In December, the members of Class 40 participated in the Working with the Media Seminar in Spokane, Wash. The axiom, "If you don't tell your story, someone else will tell it for you," took on a whole new meaning for the Class.
As they interacted with media professionals and people who work with the media, Class members gained best practices for using mass communication to foster transparency and trust with the public. They also learned how easy it is to lose control of your story when you can't articulate your message, say "no comment," or when you are ill prepared to react in crisis.
Our future Anchor Men -
Looking good... AND without a make-up artist!
What Class Participants are Saying...
This seminar was exactly what I needed! I have been trying to figure out how to tell my story to people inside and outside agriculture.
I'm recognizing the value of having a communications strategy and being prepared to share my story.
Trust is about relationships, and we can build both through the media by being proactive and having a consistent presence. As viewers see our story over time, the authenticity of our message deepens.
During this seminar I realized our storyline is us living our values, walking our talks, and finding our turning points.
Showing emotion and vulnerability are things I have made a conscious effort to avoid. This seminar made me realize that showing people your human side can make you a more effective leader. (How can people relate to you if you intentionally avoid expressing anything about yourself?) It seems silly to have this realization at this point in my life, but this truly was a blind spot I had that was exposed thanks to this seminar.
This seminar gave me a more well-rounded view of the media, how they operate, and how I can interface with them.
I gained a much stronger appreciation of what goes into "making" the news, the constraints that the media are under and the difficulty of the job. I also now realize I need to do as much preparation as possible if I want to get my story on the air or in the paper.
I was pleasantly surprised by the caliber of people we were able to learn from and communicate with in this seminar. We were able to see a side of media that only a small group of people are privy to.
Kirsten Feifel making her debut as a news anchor
Class 40 learns how story ideas are generated and pursued for the day's news
Small world! Erin Ewald (Class 40, Taylor Shellfish) spots Emmy Award winning show host Kjerstin Bell wearing a Taylor Shellfish shirt
Class 40 takes a peak behind the scenes at the Spokesman Review
Justin Hall poses in front of a bold backdrop at KHQ
Applications for Leadership Class 41candidates due April 30, 2018.
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