Working with the right people
Media training is designed for people who need to speak publicly on complex, sensitive or high-stakes issues - and who want to do so in ways that are accurate, human and strategically effective.
This includes senior leaders navigating difficult moments, technical experts translating complex evidence for public audiences, field staff supporting crisis response, and spokespeople representing organisations under scrutiny.
The training is particularly relevant for those working in:
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Humanitarian response and emergency contexts
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Human rights, protection and advocacy organisations
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Multilateral institutions and UN agencies
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Research, policy and evidence-based organisations
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Foundations, NGOs and mission-driven companies
Core elements
Sessions are tailored to your needs, but typically include:
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Message development - Clarifying what you need to say, stripping away jargon, and framing complex issues in ways that connect with audiences
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Interview techniques - Practical guidance on structuring answers, staying on message, handling difficult questions and managing the mechanics of broadcast and print interviews
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Crisis and high-pressure scenarios - Preparing for moments when issues are sensitive, fast-moving or politically contested, and learning to communicate with calm and authority under scrutiny
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On-camera practice - Recorded mock interviews with constructive feedback on delivery, body language, tone and messaging effectiveness
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Media landscape and journalist perspectives - Understanding how journalists work, what makes a story, and how to build productive relationships with media
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Risk and protection considerations - Managing the tension between visibility and protection, particularly in humanitarian and human rights contexts
How training is delivered
Training can be delivered in formats that suit your organisation's needs and context:
How training works
Practical, not theoretical - Training is grounded in real scenarios and the actual communications challenges you face. The focus is on building confidence and competence through practice, not lecturing about theory.
Constructive feedback - Feedback is clear, honest and supportive. The goal is to help people improve, not to intimidate or critique for its own sake.
Context-aware - Training takes account of your sector, the issues you work on, and the specific sensitivities or constraints you operate within. Particularly important in humanitarian, human rights and politically contested spaces.
Informed by experience - Training draws on more than a decade of spokesperson work, crisis communications and media engagement across major humanitarian emergencies and complex institutional settings.
Discuss media training
For enquiries about training sessions, spokesperson coaching or team workshops:
→ Contact Joe