Photo courtesy of Red Media Group, Flickr, Creative Commons

When I work with nonprofit leaders who are preparing for media  interviews, one of my first pieces of advice is, “Remember, you’re in control!” The media needs your help to tell the story, and you’re the expert on your organization’s issues. So, if that’s the case, why do we find ourselves floundering in media interviews, being dragged off topic with no sense of how to bring it back to our core messages? It’s because most of us just need a little practice. We need to sharpen our interview skills, and learn some easy tricks to maintain control and stay on message.

If you’re looking for an affordable, efficient way to brush up on your spokesperson skills, sign up for our Spokesperson Superstar webinar on Feb. 23.  Learn interview performance tips like “bridging” and “flagging.” Find out what to wear on camera, and get advice on how to prepare. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in a mock interview during the session.

You can also check out the Workshop’s “11 tips for broadcast interviews.” We hope to see you on the webinar!

Find more tips for successful communications on the Nonprofit Communications Blog, or get expert advice delivered straight to your inbox when you sign up for the Workshop’s biweekly newsletter!

A 2011 story by Barrington Patch about CareerPlace

At a time of record unemployment in Illinois and the country, organizations that can help people find employment and build their skills are more important then ever. Yet, CareerPlace, located in Barrington, found that more than 40% of people in their area didn’t know about their services and classes for unemployed individuals.

“We struggled with finding the time to reach out to the local media,” said Monica Keane, executive director of CareerPlace. “I thought Professional Media Relations would be a good way to learn how to get information to the public.”

After attending the Community Media Workshop’s Professional Media Relations course in early 2011, Keane said she realized that when working with the media, everything is about a story.

“I learned to stop telling the business of the agency and to tell the story of the people who are touched by what we do,” said Keane.

Since the Workshop course, CareerPlace has received more media coverage in community press (check out the Patch story here) and started developing relationships with local reporters. Keane says she can now pick up the phone and call certain reporters with possible story ideas. She’s also used the Workshop’s online press release generator and Chicago area media guide to aid in her media outreach work.

“I’m just really impressed with the Workshop,” said Keane. “The willingness of staff to roll up their sleeves and get involved with the nonprofits they serve is so important.”

Keane enjoyed her time at the Workshop so much that she decided to hire Workshop staff for a custom consulting project—development of a train-the-trainer curriculum “Using Social Media to Search, Network and Find Your Next Job” to give CareerPlace trainers tools to help job seekers use social media in their employment searches. The project was supported with a grant from the Barrington Area Community Foundation.

The Workshop team continues to work with CareerPlace to ensure successful social media trainings for its participants in the coming year.

The Workshop’s 2012 Professional Media Relations course starts Jan. 20. There are still spots available. Register today and start making your own local media connections!

You have a Facebook page and you’re on Twitter. Now it’s time to coordinate all of those tools so you can tell your organization’s story better and faster then you ever thought possible. Find out how to determine which social media tools are right for your organization so you can stay connected with your advocates and solidify your social presence on the web. This workshop is ideal for marketing directors, executive directors, CEOs, or similar individuals who are empowered to make change within their organizations. This is an intermediate social media training.

Thursday, November 10, 9:00 AM to 12 Noon
With Adam Thurman, Mission Paradox

REGISTER TODAY!

Increasing your chances of media coverage starts with creating an effective media list. Sign up for Community Media Workshop’s ”Building a Media List” workshop and give your next media campaign leverage with a strategic media list created from our own database of media contacts. Instructor Demetrio Maguigad will teach participants the techniques to identify media contacts for future campaigns. Participants will walk away from the session with a targeted media list, personalized for your organization, as well as 24-hour access to the Workshop’s online Chicago media guide.
REGISTER NOW

Upcoming Workshops:

BUILDING A MEDIA LIST
Tuesday, October 18, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
With Demetrio Maguigad, Community Media Workshop
Are you struggling to create a strategic media list for your media outreach? In this workshop you will access the Workshop’s online media database and learn how to create customized contact lists for your organization or campaign. The instructor will give participants tips on how to think about and identify media contacts. Participants will walk away from the session with a targeted media list, as well as 24-hour access to the Workshop’s online Chicago media guide. REGISTER TODAY! Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to your input this summer, the Workshop is pleased to offer a new lineup of Fall trainings! Learn how your nonprofit or small business can develop a communications plan; effectively use social media; and get your story covered on television, online, and in print!

LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE!

Like so many things in life, blogging is only worth doing if you’re going to do it right. Find out what it takes to blog effectively.

On April 11, Community Media Workshop is proud to host a basic blogging workshop that’s hands on and will help you learn about launching, writing and publicizing your organization’s blog.

Participants will also learn:

• How blogging can help your nonprofit promote your message

• Tips on how to maintain your blog and generate content

• How to raise the visibility of your blog using social media

Led by former Chicago Tribune reporter and ChicagoNow blogger Teresa Puente (Teresa will also be speaking at our Making Media Connections conference this June).

Click here to learn more about and register for this workshop

Click here to view more upcoming trainings

The 2011 session of Professional Media Relations (PMR) is shaping up, and participants will have the chance to learn from reporters and experts in the field. In addition to regular trainers, Workshop President Thom Clark and Vice President Nora Ferrell, confirmed guest speakers include:

- Dave Hoekstra, Chicago Sun-Times reporter

- Ingrid Goncalves, director of communications for the Center for Labor and Community Research, as well as a former PMR grad (Read Ingrid’s success story here.)

- Alejo Torres, senior outreach program manager, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

- Wanda Wells, long-time Chicago broadcaster and Workshop trainer

Professional Media Relations–a cornerstone course at Community Media Workshop–kicks off in January, but there’s still time to sign up. You will learn how to craft a communications strategy, draft media materials, serve as a spokesperson, pitch a reporter and use social media tools. Sign up for Professional Media Relations today.