Welcome to
spokesperson cpd
(and EXTRA)


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Being a media spokesperson is tough.

You are the face of your organisation. And talking to journalists presents unique challenges and requires different thinking.
That’s why we created this spokesperson cpd programme.

And why we're providing you with access completely free of charge,
if you've attended relevant training with us in 2023.

Continuous Professional Development and a helping hand that is there when you need it and won’t fill up your diary.

What exactly is the spokesperson cpd
programme?

Think of it like a support blanket for spokespeople.

What's more its provided completely free to all delegates that attend relevant training with Media First.

The programme will help spokespeople keep on top of their skills, add some polish to their performance, practice them in a safe environment and ensure they are always ready to face the media.

Let’s face it, there can often be a gap between a media training course and your next media opportunity. And spokespeople don’t always have time for hours of Zoom or in-person refresher training courses.

That can allow those doubts and uncertainty to creep back in. And those skills can get a little rusty when not put to use.

Even those who face the media regularly and are experienced spokespeople will benefit from the support, feedback and techniques this programme offers.

The spokesperson cpd programme puts you in control of when you learn. 

To create this programme we drew on our experience of designing and delivering bespoke media training for more than 40 years.

It will help you keep your skills sharp, ensure you remain confident and stay on top of the latest media insight and thinking.

That means you will be able to get your side of the story across successfully in your next media interview and ensure you achieve the best results from your media opportunities.

And media skills are transferable and can enhance other parts of your work, including better presentations, leadership communication, internal communications and answering questions from team members.

Price: £195 + VAT
Complimentary access for delegates of our media skills and presentation skills training*
*Complimentary access to the spokesperson cpd programme is provided to clients that booked training with us in 2023 and beyond and only when it was included in the proposal.

12 month subscription

Already a member? Access your account by clicking here.

Who needs Continuous Professional Development?

Giving media interviews is not your day job. So, it can be hard to develop your skills and stay on top of the latest insight and industry news.

But delivering impactful media interviews is good for you and your business. Your organisation will reach more people with its news and views.

And you will raise your profile, develop your personal brand and progress your career. 

Through our interactive sessions and on-demand resources, you will:

  • Fine-tune and add precision to your media skills
  • Build your confidence and develop your expertise
  • Learn the latest insight from those working in broadcast and print media
  • Stay on top of the latest techniques for anticipating and handling difficult questions
  • Master effective body language
  • Develop soft skills, like tone of voice
  • Craft messages that resonate and support them with relatable examples
  • Build a better understanding of how to adapt your skills to different media formats and for positive and negatives stories 

Who is the programme for?

The programme has been created specifically for those who are required to carry out media interviews on behalf of their organisation.

And is tailored to meet the demands and pressures they face, and provide relevant support.

It is not for those who don’t act as a spokesperson. If you work in comms and want to know how to better prepare media spokespeople for interviews or develop your crisis management skills, The Media Team Academy is the right programme for you.
We are focused on helping media spokespeople be the best they can be.

We want to help them take their skills to the next level and ensure they are savvy media operators across print, radio, television, podcasts, in-person and online interview formats.

To make that possible - and create a supportive community of people in a similar position - you must have attended a Media First media training course no later than 24 months before being accepted as a member of the programme.

What does the programme include?

Let’s take a look at the details of the programme and what membership includes:

SPOKESPERSON MASTERCLASS PROGRAMME

Our specially selected team of working journalists and expert media commentators guide you through some of the challenges and learning opportunities for spokespeople.

Each of our masterclasses is 60 minutes long and delivered as an interactive webinar.
You may choose to simply take it all in, but we'll also encourage viewers to play their part.

You can comment, vote and get involved wherever you would like and your input will help us analyse some real world stories, views and advice from other members of the spokesperson community.

Pitching to journalists:An insider’s guide

Presentations:
 The TED talk way
Better time management for comms and media pros

Feedback:
And how to give it to people who don’t want to hear it.

Masterclass: Pitching to journalists: An insider’s guide

How can you make your PR pitch stand out to journalists?

