IOI | Second Remote Media Training Held

On 26 January 2021, the IOI held a successful second round of the IOI Remote Media Training. This session brought together 16 participants from Europe, Africa, Asia, North America and the Caribbean.

The training consisted of three parts. The first one was an online module that participants had to complete individually from their desks prior to the joint session. On the day of the training, the participants worked in small groups of six persons, each conducted by two exceptionally renowned trainers provided by MediaFirst. Building on the content of the online modules, these groups discussed important elements of a successful media strategy such as preparing for press interviews, learning what makes a good story and hands-on techniques like “bridging”. In the afternoon, each person had 1-on-1 interviews with the trainers, which were recorded and subsequently analysed to ensure the best possible learning experience. This part also included instructions on issues that have become current during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the optimal set-up of a Zoom interview.

In his welcome address, IOI General Secretary Werner Amon stressed the importance of capacity building for Ombudsman offices especially in challenging times like these. “Key media training techniques are essential to improve communication with the media in order to bring across the core messages of Ombudsman Institutions and to allow us to reach out to the people in need of support”, he added.

After participating in the training, one of the participants stated that “I have never attended such an interesting, useful, content and practice-based course in my professional life […] This has helped me immensely.”

The IOI Board of Directors decided to fund this session in response to the great interest in the first media training, which was successfully held in November 2020.

Source: General Secretariat IOI