Media training

Media training is the designation for further training in the field of public relations for people whose area of ​​responsibility includes public appearances.

Target groups are, for example, company spokesmen, business leaders or other managers. The enormously high density of talk shows on German television also leads to an increased need for media skills for the actors.

features

A central aspect of media training is appearing at press conferences or in interviews with representatives from the press, radio and television.

Practice-identical media training helps to achieve goal-oriented communication. Is practiced u. a. the best way to answer reporter questions in your own interest. Journalists often only need very short statements of far less than a minute, so that you learn, for example, to put your extensive specialist knowledge into short and easily understandable sentences - e. B. in 20 or 30 seconds.

Another component of media training is rhetoric . When conversations or interviews with journalists take place, for example on controversial topics or in crisis situations, practice should be exercised in calmly conveying certain core messages (in PR language: core messages ) and not making rash, spontaneous statements. It is also practiced to counteract in a dispute. Elements of media training are also facial expressions , gestures and posture.

Journalists always pay attention to the tone and facial expressions of their interview partners more than viewers, who mostly only unconsciously pay attention to their body language. Trained reporters often recognize quickly whether the other person is feeling uncomfortable or even lying. The extent of eye contact during the conversation and certain muscle movements around the neck, mouth and eye area that can be interpreted as signs of nervousness can contribute to this. Targeted training should help avoid such signs.

Sometimes the term "media training" is incorrectly used to refer to the training and further education of journalists. The term "journalistic education and training" would be more correct here.

criticism

Critics speak of an increasing political staging , since most politicians work with media trainers and public appearances are precisely calculated and rehearsed; the content often takes a back seat.

In training for the Foreign Office , media training has been an integral part of the qualification of young diplomats since 2004. These trainings are carried out by the DW Academy of Deutsche Welle.

Time and again, employees of political officials are criticized by the media for training costs that are perceived as being inadequate. According to a media report , press spokesman Johann-Adolf Cohausz , government spokesman for Saxony's Prime Minister Stanislaw Tillich , received a training course worth 36,000 euros shortly before retirement.

providers

The scene of providers for media training in Germany mostly consists of individual trainers (freelancers), PR agencies with specialists for media training and media providers themselves, who see this as a source of additional income. Since 2009, the "Bundesverband der Medientrainer in Deutschland eV" (Federal Association of Media Trainers in Germany) has been based in Cologne as a professional representation

Web links

Wiktionary: Medientrainer  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

• Federal Association of Media Trainers in Germany eV
• NDR media magazine ZAPP critical of media training (accessed October 24, 2016)
• Media training for mayors "The difficult fight against hatred in Saxony" - Tagesschau (accessed October 24, 2016)

Books

• Elisabeth Rammelsberger u. Michael Rossié media training compact , GABAL, 2011, ISBN 978-3869362-43-4
• Christian Schmid-Eger media training - (PR practice), UVK Verlagsgesellschaft, 2013, ISBN 978-3867643-75-7
• Jochen Sattler Handbook: Medientraining Heragon, 2014, ISBN 978-3942805-70-4
• Juliane Hielscher Medientraining Kürschner, 2015 ISBN 978-3958790-00-1
• Tom Buschardt Feedback - Optimizing Communication VISTAS Verlag, 2nd edition 2016 (1st edition 2015), ISBN 978-3-89158-617-4

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Gründerszene: Successfully giving interviews , 2012 (accessed October 24, 2016)
2. ^ "Media training: Getting the message across", June 1, 2012 (accessed October 24, 2016)
3. ↑ Press officer: It depends on the right tactics. undated (accessed October 26, 2016)
4. ^ Potsdam media conference "Difficult Conditions" from September 12, 2016 (accessed October 24, 2016)
5. ↑ FAZ: Now let's show the elderly how it works from December 5, 2015 (accessed on October 24, 2016)
6. ^ "Foreign policy for the camera" - a participant's report on the website of the Federal Foreign Office from September 2014 (accessed on October 24, 2016)
7. ↑ Aachener Zeitung: "A decision in life: Diplomats are at home all over the world from June 17, 2015 (accessed October 24, 2016)
8. ↑ FOCUS: "How do I become ...? Diplomat" from June 26, 2015 (accessed on October 24, 2016)
9. ↑ DIE WELT: Media training for Tillich speakers, costing 36,000 euros, July 15, 2011 (accessed October 24, 2016)