We get researchers ready to meet the media!

Basic media training seminars follow a proven and largely predefined structure. They prepare experts to meet the specific demands of print and online media, radio, and television. Workshops cover news factors (“What are reporters interested in?”), communicating to be understood, the media landscape, and media law. The focus of our basic media training is on written exercises, interviews, and statements in front of a microphone and camera. Duration: 1.5 - 2 days

We offer training for appearances in front of the camera as a basic seminar version using an HD camcorder. For those who appear in front of the camera frequently or have to be prepared for crisis communication, we recommend working with a professional ENG (electronic news-gathering) team. This allows us to closely replicate real-life scenarios in the training context. In both cases, we practice interview situations and statement preparation with participants. Instructors give structured feedback on argumentation, understandability, as well as voice and body language. Duration: 0.5 - 1 day

Studio training builds on the content of our basic media training. Working in a television studio, we prepare researchers for live interviews. We also practice remote interviewing, where the interviewer and interviewee are at different locations. Workshops are hosted by our longstanding partners at a Berlin broadcast studio but can also be held at studios in other cities across Germany. Studio training is aimed at participants with prior media experience. Duration: 0.5 - 1 day

To communicate successfully, you need a clear course of action. What overall objectives do participants want to achieve? What concrete communication goals result from those objectives? Who do participants need to address to meet their goals? What are the messages they need to convey? And what are the right channels of communication? In exploring these questions, participants develop feasible, practical communication concepts. In doing so, they draw on methods of design thinking and other innovative approaches.
Duration: 0.5 – 1.5 days

When used literally, the term “crisis” refers to a very serious problem.
While relatively rare, real crises usually unfold according to a specific pattern. In organizational contexts, crises create major burdens for both management and employees, and can result in reputational damage. But fortunately, it’s possible to prepare for crises. We work with participants to analyze the individual crisis potential and talk about approaches to get through a crisis.
In numerous practical exercises, participants learn to use organizational strategies to overcome crises and to communicate confidently under stress, not only in writing but also on the telephone and on camera. They will also work on developing their own personal crisis handbook.
Duration: 1 – 2 days

Whether you’re defending a doctoral thesis, introducing your research institute at an event like the Long Night of Sciences, or giving a keynote address at an international conference: When you’re presenting your research to an audience, you need to think about more than just the golden rules of PowerPoint presentations. It’s equally important to talk about your work as if you are telling an exciting story, and to use your voice and physical presence to win over your audience. We teach this workshop in cooperation with professional state-certified breathing, elocution, and voice instructors if needed.
Duration 1 – 2 days

Writing is a craft, and in this seminar, participants learn the tools of the trade. What topics are interesting? How can I write about complex subject matter so that my target group understands and enjoys reading about it? Which rules apply when writing for scientific publications, and which ones apply to Facebook? Findings from the research on reading comprehension and writing to be understood form the foundation for this workshop, where participants will write about their own research and receive structured feedback. Duration: 0.5 – 1.5 days

Which social media platforms can I use to reach my target audience? How should I address my audience so they get my message? How much effort is required, and is that effort worthwhile for my purposes? The social media workshop offers a mix of strategy and practical recommendations. The workshop outcome is an individual six-month social media plan that specifies how to reach each target group best using which social media platform. By the end of the workshop, all participants will also have created a tweet for Twitter, a YouTube video with a teaser, and an Instagram series of five photos.
Duration: 1 – 1.5 days