About Media Training NZ

When he entered the fields of journalism and political communication, Pete Burdon witnessed so many good people damage their reputations purely because they did not know how to navigate tough media interviews or other difficult conversations. This led to the formation of Media Training NZ.  

"Our reason for existence is to help good people get their messages across in the way they intend and this is quite different in a media interview and different again in a difficult conversation. We only work with those committed to communicating with integrity through these channels rather than trying to manipulate their way out of trouble," says Pete.

From his first days in the workforce as a daily newspaper reporter, Pete saw so multiple media spokespeople damage their reputations and the businesses and organisations they represented. This was anyone from corporate CEOs to government ministers to school principals.

This was not because they had done anything wrong or were bad people. It was because they did not understand how a media interview differed from other conversations and what reporters and producers needed for their stories. This has escalated over recent years as the needs of the news media have changed.

After feedback from multiple clients that they used their new media skills in managing difficult conversations at work, Pete designed a workshop focused specifically on this. The workshop includes relevant parts of his media training workshop, plus other areas unique to mastering difficult conversations.  This workshop has become popular in a huge range of fields and is relevant to anyone who may need to have difficult conversations with staff or clients.