12 month subscription
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Continuous professional development for media and comms teams who want to be the best.

12-month subscription for eight team members from just £695 + vat.
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Cost effective, personal development

Learn as you work

The Media Team Academy is designed so members can learn at their own speed. Think of it as your co-pilot to comms success.

Smash your  objectives

Strategies shared and knowledge learned can will help your team to achieve their personal and business objectives.

Designed for you

Every element of the Media Team Academy has been designed with you and your team in mind and caters for every learning style.

Who is The Media Team Academy for?

Media teams

Comms teams

PR teams

Crisis teams

What you get when you subscribe

01

24/7 access to ten online training courses

You and your team will each have access to ten online courses. You can use these to refresh your presentation skills, learn how to make brilliant videos on your smartphone, or ensure your crisis management skills are up to speed. The choice is yours.

02

8 x live media, PR and comms masterclasses

Our specially selected team of working journalists and expert media commentators guide you through the media and comms issues you may be grappling with.

03

4 x live personal development masterclasses

Our personal development programme is designed to develop talent, inspire fresh ideas and help you overcome personal obstacles and challenges, all under the guidance of leadership and management coaches from The BCF Group.

04

1 x 2 hour bespoke 'ask the expert surgery session'
Gold plan

With our Gold plan, you and your team can spend two hours online with one of our senior journalists, communication experts or leadership tutors to overcome problems and nurture skills.

05

Academy resource hub

You’ll also have access to a dedicated academy resource hub. Here, you can take your pick from more than 220 learning resources and communication aids to support your development and help you tackle everyday tasks.
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Join over 1,000 communications professionals

What our members say

The Media Team Academy is designed to support, motivate, and energise teams. And so it does! We recommend the masterclasses we’ve enjoyed the most to each other and encourage ourselves to find time to attend the future ones. Because it’s such a boost of knowledge. And so many useful tips at hand! So don’t think twice, just sign up to see for yourself.
Martyna Makiel, External Relations Manager, CIMA
I really enjoy the Media Academy webinars which are broadcast live. They are interactive and on a number of occasions I have put questions in the chat which get acknowledged by the host who name checks me too. So participation and interaction with the Media Academy team and the guests makes me feel involved and listened too. The blogs are always on topic and really help with my daily comms work.
Keith Winestein, Communications and Media Manager, Coin Street
Masterclass feedback
"Really interactive and entertaining. Loved it."
"Very insightful with good concrete examples. The pace was good and easy to follow despite my tight schedule."
"Well presented, upbeat, lots of interactivity. Addressed some key issues for comms people without making it boring."
Sign up today

From just £695 (+ vat) per year for up to eight team members  

Media, comms and PR masterclass programme

Our specially selected team of working journalists and expert media commentators guide you through the media and comms issues you may be grappling with. Below is a selection of what we'll be offering in 2024.
Presentations - The TED Talk way
How to make pro-quality video on your phone
Why internal comms is crucial to managing a media crisis
Does going woke mean going broke? 
How can you overcome ESG fatigue?
How to have better remote presentations and meetings
The best and worst media interviews of the year 
11:00 AM GMT - 13 March 2024

Want to learn to speak like a TED Talk pro? 

TED Talks now exists in more than 170 countries.

They are viewed more than 1.5 million times a day.

Some of the best-known and most influential people on the planet have spoken at them, including Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, Sheryl Sandberg, and Elon Musk.

And there is plenty other presenters can learn about public speaking from them.

In this masterclass, we will look at:
  • The tactics you can use to create TED Talk-worthy presentations
  • How you can apply them to conferences, meetings and community events
  • How you can inspire your audience, whether it is face-to-face or remote
14:00 PM GMT - 18 APRIL 2024

How to make pro-quality video on your phone

Video has become a crucial part of our everyday lives.
People now watch an average of 17 hours of online video a week.
And video conferencing remains a crucial connection tool.

But our use of it needs to go beyond streaming and Zoom. Video needs to become an integral part of wider communication strategies.
And although that may sound expensive, it doesn't need to blow your budget.

In this masterclass you will learn:
  • How you can make video recorded on your smartphone a crucial part of your external and internal communication strategies
  • Practical tips for better videos you can use immediately
  • The guiding principles of creating videos people want to watch and share
11:00 AM GMT - 13 JUNE 2024

Why internal comms is crucial to managing a media crisis

Internal communication can often be an overlooked part of crisis media management.

