Redirection Training Exchange | Be Prepared - Know What to Say and How to Say It: Superfund Spokesperson Training
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Be Prepared - Know What to Say and How to Say It: Superfund Spokesperson Training
Basic level training
Hosted by U.S. EPA, Community Involvement and Program Initiatives Branch
Community Involvement University (CIU)

What is the course overview?
This course is designed to give you the confidence you need to explain your work and talk about tough issues. Media/spokesperson training is a must for anyone called upon to speak about an EPA program, project or issue. What you say and how you say it is critical to getting information out to the news media, community groups, and others.

Who should take this course?
This course is recommended for EPA staffers who have been or could be tapped as a spokesperson for a site, project or division; for example, Public Information Officer (PIO), Project Manager, Project Leader, Remedial Project Manager, (RPM), Community Involvement Coordinator (CIC), On-Scene Coordinator (OSC), and/or other EPA staffers who deal with the public. There are no suggested prerequisites.

What are the course learning objectives?
Participants who complete this course will gain skills on how to:

  • Prepare for interviews or public speaking engagements;
  • Know their rights as a news source;
  • Understand how social media impacts today’s communications;
  • Craft their organization's messages; and
  • Deliver their messages effectively – even during a crisis.


What are the logistics?
This one-day, interactive course features customized scenarios relevant to each participant's program or project, and one-on-one videotaped sessions with a professional interviewer and TV photojournalist. Participants are required to complete a short questionnaire about their experience and projects a few weeks prior to the course. Recommended course size is 12-15 participants.

Pamela Avery and Dominic Frederico teach this course. Ms. Avery is a national communications consultant who was a newspaper reporter and national magazine editor for nearly 20 years and produced a nationally syndicated environmental radio show and an EPA documentary on RCRA projects. She has provided communications training for the EPA for more than 15 years and serves as a neutral facilitator at EPA-hosted stakeholder meetings. Mr. Frederico is an Emmy-award winning TV photojournalist who as an independent cameraman regularly works on news stories and documentaries for dozens of major network and cable TV programs. He has worked with Pam Avery as EPA spokesperson/media course co-trainer for 10 years.

Is there available background material?
Participants receive the following:

  • Customized EPA Spokesperson/Media Training Manual during the course
  • DVD of their on-camera interviews after the session
     
For general information contact Tina Conley by telephone at 703-603-0696 or via e-mail at conley.tina@epa.gov

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