talk to? Someone who knows about the inner workings of the network.

Here's a list of potential spokespersons you should consider for media training:

The CEO, CFO and COO of your company
The Public Information Officer
The Human Resources Officer
Department Heads
Anyone with a specialty (your Web master)

We've identified the "who," now let's cover the "why." The best reason to have your people media trained is because a crisis situation rarely announces itself ahead of time. Members of the media have a tendency to show up unannounced. You have to have your plan in place well ahead of time.

The next installment in this series on media training will address the development of key messages, which is the cornerstone of preparation for any media training session.