What is the course overview?
This course helps participants understand what today multimedia journalists (MMJs) is - those who appear behind and in front of the camera, blog and use other social media channels - and the increasingly prevalent social media bloggers need and want from their news sources. This understanding is vital to effectively conveying information to the public and other stakeholders.

What you say and how you present yourself to the news media are critical to establishing trust and credibility. Even those who are old hands at working with reporters often find themselves in a new landscape with today’s 24/7 news cycles.

Who should take this course?
This course is recommended for EPA staffers who need to engage with the local news media in all of its forms in a professional manner and those who want a refresher course on how today’s news media gathers and reports the news. There are no suggested prerequisites.

What are the course learning objectives?
Participants who complete this course will gain skills on how to:

• Understand how today’s news media, including social media blogs, operate;
• Work with all types of news reporters (e.g., print, broadcast, MMJs, and social media bloggers);
• Craft organizational messages geared to specific media outlets; and
• Deliver effective messages and fine-tune interview skills.

What are the logistics?
This one-day workshop includes a brief overview of how news rooms operate in today’s world, and the effect of today’s 24/7 news cycle and social media on the delivery of news. When possible, the course includes a presentation by a guest print or TV reporter or blogger who covers environmental news. During this highly interactive course, participants practice interview and media engagement skills on-camera. Participants work in teams of three to develop key messages for relevant real-life scenarios. These messages are delivered “news conference” style, followed by a group critique. Recommended course size is 15-18 participants.

Pamela Avery and Dominic Frederico teach this course. Ms. Avery is a national communications consultant who was a newspaper reporter and national magazine editor for nearly 20 years and produced a nationally syndicated environmental radio show and an EPA documentary on RCRA projects. She has provided communications training for the EPA for more than 15 years and serves as a neutral facilitator at EPA-hosted stakeholder meetings. Mr. Frederico is an Emmy-award winning TV photojournalist who as an independent cameraman regularly works on news stories and documentaries for dozens of major network and cable TV programs.

Is there available background material?
Participants receive the following:

• Customized EPA Spokesperson/Media Training Guide during the workshop
• DVD of on-camera interviews after the course