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How AI can be a helpful follow-up tool after a Media Training session

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:39:16 GMT

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly useful tool in professional communications, including media training. While AI cannot replace traditional media training led by experienced professionals, it can serve as a valuable resource for follow-up practice after formal training sessions.

Traditional media training helps spokespeople learn essential skills such as delivering clear messages, staying on topic during interviews, and handling difficult questions from journalists. Trainers often simulate real interview scenarios and provide feedback on tone, body language, and message clarity. These sessions are important because they prepare individuals for the pressure and unpredictability of real media interactions.

After completing media training, AI tools can help individuals continue practicing these skills. For example, AI can simulate interview questions that a journalist might ask about a company, product launch, or industry issue. This allows spokespeople to practice answering questions out loud and refining their responses. AI can also generate unexpected follow-up questions, helping users strengthen their ability to think quickly and stay focused on key messages.

In addition, AI can assist with reviewing and improving responses. Users can type or summarize their answers and receive suggestions on how to make them clearer, more concise, or more engaging. This kind of practice can reinforce the techniques learned during professional media training sessions.

However, AI does have limitations. It cannot fully replicate the pressure of a live interview, interpret body language, or provide the nuanced feedback that an experienced media trainer can offer. Human trainers bring industry experience and real-world insight that AI cannot replace.

Ultimately, AI works best as a complementary tool. When used alongside traditional media training, it can help spokespeople maintain their skills, practice regularly, and build greater confidence in media interviews.

Using AI to help you practice thinking on your feet

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:37:44 GMT

It can’t replace real-time human thinking, but it can serve as a practice partner and preparation tool to help prepare for real conversations.

Here are several ways AI can help:

⭐1. Practice with Simulated Conversations
AI can simulate conversations, interviews, or debates. By practicing with AI, you can get used to responding to unexpected questions or ideas.

For example, you could ask AI to act as:
��A job interviewer
��A customer with a complaint
��A debate opponent

This kind of practice forces you to form responses quickly, which helps build confidence in real-life conversations.

⭐2. Generating Practice Questions
AI can generate challenging or unpredictable questions about a topic. Practicing answering these questions out loud helps train your brain to organize thoughts quickly.

For instance, if you are preparing for a presentation, AI could create possible audience questions so you can practice responding clearly and calmly.

⭐3. Improving Idea Organization
AI can help you learn how to structure answers quickly. It can suggest simple frameworks for responding in conversation. Practicing with these structures can make it easier to respond quickly in discussions.

⭐4. Building Topic Knowledge
Thinking on your feet becomes easier when you understand a topic well. AI can help you quickly learn background information, explanations, or different viewpoints, giving you more ideas to draw from during conversations. (Just make sure it's accurate!)

‼️Helpful, but with limits
Where AI is limited as a practice tool for verbal communication is its inability to provide feedback and coaching on your performance to help you improve even further. Verbal communication, whether its in an interview, meeting, or one-on-one interaction involves so much more than just the words you say – how you say things is often just as important as what you say. This is why it’s important to have a trusted human partner who can provide coaching and guidance to help you become the best verbal communicator you can be.

Artificial Intelligence can help with your communications, but verbal skills still need to be prioritized.

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:35:47 GMT

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how we communicate, especially in writing. Tools powered by AI can help people draft emails, summarize long documents, correct grammar, and adjust tone for different audiences. These technologies make written communication faster, clearer, and more accessible. For students, professionals, and organizations, AI can save time and reduce the stress of writing by offering suggestions and helping structure ideas effectively.

One of the biggest advantages of AI in written communication is clarity. AI tools can review a message and suggest ways to make it more concise and professional. They can also help people who struggle with grammar or language barriers express their ideas more accurately. In workplaces where communication happens through emails, reports, and messaging platforms, AI can improve efficiency by helping people quickly create well-organized and understandable messages.

However, while AI is a powerful tool for written communication, it cannot replace the importance of strong verbal communication skills.

Speaking clearly, presenting ideas in front of an audience, and responding to questions in real time are abilities that require practice and confidence. Skills like thinking on your feet, explaining ideas verbally, and engaging with others in conversation are still essential in many areas of life, including meetings, interviews, and public presentations.

Verbal communication also allows people to convey emotion, build relationships, and show authenticity in ways that written communication often cannot. A strong speaker can adapt their message based on audience reactions and respond instantly to new ideas or challenges.

As AI continues to improve written communication, it is important for people to remember that communication is not only about writing. Developing strong speaking and presentation skills remains just as valuable.

The most effective communicators will be those who use AI as a tool to enhance their writing while continuing to build their confidence and ability to communicate verbally.