Pitching isn’t easy, is it? The news cycle moves quicker than ever, and in the UK there are around 9,000 more PRs than journalists.

Additionally, new outlets seem to launch all the time – not only is it tricky to grab attention, but it can also be difficult to know who to target. So, wouldn’t it be helpful to get the inside track on what journalists want from you and how you can capture their attention?

After all, none of us like constant rejection.

In this masterclass, we will look at:

  • The current media landscape
  • What journalists look for in a pitch
  • What turns journalists off
  • What other media you should consider including in your pitch

Masterclass: Presentations: The TED talk way

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


Masterclass: 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)


Masterclass: Feedback and how to give it to people who don’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 behaviour

Access to online courses

Need a quick skills boost?

Members of the programme also get access to our online, on-demand, training courses (normally worth £195 each), ensuring you have instant online learning available at your fingertips.

These courses are ready whenever and wherever you need them and can be completed on a PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone.
And they take around an hour to complete. Just email us and we'll give you codes to access your learning for free. 

Our Media Skills Refresher course is a great way to fine-tune your media skills and knowledge and add a little precision ahead of your next interview.

Our Crisis Management Skills for Spokespeople course will help you manage challenging media interviews under the intense pressure that comes when things go wrong. And show you how to handle different interview scenarios during a crisis.

And our Presentation and Personal Impact Skills course will help you overcome nerves and present with clarity and confidence, whatever the format.

Downloadable templates 

You’ll also have access to our on-demand resource hub, packed with downloadable templates created to make your spokesperson role easier.

For example, you can download our message development template or media interview preparation guide.

And you can dive straight into this valuable resource as soon as you become a member.

Blogs, case studies and interview analysis of real-life spokespeople in action

Our resource hub is packed with plenty of other material to inspire, motivate and upskill spokepeople.

The blogs contain the latest thinking and insight about media interview techniques and tips on how to handle different questions.

And our case studies and interview analysis allow you to learn from the good and bad of other spokespeople.

One of the great aspects of the resource hub is that it is continually growing - we add more material all the time.

Fancy an upgrade?

Get access to spokesperson cpd EXTRA for just £595 +vat

If you choose to upgrade to our spokesperson cpd EXTRA 
programme, you'll also receive access to the following features and resources:
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Access to 60 minutes of bespoke one-to-one coaching per year with a senior journalist 

What better way to nail the preparation ahead of your next big media opportunity than spending time with a current working journalist?

Maybe you want to spend the time developing, tweaking and testing your message and making sure it lands successfully?

You might want to work on your tone of voice.

Or you may want to practice controlling a media interview and ensuring your skills are up to speed.

These are your sessions. So, what they cover is up to you - each session is bespoke and designed around your specific needs, requirements, aims and objectives.

The sessions can be taken as 60 minute slots, or two 30 minute bookings.

Alternatively, you might like to book one of these coaching sessions and one of the 30 minute telephone interview slots (detailed below).

The choice is yours. 

And they are booked online on a date and time that’s most convenient for you. But we believe they are best used ahead of a large media appearance or campaign launch.

Practice telephone or Zoom-based media interview with our working journalist/tutors

Want to test your media interview skills?

These mock telephone-print interviews allow you to practice your messaging and media controlling techniques in a realistic interview situation.

After each interview – on a subject of your choice - our journalists will write up your story (headline and first few paras) so you’ll see what your words look like in a story.

And they will provide detailed feedback on your performance and advice for future development.

You can choose this option in place of one, or both, of your 30 minute coaching sessions (detailed above).  

Access to interview feedback 

Had a recent radio or TV interview that didn't go to plan?

Perhaps you're wondering what went wrong, or what you might have done differently?
Now you can receive some feedback from our experts.

Send us a recording of the interview, and our tutors will let you know what went well, what could have gone better, and what you should try to do differently next time.

Apply to join the spokesperson cpd
(and EXTRA) programmes.

If you have attended a course with Media First in the last 24 months but didn’t receive complimentary access to the spokesperson cpd programme then you can apply below to get access now for just £195 + vat.

