MAJ Stephanie Gillogly says:
I have never had to appear before the media, but I was fortunate to gain an early appreciation for the impact of good media awareness and relations as I received my first media training with 10th Mountain Division (LI) on the way to Kosovo. While it was a backyard-training event provided by our local MPAD unit, the training left an impact on the importance of positive media relations.
This lesson was further emphasized as I found myself in charge of my brigade’s Facebook site and social media program. I’m not a PAO, but I suddenly found myself thinking like one and became very cognizant of my brigade’s public image and getting positive messages out to our families and supporters. It is important and pays HUGE dividends to exude an open and positive image for an organization. Meanwhile, the local media outlets would broadcast “on the street” style interview with Soldiers from the installation that they would encounter just outside our gates. The Advanced Media Training provided by Steve Liewer, the chief instructor, and his team is the very best training I’ve received so far. The lecture was full of good tips and I found the use of real-world examples and the class discussion further aided my learning process.
As we walked through the three scenarios (a face-to-face interview, a press conference, and a remote interview) we learned that each interview has its own intricacies, and pros and cons. This opportunity has given me more aspects to consider as I prepare for any media engagements I might conduct in the future. An added bonus to the stations was that we were able to see two of our peers conduct their training events, and we learned from each other. It was like learning exponentially for each event. We each received useful feedback from the scenario facilitator and our peers.
I’ve frequently been in units without a PAO, so this training is extremely valuable to me. I feel more self-sufficient and prepared for future media events. As a result of this training, I feel confident that I could represent our Army well in any future media event. Additionally, I feel comfortable sharing what I’ve learned with my next unit to help better their media training.
I highly encourage anyone intimidated by the prospect of talking to the media to sign up for this training. It is completely worth the few hours you spend in the lecture and lab. You will walk away with tools you can use and practical lessons to help you in your future.
Thank you to Mr. Liewer and the Advanced Media Training Team for this amazing training opportunity!
MAJ Stephanie Gillogly
ILE Class 12-02, Staff Group 2D
2 Comments on "Best media training yet!"
I’m the lead instructor for Advanced Media Training. I’d like to thank MAJ Gillogly for her insightful comments and also address SSG Whitener’s suggestion regarding media training.
SSG Whitener, you certainly have grasped the key mission of Advanced Media Training, which is to give service members who are representing the Army (as well as other service branches) hands-on experience with preparing for and conducting media interviews BEFORE having conduct them in the real world. Appearing on camera is a learned skill, but we have found that soldiers with even a short amount of training show significant improvement. We would like to see soldiers at all levels receive good-quality media training.
Our specific training team is tasked with teaching students (in most cases, O-4s) in the Individual Leadership Education and School for Advanced Military Studies programs. While a few students have come TDY to Fort Leavenworth to take AMT (usually in conjunction with other training), our small training team of one full-time and two part-time instructors is fully occupied teaching ILE and SAMS majors here and at our four satellites.
There is media training available, though, even if you’re not at Fort Leavenworth.
* If you’ve drawn public affairs duty on a full-time or collateral duty basis, there are pamphlets and other training that can guide you. Contact Bill DuPont, chief of training at the U.S. Army Public Affairs Center at Fort Meade, Md., (301) 677-7283 or William.Dupont@us.army.mil.
* The Defense Information School at Fort Meade also has mobile training teams that can come to your base and offer training. Contact Eugenia Pipersburgh, (301) 677-4603, or Eugenia.Pipersburgh@dinfos.dma.mil.
* Your local garrison Public Affairs Officer can also provide you with media training.
Please feel free also to contact me directly if you need additional support. Steve Liewer, (913) 684-7368; steven.b.liewer.civ@mail.mil.
MAJ Gillogly,
I have read through these forums that the Advanced Media Training curriculum is an excellent class to receive, and yet, I have one question, why is this only available to field grade officers? To give some background, my name is SSG Whitener, and I am the S6 for the 2nd Squadron, 16th Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Benning, GA. My first coordination as the Public Affairs Officer for the Squadron was with the Governor Public Affairs Office for Georgia Governor Deal for the first graduating class of ABOLC students at Fort Benning. From that point last year, I have done 12 such coordinations with on post and off post media outlets, to include the local ABC, CBS, NBC affiliates.
My training on dealing with the media came in the form of hands-on training, or OJT, with the professionals at the MCOE PAO office, and through the editor of the on post newspaper, The Bayonet, Lori Egain.
I think that the Advanced Media Training that is offered to ILE students should also be taught down to the lower the levels in a train-the-trainer type of format. This would also assist the field grade officers of a unit by having trained Non-commissioned Officers at the event prior to execution with the ability to prep the audience and/or interviewees with the correct guidance.