An underrated public speaking skill

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:13:04 GMT

Thinking out loud without rambling requires frameworks, judgement and control

One of the biggest media and public speaking risks isn’t just saying the wrong thing, it’s thinking out loud in public without structure. Pressure can destroy clarity.

Good media and communications training doesn’t just focus on messaging and polished presentation – it also dives into mental frameworks for good communication that can easily be used under pressure.

Leaders don’t ramble because they lack confidence. They ramble because they’re thinking in public without structure. Training provides that structure as well as techniques and guardrails to ensure success.

It’s about simple mental frameworks leaders can use under pressure — clear shapes for spontaneous answers, not scripts. When leaders know how to land the point first and then expand, they stay in control of both the message and the moment.

Rambling usually isn’t about content. It’s drift: over-explaining, self-correcting, filling silence. That’s why playback and reflection matter – leaders need to hear and see it to fix it.

Strong training normalizes pauses and pacing. Silence signals judgment, and a good pace signals control. Before any high-stakes conversation, leaders also need clear boundaries around what they will – and won’t – answer, and how to lead the conversation in the direction they want it to go.

The result isn’t just polish – It’s clarity under pressure.

“Authenticity” does not mean “oversharing”

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:56:19 GMT

Leaders and spokespeople are often given the advice to be “authentic”, but what does that actually mean?

Without guidance, some leaders mistake authenticity for oversharing: saying too much, speculating under pressure, or explaining themselves into trouble. That doesn’t build trust—it weakens it. Coached authenticity looks different.

It helps leaders:
��Communicate honestly without disclosing what shouldn’t be shared
��Show humanity while maintaining authority
��Express uncertainty without creating risk
��Align tone, message, and responsibility in public moments

Authenticity in communication is a skill, and like any skill, it needs coaching. This matters because employees, customers, and the media don’t judge companies by intent – they judge them by how leaders communicate under scrutiny.

When leaders aren’t coached, authenticity becomes inconsistent, risky, and reactive. When they are, it becomes a reliable trust signal. That’s why organizations that care about reputation, culture, and credibility invest in coaching leaders not just to speak – but to communicate authentically, with great structure and good judgment.

Media Training: Comms skill or leadership skill?

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:27:12 GMT

Why media training is more than just a comms skill for your team – it’s a leadership skill

If you lead people, you’re already a “media figure” – whether you like it or not. Internal communications, huddles, town halls, and professional social media content all tie back to the foundations of media training.

Knowing your key message, ensuring it gets heard, and leading the conversation rather than waiting for certain questions to be asked are transferrable to any communications opportunity.

Media training is often treated as a niche capability – something you give to key leaders & spokespeople. That thinking is outdated.

In 2026, every leader is a public communicator – whether they’re doing a media interview, a client meeting, an investor call, a team meeting, or internal town hall. These communication opportunities don’t just test messaging, they test judgment, clarity, and leadership under pressure.

The best leaders aren’t better because they sound polished, they’re better because:

They think clearly while being challenged
They make decisions in public without over-explaining
They hold a line without becoming defensive
They stay human while protecting trust and reputation

When leaders struggle to communicate, it’s rarely because they don’t know the facts. It’s because pressure can compromise thinking – and untrained leaders default to rambling, rigidity, or retreat.

Good media & communications training doesn’t teach leaders what to say. It teaches them how to think when it matters most. That’s why organisations doing this well don’t reserve this training for crisis moments or senior spokespeople, they build it into leadership development.

Because the way leaders communicate under scrutiny tells people everything about how they lead – especially when things get hard.

Positioning your team for a world of declining trust

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:12:22 GMT

Canadians are concerned about online misinformation & the ways your organization can navigate

A recent study from Statistics Canada found that only 47% of Canadians report high levels of trust in the media. The study uses data from the Survey Series on People and their Communities, and was released this summer.

Other key findings from the report include:

6 in 10 Canadians are highly or extremely concerned about the presence of misinformation online, and those individuals are much more likely (69%) to fact-check their news from more than one source.
People who are more concerned about online misinformation are less likely to have confidence in different institutions like police, courts, school systems, parliament, banks, and major corporations.

So what does this mean for your organization as you work to advance your goals?

Strong, clear, and concise communication is key – Do not let your key message get watered down or miss the mark.

Call it out fast – If you’re on the receiving end of misinformation – say so, clearly and quickly. “It’ll blow over” isn’t a plan, and misinformation will linger if not dealt with.

Make your key message easily accessible – Not only on your website and social media but also ensure your leaders and team members are on point in media interviews and everyday conversations.