If you are already a member of the spokesperson cpd programme, you may choose to upgrade your subscription to get access to more 121 coaching and mentoring. If so then you’ll need to apply for the spokesperson cpd EXTRA programme.

In fact, anyone with the relevant background and who has received training from us in the last 36 months can join the spokesperson cpd EXTRA programme for a one-off payment of just £595 + vat.

This will give you access to all the brilliant content and support we have outlined above for a full 12 months.

If you have any questions drop us a line on hello@mediafirst.co.uk
your Name
your business title
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Please tell us about your media experience and when you last had professional media training.

AND LET US KNOW WHICH PROGRAMME YOU ARE APPLYING FOR (CPD OR CPD EXTRA).

Thank you!

Frequently asked questions

If I apply am I guaranteed membership?

Not quite.

We need to make sure this is the right programme for you.

So, we’ll need to check you have been on a media training course with us in the past 24 months.

But that won’t take long, and you’ll be able to quickly get stuck into the learning.

Our business has more than one spokesperson. Do you offer group packages? 

Yes we do.

Here are the details of group discounts for the spokesperson cpd programme.

Number of subscribers Price per subscriber
(+ vat)		 Total price
(+ vat)
1 £595 £595
2 £595 £1,190
3 £550 £1,650
4 £550 £2,200
5 £500 £2,500
6 £500 £3,000

And for the spokesperson cpd EXTRA programme.

Number of subscribers Price per subscriber
(+ vat)		 Total price
(+ vat)
1 £195 £195
2 £195 £390
3 £180 £540
4 £180 £720
5 £165 £825
6 £165 £990

If you would like to subscribe more than 6 people, please get in touch and we'll work out a package price for you. 

I’ve had media training with you before, but not recently. Can I still join?

The media landscape moves quickly, and new techniques and approaches constantly evolve.

So, it's likely you’ll need to refresh your skills before becoming a member.

If you're applying to join the spokesperson cpd programme you'll need to have been on training with us in the past 24 months.

If you're applying to join the spokesperson cpd EXTRA programme, you 'll need to have been on training with us in the past 36 months.

Speak to your Media First account manager about your training options.

You can contact them via hello@mediafirst.co.uk or by calling the team on 0118 918 0530.

How do I book and attend the one-to-one coaching sessions with one of your senior journalist tutors?

This feature is only available to members of our spokesperson cpd EXTRA programme. If you're signed up then booking is quick and easy.

You can view all available meeting slots once you are signed into the spokesperson cpd online portal.

Once you have selected your slot, you can book it online at the click of a few buttons – you’ll automatically receive a confirmation email and Zoom joining instructions.

The sessions are set up as Zoom meetings. But we can change this to a Teams meeting if you prefer.

What if I book a one-to-one session but then find I can't make it?

We appreciate that diaries change, so if you let us know more than 7 days before the date of your booking we'll call everything off and you can book a subsequent date through the online booking system.

We can only rearrange once though.

If you needed to cancel again, or are cancelling less than 7 days before the booking, it wouldn't be possible to rearrange and unfortunately you would lose your opportunity to re-book.

Nobody wants this so please try to be certain you can make the time when you book.

I’m already a member of The Media Team Academy – can I also join this programme?

The two programmes work for different audiences.

This one is designed specifically for spokespeople. And The Media Team Academy helps comms and media professionals develop.

But we are conscious that some comms professionals do act as media spokespeople.

So, if that is you, you can join both programmes.

We really value the one-to-one coaching sessions. Can we get more of these? 

Yes. It would be part of a bespoke package, which you would need to discuss with your Media First account manager.

You can contact them via hello@mediafirst.co.uk  or by calling 0118 9180530

When does the 12-month subscription start and end?

It starts as soon as your membership is approved and you receive your unique login credentials. It ends 12 months later. 

And if you subscribe mid-way through a month we'll give you a few weeks extra for free - so you'll always get at least 12 months of access.

What happens at the end of the 12 months? 

That’s up to you.

We are confident you will gain a lot from the programme and see it as a crucial part of your development.

So, hopefully, you’ll sign up for another 12 months.