Event Profile

Engaging Journalists with Confidence

Date(s):
March 24, 2021
Venue:
Online
Description:

Note:

Online registration is currently closed, but spaces are still available. If you would like to attend this event, please contact Gail Patterson at (360) 816-1450 or gail@nwppa.org.

Who Should Attend:

Communications and public relations employees, or others that work with journalists.

Webinar Overview:

When you get a request from a journalist for an interview, do you tremble with fear and anxiety? When a news reporter calls and starts asking questions, do you sometimes feel unprepared? Does your general manager – or any other official at your utility – need help preparing for and conducting media interviews?

Join longtime public relations pro, journalist, and university instructor Lance Robertson for hands-on, interactive instruction and helpful tips for conducting interviews with journalists; preparing for interviews; working directly with the media to effectively convey your utility actions; and prepping your utility’s leaders for interviews.

Participants will gain knowledge, tips, techniques, and skills in creating key messages, preparing for and conducting interviews, avoiding media traps or pitfalls, and helping your utility’s execs respond to media inquiries with confidence and without trepidation.

Webinar Objectives:

  • Gain a greater understanding of what motivates journalists, the methods they use to conduct interviews, and how the changing media landscape has made it more difficult to generate positive news coverage of your utility.
  • Get tips and tools to help you prepare for and conduct media interviews that will enhance your utility’s image and effectively convey its mission, vision, and values.
  • How to prepare for media interviews, and identify opportunities to deliver effective messages during interviews.
  • Techniques for preparing your utility’s leaders for radio, television, and newspaper interviews.
  • How body language and tone of voice can impact the credibility, truthfulness, candor, and transparency of your messages.
  • Learn from your peers at other utilities about their media interview experiences, both good and bad.

Webinar Recordings:

Webinar recordings can be made available to registrants who are unable to attend live.

Webinar Instructor:

Lance Robertson, Instructor, School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon; and Owner, LF Robertson Communications LLC

Webinar Schedule:

The webinar will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. PST. Attendees will be admitted 15 minutes before the webinar begins.

How to Participate:

Instructions will be emailed to attendees within 12 hours of the webinar and we recommend that you test the link to the meeting as soon as you get the instructions. The webinar is best viewed using Chrome as your browser. We recommend that you use a landline for both your phone and your internet connections.

Webinar Fees:

Individual Attendee Registration:

    Utility Member Rate: $90
    Associate Member Rate: $135
    Non-Member Rate: $270

Attendee Group Registration (up to four attendees)*:

    Utility Member Rate: $225
    Associate Member Rate: $340

*If your organization would like to send multiple attendees to this event, please contact Roy Cevallos at (360) 816-1446 or roy@nwppa.org for further details.

Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations are accepted, with full refund, if request is made at least 30 days prior to the course. Within 30 days, fees are as follows: 15-29 days, $100; 1-14 days or no show, 100% of registration fee. When possible, please send a substitute instead of canceling; NWPPA does not charge a fee for substitutions.

Continuing Hours:

This course qualifies for 1.5 continuing hours. Certificates are issued upon full completion of the course.

For More Information:

To find out more about this event, or to learn about other events, view the Training and Event Catalog.