Spokesperson Training: Will You Be Part of the Story... Or Will You Be the Story?

The interview is the heart and soul of news gathering and dissemination. The exchange between a reporter and spokesperson helps to shape a story, influence the public, and provide important information to targeted audiences—before, during, and after an emergency event.

Argonne Spokesperson Training helps to prepare policy makers and information professionals by improving old skills and teaching new ones—in a constructive environment that provides extensive hands-on practice. In this training, you will learn to confidently work with the news media and make your point more effectively, when timeliness and accuracy count. You will learn about the expectations of the media, including the differing needs of television, print, radio, and Internet media.

Some of the skills you will practice include:

• Understanding the media
• Understanding what information the public wants and needs
• Delivering a message with confidence
• Creating quotable sound bites
• Taking control of interviews
• Understanding new communication technologies and how to use them
• Understanding laws that govern public information
• Handling media at the scene and identifying usable media staging areas
• Understanding how to present and control a news briefing or conference
• Understanding the role of a public information officer/public affairs officer (PIO/PAO)
• Preparing yourself or others for an interview

Participants will train on- and off-camera with a skilled team of media experts who know how the news business works—from the inside out. It will be a challenging and rewarding experience.

This one-day training is designed for two distinct audiences: (1) policy makers, including military commanders, elected officials, and agency heads; and (2) PIOs and PAOs at federal, state, and local levels. Enrollment in the course is limited, with no more than six participants per session to allow adequate time for interview and media interaction exercises.