A bright spot in the report is that 69% of people who are concerned about misinformation are attempting to fact-check their news from more than one source. These Canadians are thinking critically about the information they are consuming and are being cautious about being fed false narratives. As an organization, there’s an opportunity for you to make their lives easier by clearly & quickly communicating whenever misinformation comes into play.

Three red flags that key messages are weak

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:08:12 GMT

Facts and evidence build solid foundations

Keep an eye out for these three things to see how well a key message will hold up under pressure and pushback:

Someone is relying too much on catchy slogans – They might sound good, but if the other side of the debate can quickly poke holes in them by asking a couple of simple & relevant questions to really drill down on the facts, then there’s a problem.

Someone is using anecdotes as solid proof rather than evidence-based statistics – If the other side can counter one-off examples with more broad-based evidence, facts and research, then a key message is on shaky ground.

Reacting emotionally rather than responding thoughtfully – It’s ok to display emotion and empathy, but when that’s the basis of an answer without being supported by facts and context, it loses strength.

It’s always a good idea to stress test your key messages – sometimes with an independent 3 ^rd party who brings an outside perspective.

Lead the interview: Don't miss the opportunity

Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:05:30 GMT

One big thing often missed in planning for an interview and why it’s important to train for it

What do you do when a reporter has broad questions (not specific ones) or doesn’t really know the topic? How do you make the most of the situation?

This is more common than you would expect. Journalists today are juggling multiple responsibilities, stories, and technologies, and the number of traditional “beat” reporters who really know their files has been shrinking for years. Some of them simply don’t have time to do the research you’d expect before the interview.

I often find clients spend so much time preparing for hard questions and curve balls, that when a soft ball or open question is thrown their way, the interviewee becomes stumped because there’s nothing to directly respond to.

This is why it’s so important in media training to work with the client on techniques for leading the interview. It’s a peer-to-peer conversation, and you’re there to answer questions, but it’s also important to learn how to lead the conversation in the direction you want it to go and make sure your key message gets delivered – whether the journalist asks about it or not. It’s a skill that takes confidence and practice!

The five audience motivators | Michael Melling | StratOak

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 13:51:08 GMT

How a great concept used by journalists to tell compelling stories can apply to your storytelling too

The Poynter Institute in Florida is one of the world’s best training and development centers for journalists. One of its oustanding faculty members, Al Tompkins, created the concept of the "five motivators" for engaging audiences with stories. So, what motivates an audience to engage?

Money
Family
Health
Community
Safety

Storytellers are encouraged to tie their content back to one of the motivators as a way to drive audience interest. For example, if you’re launching a new product, highlight the money it saves a customer and the time it frees them to spend on other things like their family. This is also a good way to look at key messages – why would the audience care?

How solid is your key message plan?

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 13:45:48 GMT

3 reasons why an outside expert helps add clarity:

1. You’re too close to it – You know all the details and context which makes it hard to distill complexity into clarity.

2. It’s tough to cut through the noise – Different stakeholders with their unique agendas, politics and goals can make it hard to nail down a clear and concise message.

3. You’re not putting the audience first – What’s important to you doesn’t matter to the person receiving your message, or your audience might come with its own perspective which you’re not giving enough weight.

A good key message is one that is clear, sharp, and short. It gets your point across and doesn’t leave any doubt.

Why do Media Training now?

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:16:16 GMT

5 reasons why your organization can’t afford to put off media and key message training

1. It’s like insurance – You never know when you’re going to need it.

2. Media opportunities (good and bad) can pop up anytime, and they’re usually urgent .

3. Digital and social media is fast and permanent – as the saying goes: "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

4. Narratives often are “the news”, whether they’re true or not . They can easily spin out of control – and quickly. You need to proactively own your message.

5. You need to maximise the moment. When the chance comes, you need to communicate with success.

Reach out if you’d like to discuss media and key message training. With 20 years in news and executive-level business leadership, Michael Melling brings unmatched experience to help clients navigate the modern media and solidify their confidence handling any communications opportunity.

Politicians pushing back

Thu, 08 May 2025 12:43:19 GMT

“I’m sorry, but you can’t believe everything you read in the Globe and Mail.” – PM Mark Carney

We’re now used to watching U.S. President Donald Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt get into verbal sparring matches with members of the media, but she’s not alone. The recent Canadian election campaign highlighted how politicians of different political stripes are also pushing back and standing up to reporting they think is offside, or questions they think are unfair.

Prime Minister Mark Carney went on the offensive against a Globe and Mail article alleging he met with a “pro-Beijing” group by responding at a news conference that “I’m sorry, but you can’t believe everything you read in the Globe and Mail.” He firmly provided his position and context, as well as stood behind one of his candidates who was also linked to the topic. He also told a Globe reporter to “check your sources before you write things like that.”

