Media Training for Survivors and Grieving Families.

Standard media training assumes a spokesperson: someone comfortable in front of a camera, unbothered by hostile questions, able to stay on message under pressure. Almost none of that applies to a survivor or a grieving family member sitting for their first interview.

The goal isn’t composure for its own sake — it’s making sure a client isn’t re-traumatized by the process of telling their own story, and isn’t caught off guard by a question that assumes a level of legal or media fluency they don’t have. That means walking through, in plain terms, what a reporter might ask, what they don’t have to answer (as counsel advises), and that it’s fine to say “I need a moment” on camera. A pause reads as human, not as weak.

Consent runs through every step

No client sits for an interview without knowing exactly what’s being asked of them and why, and without the ability to say no at any point, including mid-interview. This isn’t a legal requirement layered on top of the work. It is the method. A traumatized person telling their story on their own terms is often more credible on camera than a perfectly coached one.