SERVICES - MEDIA TRAINING
Executive Media Training in Melbourne, Led by a Former Herald Sun Journalist
The Reputation Agency runs media training for CEOs, executives and spokespeople. Founder Scott Thompson spent a decade as a journalist at The Age and the Herald Sun, finishing as urban affairs and property editor at the Herald Sun. He has sat on both sides of the interview, so your people train against the questions a working journalist asks, in the way a journalist asks them.
The questions we hear
“Our CEO has a big interview next week and isn't ready.”
“We need a spokesperson who holds the message under hostile questions.”
“Our executives freeze on camera.”
“We face a live issue and our people will get doorstopped.”
Who trains you
Scott Thompson started in newsrooms in 1989 and spent ten years reporting and editing at The Age and the Herald Sun. He covered the 1998 Melbourne waterfront dispute, the Jaidyn Leskie murder case and crime across Victoria, and finished as urban affairs and property editor at the Herald Sun. He then spent more than 25 years in corporate affairs and reputation advisory, including at the Business Council of Australia and as Chief Strategy Officer at Bastion Reputation. He led the team that defeated the Queensland electricity class action for CS Energy, Australia's largest energy class action, and prepared the company's CEO and Chairman for media through it.
He knows how a journalist builds a story, picks the quote and decides the angle before the interview starts. Training starts from there.
“I spent ten years in newsrooms at The Age and the Herald Sun, deciding which quote led the story and which question would land. Your executives train against those same calls.”
what the training covers
Media interview training and simulation. Practise TV, radio, print and panel interviews under realistic conditions, including hostile Q&A and adversarial drills.
Message preparation. Build three or four messages your spokesperson owns, and the bridging lines that bring every answer back to them.
Crisis and doorstop drills. Rehearse the first 24 hours of an issue: the holding statement, the phone call from a reporter, the camera at the front door.
On-camera and virtual presentation. Eye contact, framing, vocal clarity and body language for TV, webinars and remote panels.
Public speaking and presentation coaching. For speeches, boardroom updates and panels, see Executive Public Speaking Coaching.
How a program runs
Brief. We learn your organisation, the issue in front of you and the media likely to cover it.
Scenarios. We write interview scenarios from your sector and your current risks, using your own material where it helps.
Drills. Recorded interviews, played back and reviewed, then run again until the messages hold.
Follow-up. Refreshers and one-on-one coaching before high-stakes interviews.
Formats
One-on-one — training for a single spokesperson.
Half-day and full-day workshops — planned around your business activities.
Masterclass sessions — for experienced practitioners.
Intensives — preparation before a specific media event, such as a results announcement, a major launch or an interview you expect to turn hostile.
We train in Melbourne, on site across Australia, and online.
Who its for
CEOs, chairs, executives and subject experts who speak to media, government, investors or communities. We work most often with organisations in government, energy, banking and financial services, mining and resources, manufacturing and infrastructure.
Client Testimonial
“Scott helped prepare our CEO and Chairman for high-stakes media engagements, refining messages, anticipating difficult questions and building confidence under pressure. His calm, practical coaching and sound judgement made a clear difference in how our leaders handled sensitive and complex issues.”
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Case study: Training councillors for effective advocacy.
Two local government authorities needed newly elected councillors ready to run high-stakes advocacy meetings. Our program combined role play, meeting tactics and message development. Participants reported higher confidence going into real conversations.
Common questions
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CEOs, executives and subject experts who speak to media or stakeholders.
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Scott Thompson, founder of The Reputation Agency and a former journalist at The Age and the Herald Sun, leads the training.
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One-on-one training, half-day and full-day workshops, masterclass sessions, and intensive preparation before a specific media event. We train individuals and groups.
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Yes. We deliver in Melbourne, on site across Australia, and online.
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Yes. We build scenarios and materials from your context, and use your own content to test readiness for specific events.
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A message framework, recordings of their on-camera practice, and a prep checklist for future interviews.
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Yes. We run refreshers and one-on-one coaching before high-stakes interviews.
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A clear scope with deliverables, priced as a project fee or a retainer depending on the program.
book a conversation
Got an interview coming up, or an issue you expect to break?
Book a free 30min conversation