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre already had a long-standing reputation for his style of engaging with reporters, including the famous apple eating example. But, Carney has shown more than once that he too has no fear in pushing back. In another example, a reporter tried to nail down a yes/no answer from him by saying “I’ll take that as a no then?” With Carney responding, “No, you’ll take that as a very comprehensive answer to your question.” (scroll to the end of the linked video)

�� The Takeaway

In media training we discuss how interviewees must clearly and firmly respond to things they disagree with or are not true – this includes any unchecked assertions or assumptions. This is particularly important in today’s environment where false narratives can take hold and situations can quicky get out of control.

At the same time, you’ve got to keep your cool and always take the high road. While digs and jabs might feel good and help you feel like you’re getting your point across, you need to be aware that three things might happen – the dig won’t make it to air, if it does there’s a risk you’ll look unfavourable, or it might tick off a sensitive reporter or publication that you have to deal with down the road.

Go Local!

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 15:45:16 GMT

Focus where trust is high

Media bias and trust is a hot topic, but the Poynter Institute finds: “Distrust of media tends to refer to the polarized environment of the national discourse. Large segments of communities do trust their local news media.”

If you’re not familiar with Poynter, it’s a well-regarded U.S. non-profit institute focused on fact-checking, media literacy & training.

It bases its findings on research by Pew Research Centre that found 85% of Americans say, “local news outlets are at least somewhat important to the well-being of their local community” with 71% saying local journalists are reporting the news accurately.

Further, most Republican and Democrat voters both believe that “local journalists are in touch with their community.”

The high degree of trust in local media stands out when you look at overall total media trust numbers (local + national news) from Statista (February 2024) that show that only 39% of Canadians, 32% of Americans, and 36% of Brits “trust news media most of the time”.

�� The takeaway: While this research is U.S.-based, there are insights for Canadian communicators. Keep local top of mind for your outreach & networking strategies. While there are an increasing number of news deserts across local markets and local resources are thin, these sources are still massively popular and trusted by audiences. Their real problem is revenue & business sustainability, not trust.

Sources:

https://www.poynter.org/onpoynt-report/?utm_source=stratoak-newsletter-398c02.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=no-questions-please-go-local-crystal-ball&_bhlid=e50864748ebb6be368a472f7b5c8ce4f97bd7c1b#onpoynt-trust
https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2024/05/07/americans-changing-relationship-with-local-news/?utm_source=stratoak-newsletter-398c02.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=no-questions-please-go-local-crystal-ball&_bhlid=8423d21e14b14e4bd68ba000aad47eeece1a9cc3
https://www.statista.com/statistics/308468/importance-brand-journalist-creating-trust-news/?utm_source=stratoak-newsletter-398c02.beehiiv.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=no-questions-please-go-local-crystal-ball&_bhlid=ffc2392fb94361d0287b417a9a82910ffe1b67e7

No questions please!

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 15:32:29 GMT

Shouting reporters push back at Pearson plane presser

If you caught the end of last Monday night’s news conference at Pearson Airport following the Delta plane crash, you might have caught the shouting reporters at the end of it. After officials wrapped their statements and told reporters when and where to expect updates, they politely thanked the media and left the microphone – without taking questions. Reporters were not happy and let it be known! Officials not taking questions became a short, fleeting storyline for some news outlets.

I have no idea whether no questions was a deliberate decision or strategy in this case, and questions were taken at other airport news conferences, but I’m of two minds on what I saw at Monday night’s presser:

As someone who spent two decades in news, I understand the reporters’ frustration. This is a major story and there are a lot of questions that need to be answered. Q&A’s at news conferences are common, traditionally expected, and are about openness and accountability. There’s often not a lot that an official can say in the early stages of such a major incident, but they’re usually trained in how to respond to questions they can’t answer while avoiding speculation.

On the other hand, the media world has changed, and communications experts know that. Engaging in a Q&A adds an element of risk that most organizations would prefer to avoid. Organizations know they can distribute a controlled message directly to audiences through different platforms, and most traditional news organizations will also still pick up those messages word-for-word. While the reporters in the room were not happy, the general public is likely not putting much thought into the issue of reporters not getting to ask their questions.

�� The takeaway: So, should you take questions or not in a presser where you worry about risk and speculation? Mitigating risk is always a goal, and just because something’s traditionally been done a certain way — like taking questions — doesn’t mean it needs to continue. But, when doing media training, I encourage clients to always take the high road and consider the long-term relationship with journalists. Avoiding questions isn’t going to help. As the media landscape further fragments and the relative importance of old vs new media shifts, organizations need to ask themselves how much those relationships still matter, especially when they’ve got other options for getting their message out.

