This specialized course provides a foundation for engaging with the news media. Participants who attend this lecture receive tools for responding to a reporter’s interview request for an interview. Participants learn how to anticipate the reporter’s needs, respond to an ambush interview, identify key audiences, and create messages that will resonate with their audiences. The course reviews the process to “focus the story” – how to determine the true nature of a reporter’s story and the subject matter’s role in that story. Those who complete this course will receive fundamental media literacy skills from experienced reporters. They learn how to create a good, relevant message using the three key characteristics, as well as tools they can use to help them manage an interview. Coursework emphasizes establishing working relationships with reporters in an honest, transparent manner while providing relevant key messages. Topics include: • Responding to an ambush interview • Media literacy • Understanding the “rules of the game” • How to tell your story • Message development • Setting your agenda in an interview • Using bridges and other techniques to manage the interview • How to respond in an interview • What to do or say when you can’t answer the question Special to this session, participants also learned the importance of the “victim dimension” in managing a crisis, the steps the media will likely process through in their crisis coverage. The tools learned in this course can immediately be put into practice to inform audiences and enhance the organization’s reputation.