You have to rush to get your external messages out and try to take control of the narrative – all perfectly understandable. But your employees are a crucial audience.

And internal communication can be one of the best ways of ensuring your crisis does not get worse.

In this masterclass you will learn:
  • The role of internal comms during a crisis
  • How you can get your internal comms right when a crisis strikes
  • What channels you should use
  • The internal and external comms relationship during a crisis
  • Measuring your impact
  • The steps you can take now to ensure you can communicate effectively with your employees when the worst happens
11:00 AM GMT - 12 SEPT 2024

How can you overcome ESG fatigue? 

It feels like almost every day a brand announces new Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments, targets and a purpose-related strategy.

From climate change to a living wage, businesses increasingly want to reach audiences with their ESG story.

But not only is there lots of competition for attention, there is also plenty of cynicism and scepticism about the subjects and heightened awareness of greenwashing.

So, what can you do to reach and convince audiences about your ESG story?

In this masterclass, we will look at:
  • How you can avoid ESG scepticism and alienation How you can find a space for your ESG story
  • The importance of being specific and making it real How to manage sustainable targets (and what happens if you miss them?)
11:00 AM GMT - 9 OCTOBER 2024

How to have better remote presentations and meetings

We’ve all been doing it for a while now, haven’t we?

In fact, working from home has become such a norm that some people are yet to meet their colleagues in person.

Yet many of us still find group video calls an immense challenge and a barrier to effective communication.

So, isn’t it time we zoomed in on the skills needed to give effective and engaging virtual presentations and meetings?

In this masterclass, we will look at:
  • Why virtual meetings and presentations can still feel weird
  • How you can elicit better audience responses and create connections
  • How you can project authority online
  • Strategies you can use now for better remote presentations and meetings

11:00 AM GMT - 11 JULY 2024

Does going woke mean going broke?
Communicating positive change in a polarized world

Society can often appear to be more divided than ever.

And there is a lot of negativity around ‘wokeness’.

So, should brands avoid taking sides on crucial issues?

Should you avoid communicating positive changes some may feel are controversial and from discussing equality and diversity initiatives? 

In this masterclass, our experts will explore:
  • Whether people want brands to raise relevant issues and try to make things better
  • What you can learn from recent examples
  • The importance of sharing customer values
  • The risks and rewards of socially conscious campaigns 
  • How to manage backlashes and boycotts
11:00 AM GMT - 5 DECEMBER 2024

The best and worst media interviews of the year (and what you can learn from them)

Our last masterclass of the year will look back at some of 2024’s most memorable interviews.

Victoria Smith will guide you through the good and the bad and explore what you can learn from them to help your spokespeople prepare for their next media appearance.

It will include examples of spokespeople struggling with hypothetical, personal, and tricky questions and being hampered by poor preparation.

And we will look at those who packed their interviews with personal anecdotes and passion and stayed composed when faced with tough questions.

In this masterclass, we will look at:
  • The interviews that delighted us this year
  • The ones that were more of a catastrophe
  • What you and your spokespeople can learn from them

Learners

PRE-RECORDED WEBINARS

audio podcasts

blogs

EBOOKS

LIVE PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBINARS

LIVE COMMS WEBINARS

COMMS TEMPLATES

Personal development masterclass programme

Our personal development programme is designed to develop talent, inspire fresh ideas and help you overcome personal obstacles and challenges, all under the guidance of leadership and management coaches from The BCF Group.

Becoming more than an accidental manager
Better time management for comms and media pros

How to give feedback to someone more senior than you or who doesn’t want to hear it

11:00 AM gmt - 15 may 2024

Want to become more than an accidental manager?

Here’s a classic scenario.

You perform well in your comms or media team role. In fact, you excel.
And then, you are promoted and have a team to lead.

Suddenly, work becomes very different.

Sound familiar?

In this masterclass, with our friends from The BCF Group, we will look at:
  • The challenges of being an accidental manager
  • How you can get to grips with the leadership part of your role
  • The growing importance of soft skills (or power skills as they are increasingly known) and how you can develop them.
11:00 AM gmt - 8 august 2024

Better time management for comms and media pros

You probably find yourself juggling lots of competing tasks and deadlines.

Maybe you procrastinate and find the work keeps stacking up.

Time can often feel like it is in short supply for comms and media team professionals.

