Training

The members of Waterloo’s media relations team have created a variety of training workshops available to people in the internal UWaterloo community to support them in media engagement, writing for media and connection with journalists.

Training sessions offered by the media relations team:

Interview Skills  - Faculty only

This 90-minute, interactive workshop is an introduction to media interviews.

It bis for people with some media experience, or for those who want to feel more confident about getting some media experience but yet have any interviews under their belt. Participants learn tips and tools for being a valued and engaging interview guest.

Participants will:

  • Prepare for and feel more comfortable in interviews regardless of the topic.
  • Be able to describe their work concisely.
  • Exercise more control in interviews by applying techniques to deal with tricky questions and share your main points instead.
  • Translate technical or scientific concepts into accessible messages that will promote understanding and increase relatability of research.
  • Apply the above techniques in a supportive environment through hands-on learning exercises.


Writing for News (lede writing) - Communicators

This 90-minute sessionincludes fundamentals of writing engaging press releases for mainstream media. It is intended for communicators who spend a significant amount of their time writing or editing press releases.

Participants will:

  • Learn what information to include in press releases to have a better chance of generating interest in the news.
  • Organize press releases to prioritize the information most important to journalists.
  • Translate technical concepts into accessible language.
  • Avoid common writing mistakes that slow down the approval process.  
  • Apply the above techniques in a supportive environment through hands-on learning exercises.


What is newsworthy?  - For faculty and communicators 

This session is a primer on news judgment and telling the stories that will resonate the most with journalists and the public. This interactive workshop will cover ways to find and identify news—and know when a story probably isn’t going to land coverage. It is intended for communicators who spend a significant amount of their time writing press releases and for faculty to help them understand how their research fits into the mainstream media landscape.

Participants will:

  • Discuss trends in media coverage.
  • Identify characteristics that signify high news value.
  • Learn ways to make a C story an A story when you still have to tell it.
  • Bring studies or announcements they wish to workshop.
  • Apply the above techniques in a significant amount of hands-on learning exercises.


Op-Ed Writing – For faculty and communicators

Writing a well-timed and compelling piece of commentary for a top-tier publication is an ideal way to share your expertise and analysis with the public. The by-lines of thought leaders from the University of Waterloo frequently appear on the op-ed pages of Canada’s top publications.

Participants will:

  • Learn how to craft compelling and persuasive opinion pieces. This includes structuring arguments, using evidence effectively, and writing with clarity and impact.
  • Analyze current events and issues critically, identifying key points and forming well-reasoned opinions.
  • Learn how to tailor their message to resonate with different readers.

Please contact media relations for helpful feedback on your written pieces of commentary and advice on submitting your work for publication. 

If you’re interested in any of the training sessions please contact media relations.