Media Training for Publicists & PR Professionals
Sharpen your media coaching skills and deliver better results for every client. Learn the producer-side techniques that transform nervous spokespeople into confident, compelling interview performers.
Why Publicists Need Media Training
You book the interview. You craft the talking points. You coordinate the logistics. And then your client walks on set and freezes, rambles, or goes wildly off message. Every publicist knows this feeling. You have done everything right, but the one variable you cannot fully control, your client's on-camera performance, determines whether the placement was a success or a disaster.
The best publicists understand that their job does not end when the interview is booked. It extends to ensuring their client is prepared to deliver. But most PR professionals learned media relations, not media coaching. They know how to pitch a story and manage a journalist relationship, but they may not have the tools to transform a stiff, nervous executive or an unfocused celebrity into a polished media performer.
Media training for publicists fills this critical gap. It gives you the coaching techniques, preparation frameworks, and on-camera expertise to elevate every client's performance, strengthen your media relationships, and differentiate your services in a crowded PR landscape.
What You Will Learn
- Coach clients to develop and deliver clear, compelling key messages under interview pressure
- Prepare spokespeople for television, podcast, print, and crisis media situations with proven frameworks
- Identify and correct common on-camera mistakes before they happen in real interviews
- Build stronger media relationships by consistently delivering well-prepared, camera-ready guests
- Manage crisis communications by coaching clients through high-stakes statements and press conferences
- Add professional media training as a premium service offering within your PR practice
Real-World Scenarios You Will Master
The Unprepared Client
Your client has a major television interview in 48 hours and has never been on camera. Learn the rapid-prep framework that takes a spokesperson from zero to camera-ready in a single intensive session, covering message development, on-camera technique, and mock interview practice.
The Crisis Statement
Your client's company is in the headlines for the wrong reasons. They need to make a public statement in hours, not days. Master the crisis coaching process: crafting the statement, rehearsing delivery, anticipating follow-up questions, and managing the post-statement media response.
The Difficult Spokesperson
Your client is brilliant in their field but terrible on camera. They talk too long, use jargon, and resist preparation. Learn the coaching techniques that build trust, overcome resistance, and help even the most reluctant spokespeople deliver confident, on-message interviews.
Why Train with Jess Todtfeld
Jess Todtfeld is a former television producer for NBC, ABC, and FOX who worked directly with publicists and their clients throughout his producing career. He understands the PR-media dynamic from both sides: what publicists need to deliver to their clients and what producers need from spokespeople. He holds a Guinness World Record for the most media interviews in 24 hours and carries the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation.
He has trained professionals across Fortune 500 companies and PR agencies. His training gives publicists the insider knowledge and coaching tools that transform client performance and strengthen media relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both. You will sharpen your own media coaching skills and learn techniques you can use to prepare your clients for interviews, press conferences, and crisis situations. Many publicists also bring clients to joint sessions for even better results.
Yes. Joint sessions where publicists and their clients train together are highly effective. It creates a shared language and framework for media preparation that improves every future interview and press event.
Training is available as a one- or two-day intensive or in a custom format, tailored to your agency's specific client roster, media specialties, and the types of placements you typically secure.
Absolutely. The ability to offer professional media training as part of your PR services is a powerful differentiator that attracts higher-value clients and commands premium fees. It demonstrates that your agency delivers complete media results, not just placements.
Ready to Deliver Better Results for Every Client?
Add professional media coaching to your PR toolkit and watch client performance soar.