Would it help if you were given a helping hand with your time management and prioritising your workload?

In this masterclass, with our friends from The BCF Group, we will look at:
  • How you can better manage your time
  • Some time management tools you can use now
  • How to better delegate tasks (and eliminate those that waste your time)
11:00 AM gmt - 7 november 2024

How to give feedback to someone more senior than you or who doesn’t want to hear it

Receiving feedback can be tough.

But giving it can be much harder.

And it gets even more tricky if you need to feedback to someone more senior to you or who perhaps doesn’t want to hear it.

But giving feedback is a crucial communication skill. So, whether you are leading a team or need to feedback to senior leaders about their latest media interview, you cannot afford to be afraid of giving it.

In this masterclass we will look at:
  • How to give feedback to your peers, bosses or direct reports
  • Expert advice on giving feedback to those who don’t want to hear it
  • How to give feedback that encourages positive behavior

Join your communications colleagues from just £695 + vat

Online, on-demand, training courses

All eight of your Academy members get access to our online, on-demand, training courses (that's equivalent to £11,200 worth of training!)

Expert content

Instead of re-branding training, our online courses are made by us; using journalists, presenters and other PR and comms experts to ensure all our content is to the same high standard as our in-person training.

Cost effective

With no need to travel anywhere or take time away from your desk, our online courses are an extremely cost effective method of training yourself or your team.

Read. Watch. Learn.

Work through the courses at your own pace and at a time that is convenient to you! Our online courses are fully accessible on computers, tablets and mobiles, and simply require a connection to the internet.
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Media skills (refresher)

Our online media skills refresher course will refine and add precision to your interview skills.
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Essential crisis management

A crisis can strike any organisation at any time – how that crisis is managed will define its reputation. Ensure your organisation is ‘crisis ready’.
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Presentation skills

Delivering a presentation is an experience many of us find daunting. But it doesn't have to be that way. We show how to get it right when you next present.
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How to write engaging content

Learn how to write content that stops people scrolling and makes them start reading.
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Identifying media friendly stories

Learn transferable storytelling skills that will help you with much more than just identifying media-friendly news stories.
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Filming and editing video on your mobile

This online course will guide you through everything you need to know to make professional videos on your smartphone.

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Crisis series, Part 1: Preparing for a crisis 

 A crisis can hit any business at any time. Will you be ready? 
Part 1 of an exclusive crisis series for the Media Team Academy. 

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Crisis series, Part 2: Reputational damage

It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation and only one bad one to lose it. Dealing with reputational damage. 

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Crisis series, Part 3: Rebuilding trust

Trust is one of the most valuable intangible assets that a company can have. How can you rebuild trust following a crisis?

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High impact coaching

Learn how to overcome barriers, provide quality feedback, coach, mentor, communicate effectively and disseminate information. 

Become a member.
Join our Media Team Academy community.

From just £695 (+ vat)

Ask the expert surgery sessions

As a subscriber to The Media Team Academy Gold package your  registered team members can book a two-hour bespoke group session with one of our senior communications and leadership coaches.

Use it to pick the brains of our experts on communications conundrums and challenges, or leadership and management dilemmas.

Simply let us know how and when you want to use the session, and we’ll find the right expert to help - consultancy without the cost.

Each session will be based on your teams' development needs. Select from one of the below topic areas and we'll work up the outline for you, in line with your requirements.

  • Briefing and coaching your spokespeople
  • Writing successful press releases
  • How to pitch to journalists
  • Engaging your internal audience
  • Behavioural change - encouraging change through comms
  • Message development
  • Helping your spokespeople to become though leaders
  • Managing a comms team during a crisis
  • An introduction to podcasting
     
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Academy resource hub

You’ll also have access to a dedicated academy resource hub.

Here, you can take your pick from more than 220 learning resources and communication aids to support your development and help you tackle everyday tasks.

The hub is constantly growing and is packed with eBooks, webinars, downloadable templates, case studies, podcasts and blogs.

