Chalk Talks are a key component of faculty interviews and other informal presentations. But what does a Chalk Talk look like? We’ve curated some examples for you.
![Instagram for Researchers: A Breakdown of Content Types and How to Use Them to Share Your Work [2024]](https://bunny-wp-pullzone-1pwhmcn5fx.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2024-instagram-post-types-1080x675.jpg)
Media Awareness and Interview Training
A workshop for scientists and researchers who want to engage with journalists and the media
Working with the media means more exposure for researchers, their research and their institution. The challenge is that if they are unaware of how to work with the media, they risk being misunderstood, mis-quoted and mis-represented, something that they (and the media ) want to avoid.
Our Media Awareness and Interview Training helps participants understand what the media wants, how to deliver their messages clearly, and how to ensure their story reaches the right audience. This will help them build the skills and confidence to work effectively with the media.
We offer customisable formats to suit your needs:
Media awareness training:
A half-day practical session for understanding how the media works and why it matters.
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Media awareness & interview masterclass:
A full-day workshop for small groups (4-6 participants) covering media strategy, storytelling, and hands-on interview practice.
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1-on-1 Coaching:
A two-hour intensive “fast-track” session to prepare individuals for live interviews with personalised feedback.
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For large groups or those short on time, we also offer short talks, Webinars and bite-sized sessions packed with actionable tips, ideal for larger groups.
Media Awareness Training
Designed for scientists, researchers and communicators, this workshop helps participants understand how the media works and why it matters. Participants will learn how to make the most of their interactions with journalists and media outlets.
In four interactive hours, participants will gain a better understanding of how the media machine works, what journalists are looking for, how to align what they want to communicate with what journalists want to publish or broadcast, and how to make their messages clear and impactful.
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Participants will:
Gain clarity about their goals, the media’s goals, and what the audience wants.
Identify key themes and key messages that will inform, educate, motivate and persuade their audience.
Add impact to their messages with powerful language, facts, stats and stories.
Practice their newfound skills by creating a draft article, blog post, press release or similar communication content.
Media communication and interview masterclass
Our media communication and interview masterclass will help scientists, researchers and communicators find the story in their research and learn how to generate media coverage that is true to the science AND engages the audience.
This hands-on workshop is conducted in small groups of four to six participants and is typically delivered over two half days. During this session, participants will learn how to effectively communicate their work to the public, stakeholders, government, industry and the media.
The course covers online media interviews; radio interviews; interviews for print journalists; handling tricky questions and staying out of trouble; print and online media; developing your communication plan; social media and becoming an ‘expert’.
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We’ll cover:
Find out how the media works and how researchers can make it work for them.
Meet media professionals to learn how to ensure research is reported accurately.
Practice being interviewed on video and via audio only (a.k.a via telephone!).
Gain confidence in talking about research so that it has an impact on the media, government, industry and other stakeholders.
Conveying the complexity of a researcher’s work into a 30-second grab for the media or one-minute elevator pitch to funders or even a Vice Chancellor can be hard. The solution is to shape the essence of research and results into a story.
1-to-1 Media Coaching
For any scientist, researcher of communicator, (no prior public speaking experience to seasoned communicators) this fast-track session will get you ready to handle a live interview by the end of 2 hours. You’ll leave knowing what interviewers are looking for, and how to control your message through creating your own 5-8 second soundbites, which you can use beyond media opportunities in:
- Persuasive pitches to policymakers and funders
- Lectures
- Elevator pitches
- Casual situations
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In 120 minutes, we’ll:
- Craft your research/professional story into 5-8 second soundbites that appeal to a non-university educated audience,
- Identify which aspects of your research are most attractive to your audience – and that of the media channel.
- Practice a live 2-min interview, incorporating your soundbites
- Coach you in speaking skills (voice modulation, diction, cadence, posture, eye contact with the camera.)
Request more information or ask us for a quote
We typically schedule workshops and training 6-12 months in advance, so if you have specific dates in mind, we recommend getting in touch as early as possible.
Kind words
Loved this. So much information and still time for some good discussions with fellow students. I look forward to being able to use some of the ideas when I create my first poster.
I have just completed SciComm Success' Poster Design Workshop. It was full of interesting tips and tools, some of which I have already built into my poster planning. Although we had a big group and I expected a lecture/webinar format, Suzanne constantly invited us to provide feedback and our own experiences, and I enjoyed hearing what fellow biologists like and don't. I liked that the group was international and enjoyed the flexible and informal discussions - some via chat, some using whiteboards, some simple audio discussion. It felt as if we could all contribute, wherever we were. I would recommend this workshop for anyone new to creating posters for conferences. It would probably be a good refresher for poster presenters, too. Thank you, SEB, for the opportunity.
This was a good refresher on best practice planning and design for posters. I particularly enjoyed the sessions on tools for choosing colour palettes, which I have since used in other communication materials, and the discussion about online and virtual conferences, which was an eye-opener for me during COVID. Thank you, Suzanne!
Have something different in mind?
Book a call with one of our training team and let’s explore what you are thinking about, what you need, and what we can do to help.