Media Training Services

Media training for the clients of the Communications program of Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Ontario & Prairie Region

It is part of the core mandate of DFO’s Communications program to provide strategic media relations, including ensuring identified employees are trained to interact with the media. Training these spokespersons to effectively communicate the department’s programs and activities is a vital component of this mandate.

To train staff to become familiar and comfortable with media requirements, including how to engage media effectively and appropriately through the course of their work, particularly interviews with media representatives.

Hosting up to ten (10) media training sessions (milestones), each a minimum of half a day and maximum of a full day in length, with a maximum of ten (10) participants in each. Each of the anticipated training sessions are to be considered a separate milestone during the contract period, with payment to be provided following the successful completion of each session.

The sessions are to cover insights into the media mindset, news-gathering processes and content decision-making while providing opportunities for the participants to take part in simulated on-camera and audio-only interviews of at least five minutes in duration. Participants are to be constructively criticized on the basis of content, delivery and communication objectives achievement during these simulations.

Sessions are to be conducted virtually using an appropriate platform accessible to participants, including meeting Government of Canada security requirements, such as MS Teams. The contractor must provide a PowerPoint presentation, along with a media relations handbook, based on the course content.

DFO Communications will provide assistance in preparing interview material, be available to help during the sessions (for example, by asking interview questions or taking notes), and provide an introduction to the training that includes an overview of DFO policy regarding the spokesperson role. DFO Communications will also provide topics related to relevant departmental subjects for use in the sessions, such as emergency response, conservation and protection, species at risk, and fisheries management.