For Immediate Release
Monday, March 19, 2007

Contact:
Ed Barks
(540) 955-0600
Click here to send an e-mail.

Mini-Media Training at National Press Club
Offers Hands-on Tips for Winning Broadcast Interviews

Public relations and public affairs officers in the nation’s capital have an opportunity on April 3 to learn what it takes to succeed in the electronic media.

Barks Communications President Ed Barks will be one of the featured speakers at a symposium sponsored by the National Press Club, “Connecting Reporters and Sources: The Electronic Beat.”

Barks will lead a mini-media training workshop in the club’s new all-digital Broadcast Operations Center at 11 a.m. titled, “You Booked Your Client on TV. Now What?” The session will deliver strategic and tactical advice designed to help today’s communications professionals prepare their spokespeople for broadcast interviews. As part of the program, Barks will offer brief videotaped interview and critique sessions with volunteers from the audience.

“This is a terrific professional development opportunity for inside-the-Beltway communications pros charged with preparing their leaders to face the media,” Barks said. “Plus, it will give them hands on experience with the National Press Club’s first-class studio, housed in one of the most prestigious venues in Washington, D.C.”

The entire program takes place on Tuesday, April 3, at the National Press Club; 529 14th Street, NW; 13th Floor; Washington, D.C. Registration and networking open at 8:30 a.m., and the first panel discussion kicks off at 9 a.m. It is titled, “New Trends in Electronic Media,” and features panelists Steve Dolge, WTOP’s Internet Operations Manager, David Johnson, Chief Technology Officer of Scripps Howard News Service, and other experts. Attendees can expect to learn how they can leverage new media such as podcasting, webcasting, and streaming video to their advantage.

“Getting Your Broadcast Media Pitch in the Strike Zone” begins at 10 a.m. Panelists include Betsy Fischer, Executive Producer of NBC’s Meet the Press, and Mark Hamrick, Business Editor of Associated Press Broadcast. These media insiders will supply guidance on how communicators can successfully book their spokespeople on high profile television programs.

Barks’ session, “You Booked Your Client on TV. Now What?” takes place at 11 a.m., followed by a networking lunch in the National Press Club’s Winners Room from noon to 1 p.m.

The fee for the entire program is $16 for National Press Club members, $35 for guests and non-members. Lunch is included in the registration fee. Register at (202) 662-7501 or www.press.org. Advance registration is strongly recommended.

Ed Barks, author of The Truth About Public Speaking: The Three Keys to Great Presentations, is a trainer, author, and speaker who teaches today’s leaders how to deliver dynamic, message-packed presentations and how to work with the media. He has served as President of Barks Communications since its inception in 1997, guiding more than 2900 business leaders, government officials, non-profit leaders, physicians, athletes, association executives, entertainers, and public relations staff toward a sharper message and enhanced communications skills.