About our workshop
Governments’ reputations are shaped by how people perceive them through a variety of media. Direct experience is part of the story, but so is a blend of imagery, storytelling, media handling, spokespeople, speeches, events and social media presence. The fate of Ministers and administrations can rise and fall based on fast-moving events and public opinion. A sound reputation can take months and years to accrue, but only minutes to throw away.
A rapidly changing media landscape offers new ways to reach audiences, shape narratives, communicate with stakeholders and build reputations. It can also be a place of misinformation, misunderstandings and fake news. One lesson every Government learns fast is that it cannot be left to chance. If you’re not telling your story, someone else will.
This workshop will show you how to build reputation, how to deploy a variety of techniques and methodologies, how to prepare effective strategies, how to predict and prepare for crises, and how to deal with bad faith actors. We will investigate the basics of effective communication and build during the week to a greater understanding of different media platforms. We will benchmark your activities against others’, including the UK Government, and hear from industry experts and practitioners. We will also meet senior journalists and broadcasters and hear perspectives from across the spectrum of media relations.
What our workshop will cover:
• The golden rules of communications in a government context
• How to create a communications strategy for your organisation
• How to fashion a narrative and use storytelling in your communications
• Assessing risks and threats, and preparing for crises
• The opportunities and downsides of social media platforms
• How to deal with journalists, including media and print interviews and preparing media scripts
• Effective writing and persuasive language
• Dealing with ‘fake news’.
How participants will benefit
The workshop will:
• Develop your knowledge of how government and other public organisations use communications to help devise and deliver effective policies
• Help you to learn from the experience of UK Government communicators and of leading journalists
• Encourage you to consider ways of using a range of media to widen access to public information and reach fragmented audiences
• Raise your awareness of how to handle public communication and apply strategic communication techniques to improve the image of your government.