Isn’t all media training the
same?
Yes and no. Yes, because all media training is about
giving candidates experience of answering questions
in front of a camera or microphone and then playing
the tape back to them while analysing what they did
well and where they can improve. No, because there are
huge differences in the quality of the delivery and
the quality of the trainers. There are almost no barriers
to entry, anyone who once worked as a junior reporter
on ‘Obscure FM’ can set themselves up as
a media trainer. Essentially there are three types of
media training:
- Local. Generally these are ex-regional television
reporters. They’re well-connected locally but
the quality can range from poor to pretty good. Often
the training is of the ‘keep-your-hands-together-and-don’t-wear-a-checked-shirt’
variety.
- Bulk. There are perhaps half a dozen providers of
bulk media training. They rely on ‘bums on seats’
for revenue. Again the quality is variable although
some providers are excellent, especially if you want
to train a large number of staff to a basic level
of competence.
- High-end. This is where Millbank media sits on the
spectrum alongside maybe half a dozen other providers.
The quality of service is generally very high and
it can be exceptional (obviously that’s us!)
but there are some things you need to watch out for.
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