22 x pre-recorded comms masterclasses

122 x blogs

9 x pre-recorded personal development masterclasses

7 x handy downloadable comms templates

60 x audio podcasts

9 x eBooks

Choose your plan

Silver plan

£695 (+ vat)/per year
Total £834
Unrestricted access to our ever-growing library of information, resources and content
  • Monthly live masterclasses and video archive
  • 24/7 access to a wide selection of online courses
  • Constantly updated blogs, eBooks, podcasts and templates

Gold plan 

£795 (+ vat)/per year
Total £954
Unrestricted access to our ever-growing library of information, resources and content PLUS book your teams' two-hour training session with our expert.
  • Book a 2-hr tailored training session with our expert 
  • Monthly live masterclasses and video archive
  • 24/7 access to a wide selection of online courses
  • Constantly updated blogs, eBooks, podcasts and templates
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Frequently asked questions

What is the Media Team Academy and how much does it cost?

The Media Team Academy is a community of comms and media professionals, at different stages of their careers, who come together to learn, develop and feel inspired.

This programme designed to support, motivate, and energise teams, so you achieve your targets and ambitions and prove your value.

For a one-off yearly price of just £795 + vat, you and your media team of up to eight people will get access to our gold package including exclusive live video masterclasses, online courses and a hub of other resources and content. Plus access to our free, two-hour  'Ask the Expert' consultancy service.

Silver subscribers can access all of the above, excluding the 'Ask the Expert' service for just £695 + vat.  

Can anyone join The Media Team Academy?

The Media Team Academy is an exclusive community of comms professionals who want to improve and develop their careers.

During its first year, The Media Team Academy was joined by nearly 700 like-minded communications professionals from over 100 different organisations. And they came from a range of backgrounds, with department heads, comms directors, managers and comms officers among the ranks.

If you like the sound of the Media Team Academy and would like to to boost your development by learning alongside like-minded colleagues, contact us today about becoming an academy member, or complete the billing form above.

I'm a previous subscriber - what's new for 2024?

We've completely re-designed our academy for 2024, making it easier to navigate and access all our resources. We've updated our content with all the latest thinking and added a new podcast audio library with over 60 audio blogs for learning on-the-go.

What if we have less or more than 8 people in the media team?

Membership to Media Team Academy allows you to give access to up to 8 team members.

The price remains the same even if you have fewer team members.

If you have a larger team please get in touch to discuss your requirements.

How many users, online courses, masterclasses and 'Ask the Expert' sessions will I get during my subscription?

One subscription to The Media Team Academy gives up to eight members of your team access.

Each member will also receive access to an additional nine relevant online courses from our range.

We will deliver twelve media skills or personal development masterclasses across the twelve months of your subscription.

All surgery sessions are two hours long. These can only be used once during your subscription and are only available to subscribers of our gold package. Only signed up members of the Media Team Academy may attend these sessions.

You do not have to use the full two hours, but we are unable to break the time down into smaller chunks.

Once booked, time slots can not be rearranged.

How do I renew my subscription?

If you paid by credit card on the site, you have chosen to take out a 12 month rolling subscription.

Your subscription will be automatically renewed after 12 months
We will email to confirm your subscription renewal and you will continue to enjoy great value for money from the growing library of resources.

You can cancel your auto-renewal at any time through the 'My Account' menu.

Can I pay by another means and not credit card?

Yes.

If you'd like to pay by invoice and purchase order, please contact us on hello@mediafirst.co.uk and tell us about your business, your team and the sector your work in.

We'll get back in touch with your next steps.

If I sign up am I guaranteed membership?

Not necessarily.

We want to ensure that we build a collaborative and supportive community that represents a broad spectrum of industries, skills and experience levels.

So, for example, if we find we have too many applications from one sector then we may choose to withhold your enrollment and will issue a full refund.

How do I book my 2-hour 'Ask the Expert' session?

Use the ‘Ask the expert – surgery sessions’ link to request a date and time for your two hour group session. We'll review our expert's calendar and will confirm with you.

You can only book one session per calendar year and once you have confirmed your time, this session is unfortunately not changeable.

We much prefer to use Zoom for these sessions, but if your organisation can only use Teams then this will be possible by prior arrangement. Simply book your slot as usual and we will make it work for you.

We will contact you before the session and ask you to provide some more details on how you would like to use the time. At this point you will be able to send us any supporting information that will help us prepare for the session.

These sessions are designed for Media Team Academy members only and therefore can be attended by up to 8 of your registered team (per gold subscription).

If you would like to take advantage of this feature, your two hours must be used during your subscription year and cannot roll over.



What are the Media Team Academy terms and conditions?

You can find all terms and conditions of membership by following this link