Crisis Communications: Why Media Training Isn’t Optional Anymore

If there’s one thing every organisation learns too late, it’s this:

A crisis doesn’t give you time to prepare. It only exposes how prepared you already were.

We’ve all seen it, a story breaks, a spokesperson freezes, the wrong phrase gets quoted, the narrative spirals, and suddenly an organisation’s reputation (built over years) is hanging by a thread.

And the hardest part?

Most crises aren’t caused solely by the incident…they’re caused by the response.

• A defensive tone

• A poorly chosen word

• Confusion between spokespeople

• Inconsistent statements across teams

• “No comment” - the line that never lands well

These mistakes don’t just damage reputations.They erode public trust, staff morale, stakeholder confidence, and donor or customer loyalty.

But here’s the opportunity and the business case for media training:

1. Media Training Protects Your Reputation

Think of it as insurance for your organisation’s most valuable asset: trust. Leaders and spokespeople learn how to respond quickly, calmly, and consistently — before the crisis hits.

2. It Stops Small Issues Becoming Big Headlines

Most crises escalate because the initial response is reactive, emotional, or unclear. Media training teaches teams how to pause, ground themselves, and land key messages that keep the organisation in control of the narrative.

3. It Empowers Staff at Every Level

From CEOs to frontline volunteers, everyone needs to know:

• what they can say

• what they can’t say

• who speaks for the organisation

• how to escalate sensitive information

  
  

Because mixed messages create chaos and journalists will always use the strongest quote they get.

4. It Saves Time, Stress, and Money

Crisis mismanagement can lead to:

• costly PR firefighting

• legal risk

• staff burnout

• loss of partnerships

• drops in revenue

  
  

A trained team responds faster, with fewer mistakes, reducing the operational and financial fallout.

5. It Builds Confidence for Everyday Opportunities

Here’s the part most people miss: Media training isn’t just for disasters.

It prepares leaders and comms teams to grab positive opportunities too, interviews, launches, announcements, opinion pieces, and campaigns.

That’s often where organisations are losing visibility without realising it.

My message to every CEO, founder, charity leader, or communications manager is this:

A crisis is not the moment to learn how to communicate. It’s the moment you’ll wish you already had. If your organisation hasn’t invested in media training yet, now is the time.