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Strategic Media Engagement


This high-level media relations training course covers editorial engagement for senior communication professionals. You will learn to run strategic media campaigns and manage productive press office teams. Topics include crisis media relations and videotaped media training with replay coaching.


This course is available both live online and face-to-face.

  • Face to face (London) | One day | £675 +VAT
  • Face to face (Dubai) | One day | Media One Hotel | $795 +VAT
  • Live online (Zoom) | Two half-days | 10:00-14:00 London time | $795

Also available on request in US / Asia timezones.

This course runs in English. It is also available on request in Arabic.


Course outline

Advanced media dynamics

This module covers top-level approaches to media management from a communication director’s perspective.

  • Navigating the charged relationship between PR and the media
  • Balancing tactics and strategy
  • Strategic media engagement
  • Trends and developments in media relations tactics
  • Online media relations: engaging journalists on the Web

Building media authority

This module covers strategic engagement with journalists at a senior editorial level.

  • Building authority in the media
  • Thought leadership
  • Stimulating and managing third party advocacy
  • Issues-led media relations: planned opportunism
  • Tricky situations, and how to handle them

Ethics in media relations

This module deals with why and how communications professionals can and ought to “do the right thing” in dealings with the media.

  • Managing the reputation of the reputation managers
  • Universal codes and principles of ethics as applied to PR
  • Veracity, harm avoidance, beneficence, confidentiality and fairness

Supporting spokespeople

This module covers how to prepare senior spokespeople to perform well in media interviews, from the perspective of a communication director.

  • Media insight
  • Analysing the news landscape
  • Practical messaging for interviews
  • Predicting questions
  • Q&A and briefing documents
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Reviews

Meet your trainers

Following are some of the ISOC trainers who regularly lead this course, depending whether you join us in London, Dubai or live online. 

Trainer profile: Felice Hawley

Felice is a versatile editor, writer and broadcaster with in-depth experience of economic and business news. During a 16-year career at CNN, she helped create and then produce the award-winning live business programme “World Business Today”. Moving to text, Felice became Managing Editor of Hoover’s Online Europe, responsible for a team of journalists. She later went on to launch several websites, intranets, extranets and microsites. She writes, edits and manages content for organisations including Transport for London and the NHS. Felice consulted on web and print materials ahead of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

Trainer profile: Sarah Cocker

Sarah is a dynamic communicator with over 20 years’ experience in media, finance and business. Her international experience in banking, and as one of CNBC’s key anchors, makes her at ease dealing with leaders and experts from industry, government and academia. A skilled listener and coach, Sarah enjoys working with clients to help them define and achieve their objectives. Her coaching experience includes training blue-chip executives in public speaking and techniques for challenging television interviews. Her international career has given her an understanding of the cultural and working practices in the Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North and South America. 

Trainer profile: Adam Kirtley

Adam is a veteran presenter and reporter with more than 30 years' experience as a BBC journalist. He presents on BBC local and national and radio, including  Five Live business show Wake Up to Money and Radio Four's flagship consumer show You and Yours. He still reports for the BBC World Service, where he began his career. Adam has interviewed numerous bankers, finance ministers and CEOs during his BBC career, and for the last 15 years has used that experience to train executives in media interviews, crisis communication, public speaking, presentation skills and messaging. He is also an accomplished conference facilitator and workshop leader. Adam has worked across Europe, the Middle East, North America and Africa for organisations of all sizes, from multinational finance and pharmaceutical companies to governments and NGOs.

What you will learn

After this course you will be able to:

  • Engage strategically with the media at an editorial level
  • Follow trends and developments in media engagement
  • Engage with media online, including blogger relations
  • Build authority in the media through thought leadership
  • Manage third-party advocacy and planned opportunism
  • Navigate media ethics
  • Support top spokespeople effectively in preparing for interviews

Who should attend?

This is an advanced-level course designed for learners in senior roles, aspiring to mastery and innovation. Learning is pitched at a level to help you to synthesise best practice and direct strategic implementation. This course is recommended for communication managers and directors with existing experience of handling the media, and whose advancing career now requires them to engage at a more strategic level.

NOTE: This is not a course for media relations professionals at an early career stage. If you are interested in hands-on, day-to-day media relations, consider a Core or Intermediate course such as “Essential Media Relations”.