There was a time when media training felt like a luxury for any business.
It was professional development that was reserved for listed companies, political leaders, or CEOs preparing for a major television appearance.
Not anymore.
Today, media training is imperative. If you are leading a business, representing a brand, managing stakeholders, speaking to investors, or addressing your team, your ability to communicate clearly, confidently, and strategically is no longer optional. It is a core leadership competency.
Media training used to be financially out of reach for many micro, small, and even mid-sized businesses. The cost of experienced trainers, studio equipment, and production support made it difficult to justify.
But the landscape has shifted.
A well-run media training session doesn’t just prepare you for an interview. It makes you a sharper communicator, a more confident presenter, and a more disciplined leader. You learn to think in headlines. You refine your key messaging. You develop audience awareness.
You also work on the six fundamentals that separate the amateurs from professionals:
1. Body language – learn how non-verbal cues inform the narrative.
2. Verbal framing – this can directly influence public opinion and policy.
3. Voice tempo and pitch – essential for establishing authority.
4. Handling difficult questions – to control the narrative and build trust.
5. Eye contact and camera presence – to build trust and engagement with the audience.
6. Staying on message under pressure – this is about clarity, damage control and delivering your key messages.
I believe these skills directly influence your credibility, trust, and authority and every small business owner should have them.
And then there’s the reality of crisis.
Every organisation is one incident away from needing to front the media. These incidents can range from a workplace issue to a product failure, a regulatory investigation, or a social media backlash, which in our modern digital world is happening regularly.
When a crisis hits, it’s too late to “learn on the job.”
Media training equips you with message discipline under pressure. It helps you avoid legal and reputational landmines. It protects brand equity and positions leadership as calm, credible, and in control when it matters most.
Yes, there’s free advice online. Search #mediatip or #mediatraining on any social media platform and you’ll find useful content. But free advice doesn’t pressure-test your messaging. It doesn’t simulate a hostile interview. It doesn’t identify blind spots.
Real improvement requires feedback, rehearsal, and professional critique.
There’s now affordable options available. Online platforms and specialist providers have lowered the barrier to entry, making quality media training accessible without significant investment. Expert Registry offers online media training platform that comes with the opportunity to build a media profile.
You can also shop for a media trainer that fits your organisation and budget by getting a quote. This is the first step to engaging a trainer and for them to understand what you need, any potential weak spots, and what needs to be worked on.
Many PR firms also offer in-house sessions with their staff who are former journalists but it’s important to do your homework. Ensure your trainer understands today’s media cycle and has recent, relevant newsroom or studio experience.
I think the bottom line is simple: media training is no longer a ‘nice to have’. It is essential for anyone serious about leadership, influence, and reputation management.
If you talk to journalists, clients, regulators, investors, or the public then your people need these skills…so you know what to expect from the media and how to deliver what they need.
By Nic Hayes, Managing Director of Media Stable
