Case History Samples: Media Interview Skills and Speaker Training
Please visit the Clients page for a full list of the following and other professional categories.
Please visit the Clients page for a full list of the following and other professional categories.
Financial
Prudential Insurance Company
Prudential has been a leader in the implementation of progressive human resource policies, and wanted to increase public awareness of this. This would help position the company as an excellent place to work. Al Rothstein was retained to train the company’s top two regional human resources executives to communicate this message through the media.
Our two-day workshop involved individual on-camera verbal communication and body-language training. We also obtained videotapes of other company spokespersons for critique purposes. All of this enabled us to develop strategies and message points for communicating specific human resource issues during media interviews.
Public awareness of Prudential's employee-friendly environment increased as a result. Our on-camera skills training enabled Prudential executives to communicate the company’s progressive employee policies in a way that the public can understand.
Prudential has been a leader in the implementation of progressive human resource policies, and wanted to increase public awareness of this. This would help position the company as an excellent place to work. Al Rothstein was retained to train the company’s top two regional human resources executives to communicate this message through the media.
Our two-day workshop involved individual on-camera verbal communication and body-language training. We also obtained videotapes of other company spokespersons for critique purposes. All of this enabled us to develop strategies and message points for communicating specific human resource issues during media interviews.
Public awareness of Prudential's employee-friendly environment increased as a result. Our on-camera skills training enabled Prudential executives to communicate the company’s progressive employee policies in a way that the public can understand.
KPMG Peat Marwick Faced with increased competition, KPMG sought better communication skills for its top "rainmakers" as well as its new CPA's. Al Rothstein was called in to conduct both a media training and business communication seminar. After researching relevant industry issues and KPMG's media relations history, the seminar outlines were developed and implemented. The seminar was conducted with simulated business presentation challenges and media interview scenarios. The firm is now in a better position to gain new business and has a greater appreciation for using communications skills to reach its goals.
Associations
National Association of State and Provincial Lotteries
Faced with a new commission on gambling assigned by the President of the United States to investigate the gaming industry, this association needed to increase the spokesperson skill level of national and international lottery directors and CEO's, as well as the association’s staff. These directors had seen the image of the lottery industry suffer tremendous harm from inaccurate media coverage.
Al developed and conducted training workshops. As part of Al's research, he spend "a day in the life" of the association's headquarters in Cleveland to see how it handled media inquiries, including interviews with reporters.
Lottery executives became better prepared to persuade the public through the media on the real benefits of government-run lotteries. They are also better able to use important documentation in a media-friendly fashion.
Faced with a new commission on gambling assigned by the President of the United States to investigate the gaming industry, this association needed to increase the spokesperson skill level of national and international lottery directors and CEO's, as well as the association’s staff. These directors had seen the image of the lottery industry suffer tremendous harm from inaccurate media coverage.
Al developed and conducted training workshops. As part of Al's research, he spend "a day in the life" of the association's headquarters in Cleveland to see how it handled media inquiries, including interviews with reporters.
Lottery executives became better prepared to persuade the public through the media on the real benefits of government-run lotteries. They are also better able to use important documentation in a media-friendly fashion.
Professional Airways Systems Specialists Immediately after two airline tragedies, TWA Flight 800 and the former Value Jet Everglades crash, PASS called upon Al Rothstein Media Services, Inc. to train its executives, particularly its president, to educate the public and congress on its concerns about airline safety. PASS is the union of 10,000 engineers and mechanics responsible for the safe operation of air traffic control towers across the country. It also performs safety checks on the planes. PASS executives are sought out by reporters, as well as congressional committees.
During those appearances, PASS executives had a tendency to speak in complicated technical terms. They did not have a proper feel for the elements of an effective media interview. Its president needed congressional testimony training, to better understand how to meet the needs of lawmakers during committee presentations. Our training was accomplished by hands-on videotaping sessions, focusing on clear, well-defined “human” messages.
We shaped cohesive strategies with “media friendly” points that got away from technical jargon, and defined the role of PASS through the eyes of the flying public. This led to more media appearances and more opportunities for PASS to express its first-hand concerns about airline safety.
During those appearances, PASS executives had a tendency to speak in complicated technical terms. They did not have a proper feel for the elements of an effective media interview. Its president needed congressional testimony training, to better understand how to meet the needs of lawmakers during committee presentations. Our training was accomplished by hands-on videotaping sessions, focusing on clear, well-defined “human” messages.
We shaped cohesive strategies with “media friendly” points that got away from technical jargon, and defined the role of PASS through the eyes of the flying public. This led to more media appearances and more opportunities for PASS to express its first-hand concerns about airline safety.
The American Society of Association Executives brought in Al to conduct breakout sessions on media interview skills and media strategy for six consecutive years. Al used real examples from the attendees to work through negative media experiences, and developed strategies on the spot.
Electric Utilities
Gainesville Regional Utilities This city-owned utility needed media interview skills and media relations strategy training for its employees on issues such as power outages, deregulation, droughts, energy sources such as coal, and rate increases. Al has conducted these training seminars for the utility for ten years, including press conferences, talk show appearances, one-on-one interviews and message development.
Edison Electric Institute As the trade association for all investor-owned utilities across the USA, EEI's top executives are constantly faced with complicated issues, such as deregulation. The techniques used to communicate these issues are critical to the success of the industry and to public perception. Al Rothstein Media Services, Inc. trained three top executives, including president Thomas Kuhn, on skill techniques for media interviews, public speaking, and business communication. Top EEI executives are now more persuasive in their delivery of critical issues through the news media, public speaking, and business presentations. Their messages are more focused, concise and understandable to the utility customer, investor, and diverse audiences throughout the world.
Legal
State and Supreme Court Judges in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri have separately utilized Al's media interview skills training and media relations strategy to better respond to requests by journalists. Al has also conducted these training seminars for the American Judicature Society, the National Center for State Courts and the National Judicial College.
Prosecutors and Public Defenders in Louisiana, Iowa, Mississippi, South Carolina and Florida have brought Al in to prepare them for media coverage in high profile cases and special programs dealing with domestic violence and victim advocacy.
Health and Medical
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, the Mayo Health Plan and the Mountain Plains Health Consortium each brought in Al to train their spokespersons and members on media strategy and media interview skills training. Each dealt with controversial issues in the news media. At the conclusion of these seminars, each attendee gained the skill set to help ensure more accurate, balanced coverage by health and medical reporters.