Wednesdays: April 18th, 25th and May 2nd from 9:30 AM – 11:00AM
Creative Lab – 2nd Floor – Halifax Central Library | REGISTER HERE
About the Workshop: Every great cause needs great spokespeople who understand how to talk to and work with journalists. In this three-class workshop, we will cover the basics of setting your organization, cause, or your candidacy up for success when it comes to how you approach the press. This will include:
- Why speaking to the press matters: understand how the conversations you have with journalists can move a political agenda forward,
- The basics of media interviews: how to get them, and what to do when you’re invited to participate in one;
- The journalist’s work environment: what you need to know;
- Your rights: questions you can and should ask of journalists before agreeing to do an interview;
- How to adapt: learning to interview well for different types of media (e.g. TV vs. print);
- How to respond: learn to handle questions you didn’t expect or want to get;
- The long game: strategies for making sure you get invited back, and more
The workshop will be taught using presentation-based teaching and skills practise in small groups.
Who this workshop is for:
- first-time spokespeople,
- non-profit and business leaders,
- advocates and activists,
- researchers,
- prospective candidates for public office and elected representatives
- students and learners of all ages looking to broaden their skills and knowledge base
Participants should arrive ready to learn and practise the skills being taught.
$55: Students/Low-Income Rate | $75: General Rate | $95: Civic Champion Rate
Instructor: Mark Coffin
Mark Coffin is the Executive Director at Springtide. He is a politics educator who has been working in and around politics for over a decade. He’s held spokesperson roles in a variety of organizations for over 10 years and has done over 400 media interviews for print, TV, and radio on a range of political subjects including education policy, community and civic engagement, and democratic reform.
Course Cancellation: Courses without sufficient registration seven days prior to the start date may be cancelled. If cancelled, a full refund will be issued to registrants at that time.
Refund Policy: Participants who wish to cancel their registration seven or more days in advance of the start date will receive a 50% refund. Refunds will not be issued within seven days of the course start date.
