Media Interview Training

Our expert trainer will help you keep calm, stay on message and make the right impression when it counts. Rehearse your TV and radio manner, make sure you’ll be interesting and engaging over the phone and get familiar with interviewer styles through professional PR feedback and coaching. You’re working hard to attract media attention and you should be ready to respond when a journalist calls you.

Please note: this training is taking place at Weber Shandwick’s Manchester office.

At the end of this training you will:

• Communicate your key messages fluently, stay focused and get the media telling your story
• Adapt your style for TV, radio and print
• Handle difficult questions with confidence

About the trainers:

Patrick Harrison, Director of Reputation Management and Strategic Media Relations, Weber Shandwick

Patrick provides media and training based on over 25 years of experience in journalism, media relations, crisis communications and reputation management.  Previous clients have included spokespeople for companies such as Nestlé, Eaton, Ericsson, Wickes, Jadwa Investment, SABIC and Aldi supermarkets, as well as senior UK civil servants, Government ministers, UK prison governors and members of the Royal Family.

During his media training sessions, Patrick draws from a wealth of media relations and crisis communications experience.  Initially trained and employed as a journalist, Patrick understands the importance of language in putting a message across in all forms of communication, from broadcast interview to online blog.  He is a highly skilled copywriter who has crafted thousands of statements, press releases, briefing papers, ghost written articles and speeches for Government ministers and senior members of the Royal Family and he is also the ghost writer of one book. In addition to his writing skills, Patrick is also experienced in public speaking, theatre performance and directing.

Patrick is a reputation management specialist. In his previous role he challenged and changed the way in which the Royal Household communicated, including re-engaging with broadcast media, adopting a more strategic and proactive approach to communicating charitable work and embracing new forms of social media. Patrick led the multi-stakeholder communications teams for the 2005 and 2011 royal weddings and 24 official tours to 37 countries as well as managing ground-breaking documentaries and overseeing two award-winning website redesigns. He is a natural communicator, who enjoys interacting at all levels both within his own organisation and with a wide range of stakeholders.

Heather Blundell, Managing Director, Weber Shandwick Manchester

Heather  is the Managing Director of Weber Shandwick’s full-service Manchester office.

She is a specialist in the development of strategic, targeted campaigns that deliver real value for brands and organisations, based on research and insight. She has particular expertise in corporate communications and issues management programmes, as well as acquisition management, NGO relations and strategic media relations.

Heather oversees global accounts in the education, food and drink and property arenas. Other sector experience includes energy, finance, law, pharmaceutical and retail.

Heather has a decade’s experience in consultancy and leads a team encompassing consumer marketing, corporate B2B, tech, issues management and digital communications