Media relations is the craft of getting your organisation’s news covered positively, prominently and on your terms. It depends on understanding how journalists think and work, developing the news instincts to know what is genuinely worth pitching, and building the relationships that make journalists take your call. This two-day course builds all three, with practical exercises that develop real media engagement skills.
Mapping the media landscape, understanding journalists and news judgement, pitching stories and securing coverage, building and managing media relationships.
Every session runs in a small, boardroom-format group — typically six to eight senior professionals. Your trainer tailors content to the specific industries, organisations and challenges each participant brings, so you work on real situations, not generic examples. The learning combines evidence-based best practice briefings with structured discussions, practical workshops and peer learning. This is training with a coaching and consulting flavour — focused on building skills and producing outputs you can apply in your work immediately.
- Map the media landscape relevant to your organisation and sector
- Understand how journalists think, work and decide what to cover
- Develop news angles that maximise the coverage potential of your stories
- Pitch stories to journalists with confidence and professional technique
- Build productive relationships with journalists and editors over time
- Manage day-to-day media contact with professionalism and strategic awareness
- Secure more positive and prominent coverage for your organisation
- Navigate challenging media situations without damaging relationships
- The power and value of the media: reach, impact and credibility
- Mapping media by medium (broadcast, print, newswires etc.)
- Mapping media by scope (horizontal, vertical, geographic etc.)
- Mapping media by category (consumer, trade, relationship etc.)
- Practicalities and specific best practice for working with TV, newspapers, magazines, trade press, radio, newswires and Web-based news media
- What journalists need from us: influencing the story by providing the right ingredients
- Thinking like a journalist -- how they work and what they want
- Five essential rules of engagement
- Building trust and relationships
- Managing press contacts and lists
- How to present information so that journalists consider it newsworthy
- Different types of news -- hard news, soft news, human interest news, feature news etc.
- Finding and showcasing the news value in your story
- Front-page focus: optimising news value to get your story covered more prominently
- Golden rules of story pitching: selling in stories effectively to journalists
- Creating effective pitches that engage journalists and drive positive coverage
- Pitch timing: navigating news cycles and deadlines
- Pitch targeting: pitching the right publication or media outlet for your story
- Pitching channels: different types of pitch (phone, email, face to face etc.)
- Practice your pitching skills in role-play exercises with real journalists
Anyone who wants to generate more positive and effective media coverage for their organisation, whether in a PR, communications or marketing role. Valuable for both new media relations practitioners and experienced professionals who want to refresh and sharpen their approach.
The following are some of the ISOC trainers who regularly lead this course, depending whether you join us in London, Dubai or live online.
The two days build progressively, with each module combining briefing, discussion and practical exercises. The small-group format ensures every participant gets individual attention.
Nothing specific is required. If you have a current project or challenge relevant to the course topic, bring it along — the practical exercises can incorporate real-world contexts.
Yes. The course includes practical exercises in which you pitch real stories, receive feedback and refine your approach. The focus is on building confidence and technique through practice.
Media training prepares you to perform in media interviews — on camera and on the record. Media relations teaches you to generate and manage coverage: pitching stories, building journalist relationships and shaping how your organisation is reported. Different skills, different side of the desk.