Testimonials

Pete Burdon recently conducted media training sessions with my Urban Development Team. The feedback has been nothing but positive, with all attendees (myself included) finding it extremely valuable. His training is practical, cuts to the chase, and builds up the skills and confidence of attendees progressively throughout the sessions. It was the perfect refresher for some of us with media experience, while others new to the game now understand what media want, how to get a message across and avoid the traps that can derail an interview. The feedback has also highlighted that the skills learnt can be used when communicating with other important stakeholders.

This was one of the most practical and worthwhile training sessions I've ever had. I particularly liked how Pete focused not only on how to get my messages across, but also understanding the needs of the reporter. I'm now a far better media spokesperson.

The training we completed with you last year has been so valuable to me on so many occasions. The tragedy we had last week with a young student passing away drew big media attention and I felt really well equipped to field interviews and make comments. The awareness you have instilled in us certainly paid dividends every time. Thank you for that.

I found the day to be extremely helpful and informative. The interview sessions were very valuable and certainly gave you first-hand experience of being in the hot seat. I think the training should be compulsory for new mayors and CEO’s. Thanks again for a great day.

I put the skills I learnt in Pete Burdon's workshop to immediate use. I had to front media the following week and also present to a large corporate group. The techniques I took away from the training helped me work out exactly what I wanted to say and get it across in both formats in the best possible way.

The media training from Media Training NZ was professionally delivered and appropriately tailored to Auckland Regional Public Health Service issues. Staff who attended the training have reported an increased knowledge base and development of skills required to deal effectively with the media. The presenter's subject matter expertise was excellent. The session was very practical and those in attendance had a number of opportunities to be interviewed on camera and receive relevant feedback.

A challenging, interesting and rewarding day. Through classroom based discussion, advice and lots of very practical exercises I now feel equipped to plan and manage that critical media interaction that may be just around the next corner. Pete's industry knowledge and insights are invaluable.

The thought of standing in front of a camera being interviewed by the media brings the majority of us out in a sweat.  After attending  Pete Burdon’s media training course I now feel I have learnt the tricks of the trade to, if not be, appear more confident in front of the camera.  I also know how to answer questions to get my points across and satisfying the needs of the journalist.

It is a happy event to go on a course for one day and find that it neither time nor money wasted. For any person who gets interviewed or 'asked for comment' by the media, I highly recommend this training. The chances of future media embarrassment or anxiety has now been dramatically reduced, made possible by the pragmatic tutoring and the emphasis on practice in order to learn. Not one of those theory courses where only a small proportion is relevant, this one is full on from the get go and the day goes by quickly. Well worth it.

Just wanted to say 'Thanks' - you may have seen that Beckenham School lost our library in a fire in January - thrusting me into the media limelight as key spokesperson for the school - I was very conscious of so many of the things we went over on the workshop day last year, and felt pretty comfortable each time I have fronted various media. Hoped I wouldn't have had to use the training so soon, but now I'm kind of glad I have had to - nothing like real life practice

I found strategies suggested in our session with Pete Burdon very useful in thinking through how best to phrase media responses, and be assured of getting your intended message reported.  Rather than being bogged down in theory, the use of practical exercises made this course both pragmatically applicable and hugely enjoyable – and you can’t say that about most day-long courses!

This was one of the most valuable and interesting courses I have undertaken in a long time, as well as being fun, interesting and challenging to participate in. Our industry is constantly in the limelight, and we all have a fear of any contact with the media – particularly when we might be in a stressful situation or crisis at work.  Pete not only gave us training on how to handle ourselves with the media, he put us in front of the camera time after time to make sure we had learned the lessons and could handle ourselves when the pressure was on – a very special gift to all who attended that day

Media Training NZ's workshop presented a comprehensive and practical set of skills and strategies on communicating key messages to the media that I used immediately on my return to my workplace. Pete's knowledge from both a journalists and PR perspective gave me invaluable insights on how best to create relevant, clear messages and how to deliver them authentically to the media. Highly recommended and many thanks to Pete.