Real-world media training

The prospect of enduring a media interview sends many otherwise-fearless executives running for cover. It doesn’t have to be that way, especially if you understand how reporters, editors and producers operate, and how you can manage and control the communication of your messages.

Caponigro PR trains clients on how to effectively communicate when being interviewed by the news media, and how to avoid the most common mistakes made by those without the benefit of such training. Typically, training is conducted in conference rooms at client sites using portable video equipment. But now CPR is able to offer a more realistic training experience, thanks to the addition of a fully-equipped “real-world” television studio at its new offices on the 17th floor of 4000 Town Center in Southfield.

The mini-studio inside the CPR offices features a simulated television talk show set complete with lighting and full video recording and playback capability.

“We use television-based media training because, in a sense, it’s the ‘worst-case’ scenario for an interview in terms of the distractions that the lights and camera can cause,” said Jeff Caponigro, president and CEO. “Clients find, often to their surprise, that they can adjust to the glare of the lens and lights once they have the chance to experience it under controlled conditions. This boosts their confidence level pretty quickly and, after a session or two, they are able to ignore the mechanics of the process and focus solely on the messages they need to communicate.”

CPR’s studio was custom-designed and installed under the supervision of CPR Executive Vice President Walter Kraft, former news director at WXYZ-TV7. “The studio provides a very realistic experience,” said Kraft. “Clients come away knowing exactly what it feels like under the glare of the lights, so when the real thing comes along, they know they’ll be able to disregard the trappings and concentrate on what’s important – their messages.”

Kraft heads up the media training team at CPR, and leads sessions ranging from one-on-one executive training to group sessions of as many as eight managers or other key staff members. In one instance, the CPR team trained 150 administrators and faculty at a top national university in a multi-session project that spanned several days.

Jeff Caponigro also conducts one-on-one training sessions for CEOs and other senior-level executives in both coming across well in media interviews and making effective speeches and presentations.

For more information on customized media training, either in our studio or at your location, contact Walter Kraft at kraft@caponigro.com.