Handling Difficult Questions

It’s not just journalists who ask difficult questions, they can come from anywhere – customers, shareholders, staff, locals, parents, donors. The list is endless.

This workshop focuses exclusively on how to handle those questions with integrity and grace.

You will:

gain the skills to handle challenging or off-topic questions with integrity.
appreciate why it’s so important to avoid negative language.
understand the impact your tone and body language will have on your audience.
learn how to bridge to safer territory.
be given techniques for dealing with hostility.

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Participants partake in a series of role plays, whether they be interviews, media conferences, customer complaints, public meetings, conference Q&As etc.

They’re guided through the process until they reach the point of being comfortable using the techniques taught.

We recommend filming the role plays so that portions can be played back to enable effective debriefing.

Participants partake in a series of role plays, whether they be interviews, media conferences, customer complaints, public meetings, conference Q&As etc.

They’re guided through the process until they reach the point of being comfortable using the techniques taught.

We recommend filming the role plays so that portions can be played back to enable effective debriefing.

What Our Clients are Saying

Best media training in my 25-year career. I wish I had this knowledge years ago. Very relevant and useable 10/10.

Lee Burdett NSW DPI Fisheries

I strongly recommend Media Savvy’s Managing the Media workshop. Insightful, practical and helpful. I feel it has helped me significantly in my approach to media interviews.

Michael Schwager Director General, IP Australia

Excellent preparation for launch of the Australian Infrastructure Plan and Senate estimates. 10/10.

Philip Davies CEO, Infrastructure Australia

Before the session, Jayne-Maree worked closely with us to create a training program tailored to our media goals. It was clear that she had put a huge amount of preparation into the content. I really appreciated the use of examples involving our organisation, competitors and industry to illustrate the practical application of different strategies and techniques. Jayne-Maree is a very knowledgeable and charismatic presenter. Even though COVID-19 scuppered our plans to conduct this training in-person, she made the session highly engaging and interactive over video. I’ve come away with lots of ideas about how to enhance our media program and have already started implementing them.

Dr Jane Rennie CPA Australia

Really engaging course. Presented very well with great feedback given.

Jason Davey Virgin Australia

I got so much out of today. I started the day lacking confidence and finished the day feeling so much more informed and aware of my strengths and challenges. It was a very unthreatening environment. Thank you so much.

Kate Kissane Head of Brand & Advertising, St George

The course was very enjoyable for what otherwise could be a tough day out of your comfort zone. A good pace broken by content to give you confidence that you’re not alone facing a camera.

Kent Fallon Stockland

I was impressed that Jayne-Maree found some of our own examples to share. It shows that she spent time tailoring the content for us.

Lily Pai UK Dept for International Trade

Jayne-Maree has been Medianet’s preferred media trainer for 13 years.

During that time, she’s helped countless PR professionals better understand the media, build relationships with journalists and achieve cut-through with their pitches and media releases.

We are consistently delighted with the feedback on Jayne-Maree’s approach to training, her knowledge and the results she delivers for our clients.

Jayne-Maree is not only highly-qualified, she’s the most engaging facilitator I’ve personally ever witnessed and I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Sarah Higgins General Manager, Medianet

Related Workshops

Managing the Media

Very few people are born natural media performers – most of us need some help.

Whether participants have interview experience or are new to the media, our training will equip them with the skills, techniques and confidence to deal with interviews proficiently.

Designed for those who are experienced media performers but want to further hone their interview skills.

They’ve likely undergone previous media training but need a refresher and want to take their skillset to the next level.

This workshop is ideal for executives and can be conducted one-on-one.

This workshop is designed to cater to people who won’t front the media but need a good understanding of how journalists operate and ways to achieve positive coverage.

It enables them see the world through journalists’ eyes so they’re better equipped to help and provide useful material to those within their organisation who deal directly with the media.

Worried your messages aren’t getting through? Or are you so overwhelmed with information you don’t know where to start?

We’ll help you achieve cut-through with checklists and techniques for crafting the right messages, for the right audiences, delivered in the right way.

Whether you’re new to media release writing or experienced but in need of inspiration, this workshop will help you.

It covers every aspect of crafting media releases so that they have cut-through with journalists.

Handling Difficult Questions

It’s not just journalists who ask difficult questions, they can come from anywhere – customers, shareholders, staff, locals, parents, donors. The list is endless.

This workshop focuses exclusively on how to handle those questions with integrity and grace.

You will:

What Our Clients are Saying

Related Workshops

Managing the Media

Maximising the Media

Media Essentials

Message Development

Media Release Writing

We train your people to make your life easier.

Simple as that.