News Media Seminar Offers Training

Be it print or electronic, the news media exert a powerful influence. Being able to derive positive benefits - or, at the very least, minimize negative ones - provides considerable advantage. On April 24 the Great Lakes Fabricators will be providing its members with expert advice on news media relations, presented by professionals packing many solid years of experience.

Organized by Bill Proctor & Associates, the seminar will open at 8 a.m. at Southfield's Westin Hotel. With more than 20 years of television reporting experience in metropolitan Detroit, Proctor is the senior staff reporter for WXYZ-TV Channel 7's Action News Team. His journalism background is wide ranging but he's best known for his crime beat and investigative reporting, having been honored with awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and Michigan's Crime Prevention Association.

Proctor's program will focus on developing positive messages the news media will recognize and use while also providing training for handling questions from reporters about crises you didn't anticipate. Specifically he'll address:

• Developing key messages.
• Techniques for the 'best' interview.
• Taking charge of news media opportunities.
• Planning the 'visuals' to maximize their impact.
• Understanding news media needs.
• How to deal with 'adversarial' interviews.