Media Training & Crisis Communications in a High-Stakes Environment

Capitol Hill is one of the most intense media environments in the world for a professional communicator.  From time to time, Congressional Press Secretaries and Communications Directors are required to work with an adversarial media in a high-stakes scenario where failure is not an option.  When confronted with a crisis, the difference between effective communications and making mistakes are what distinguishes the best communications professionals.

Friday’s DCNet Seminar will be an opportunity for Capitol Hill communications staff to learn from seasoned media professionals about the “do’s” and “don’ts” when confronted with a high-stakes situation.  This will be the same media training that has benefited Fortune 50 CEOs, candidates for the highest political offices and media professionals at all levels.

Date: September 25th, 2009 at 11am .

BACKGROUND on MEDIA TRAINER: SHEILA HERSHOW

Sheila Hershow joined Dezenhall Resources, Ltd. in 2000, bringing extraordinary experience from the almost 30 years she spent as an award-winning broadcast news producer and correspondent and newspaper reporter.

Before becoming a Executive Vice President at Dezenhall, Sheila worked as an investigative producer for ABC’s “20/20,” “PrimeTime Live,” and “World News Tonight” for 10 years, winning major awards, including the prestigious National Emmy, National Press Club, Investigative Reporters and Editors and National Headliner awards. She produced Sam Donaldson’s highly regarded series on Washington waste and served as his producer during ABC’s Election Night and Peabody Award-winning Millennium broadcasts.

Before that, she spent four years as an investigative correspondent for CNN and reported for NPR, newspapers and magazines.  Sheila covered the U.S. Department of Justice and federal courts for ABC News during the Microsoft anti-trust trial and the Whitewater and campaign finance grand juries.

Sheila also worked as a congressional investigator, spearheading an investigation into the bombing of PanAm 103, which received international praise for uncovering deadly flaws in airline security.

BACKGROUND on MEDIA TRAINER: MARTIN KRAMER

Marty joined Dezenhall Resources in April of 2002, after 17 years at CNN, most recently serving as Senior Producer for Diplomatic, Military, and National Security Affairs in the Washington Bureau.

His tenure at CNN included six years as Producer of White House coverage during both the Bush and Clinton administrations.  During that time, CNN won the American Journalism Review Award for Best Network Coverage of the White House.  Traveling to 5 continents and all 50 states, Marty also covered Presidential conventions from 1992 through 2000.  He was part of an Emmy award winning teams for his coverage of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001.

ABOUT THE FIRM: DEZENHALL RESOURCES, Ltd.

Founded in 1987, Dezenhall Resources, Ltd. is a nationally recognized high-stakes communications and crisis management firm. Dezenhall Resources, Ltd.  is typically engaged during times of intense scrutiny, risk or competition.

Today, the firm handles a diverse set of clients, ranging from issue coalitions and multi-national corporations, to entertainment figures and other prominent individuals and public officials. Over the years, Dezenhall Resources, Ltd. has advised numerous non-profit organizations, including colleges and universities, health voluntary organizations, research institutions and philanthropic groups.