Training and Mentoring

There are many trainers helping organisations with media and presentation. What makes us different is that we don't just train, we do what we preach every day. We are ex-journalists who know what we want to hear and can dig deeper for the real story. We tailor workshops to suit your needs. We've trained scientists, health practitioners, pharmacists, CEOs of NGOs, frontline workers - you name it, we've done it.

We work in conjunction with Swift + co to provide sensibly priced workshops that hit the mark. We provide notes at the end of workshops which you can use again and again. Contact Penny on mediawise@mediawise.net.au or (03) 9818 8540 for more information on any of our workshops.

Resources

We are delighted to offer for free our annual communications health check resource. The assessment tool provides an overview of
those elements, and can help you identify your organisation’s current communications strengths and any areas for development. Please contact Penny if you would like to talk further about MediaWise helping you with audits and communication strategies.

Communications and PR audit self-check

Pitching 101

How do you prepare to pitch to journalists? Do you always rely on a release or do you take advantage of news as it happens to pick up the phone and offer a view, statistics or more information? We come to you. The workshop includes: what the media wants, spokespeople, how to build media relationships, the difference between radio, TV and print and what they are looking for, how to pitch and how to find stories that you never even realised they were there. 

Talking Bites

You are great at speaking at meetings or with your team but when it comes to media or giving a presentation, you just don't cut it. Even if you are great, everyone can do with extra practice and coaching. Talking bites is delivered by former journalists.  We help you get your message across in 15 seconds, learn how to use bridging phrases, answer questions effectively and give examples. We take you through live and pre-recorded interview techniques. Talking Bites is all about practice. We prefer to work in small groups or one-to-one.

Writing 101

This is not about spelling or grammar. It is about writing a compelling media release, brochure, appeal letters, opinion pieces, speeches and content for Facebook, Twitter and the web. We will take you through tone, writing styles, how to prepare, cutting copy, writing headlines and being active (writing-wise). Participants get the chance to send in work for feedback before the workshop and lots of practice during it as well.

Twitter 101

How on earth do I capture everything in 140 characters? We have heard this so often. Twitter 101 takes the headache away. We go back to basics using a biro and paper to learn how to craft headline grabbing tweets, use hashtags to get new followers, netiquette and when (or not) to post. Twitter is free, can you afford not to be in the space?

Mentoring

Everybody needs a listening ear sometimes, a bit of a nudge, another way of thinking about a story and support. Penny Underwood mentors up and coming young communicators for a small fee. Issues vary according to the mentee but usually includes creating a sense of direction, managing up, time management as well as how to become a more effective PR person. She keeps all conversations confidential and part of the agreement is that mentees do the same too.