All that said, journalists also need to realise they’re just one way for organizations to get their message out (unlike 15-20 years ago), and they too need to think about relationships with the people they cover. Shouting at them likely isn’t all that helpful.

Local news, followed by health news tops the interests of Canadians

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 19:29:49 GMT

Canadian Medical Assocation study shows Gen-Z's top source of news is social media, but that doesn't mean they trust it

A couple of interesting takeaways on information and trust from a recent study done by the Canadian Medical Association and Abacus data:

The most interesting news topic for Canadians is local news, followed by health news.
The 2nd most dominant source of news for Canadians is social media. It’s the top source for Gen-Z.
Despite the popularity of social media, it’s the least trusted source of accurate health news and info.
55% of Canadians say they have encountered health information or news that they later found was misleading.
72% of Canadians think health related misinformation is here to stay or getting worse.
The most trusted source of accurate health info, not surprisingly, is getting it directly from physicians, pharmacists, and nurses.

The conclusion of the report is that “with the rise in mis- and disinformation, especially on social media, physicians and the medical community have an opportunity to provide Canadians with credible news about their health system.”

Seems like something that could apply to experts in other fields too.

Source: https://www.cma.ca/latest-stories/fighting-health-misinformation-survey-shows-medical-professionals-among-most-trusted-news-sources

Is there a different way to drive team engagement?

Wed, 29 May 2024 19:00:54 GMT

A recent report from Gallup found that only 21% of Canadian employees consider themselves engaged at work. 66% say they’re not engaged, and 13% say they’re actively disengaged.

The numbers might seem grim, but they’re actually only slightly below the global average.

We’ve all heard how higher engagement leads to better retention, higher productivity, lower absenteeism, and higher wellbeing, but as anyone who has led a large team knows, increasing engagement scores is a really hard thing to do.

Often direct managers score pretty well with employees for their direct leadership, but the disconnect in engagement is found at the broader company level.

Is there a better way for the broader organization to engage the team and build trust with senior leadership?

A couple of things to consider:
�� How are we currently communicating? Is most of it in written form? How is that working for us?
�� Is there an opportunity to explore other ways to communicate to make our senior leaders seem more “real”? With video and audio, you’re looking into their eyes and hearing their voices creating a connection that’s harder to do in print.
�� If we were to explore other ways to communicate, how could we tell our stories in a different way that would build trust and motivate engagement? Is there a less formal, more natural way we could communicate?

Often organizations tell their external stories through compelling video and audio – the opposite of an internal email to staff or a scripted townhall. Perhaps it’s time to try approaching internal stakeholders in a similar way as external ones?

With the importance of engagement, the scores being so low, and the challenges of getting the needle to move, it might just be worth a shot.

Things to consider in telling your story

Tue, 21 May 2024 15:11:33 GMT

It’s no secret that the way people get their news & information has changed drastically over the last few years.

By 2026, half of Canadians won’t have TV subscriptions according to a report done this year by Convergence Research. The 2023 Reuters Digital News Report found that only 11% of Canadians pay for online news, and only 37% of English Canadians trust most news, which is down by a third in 7 years.

As patterns continue to shift, individuals and organizations with a story to tell need to start going directly to audiences to get their point across. They need to tell their own stories, or they won’t be heard.

There are a couple of things to consider when looking at how best to do this:

What’s the best format to connect with people and build trust? There’s a lot to be said for the speed and simplicity of written content, but video and audio can lead to super rich storytelling. Pictures and sound can do amazing things.
How do you tell your story like “a story”? There’s a big difference between distributing information and telling an actual story that motivates and engages your audience.
How can you distribute your stories to get to your stakeholders? Social media, your website, emails, the options are many.
What systems and infrastructure are you putting into place? Execution is everything. It’s vital to determine the optimal way for your organization to deliver in a fast, and cost-effective way with the right technology and solutions.
What skills do you need, and where can you get them? Can your internal team learn how to do this, and if so, who can train them? Does it make sense to get some components from an external team?

Taking control of telling your own story is exciting. You can ensure it’s delivered with context and with care. If done right, your storytelling strategy will fit perfectly with your overall organizational strategy getting your message across, building connections with your team, and trust with your stakeholders.

Why should anyone care?

Tue, 14 May 2024 13:57:02 GMT

Thoughts on what interests an audience

Why should anyone care?

It’s a question that should be at the top of the list for any organization trying to get its point or story across.

In my two decades in news, one of the most powerful concepts I ever learned was taught to me by a gentleman named Al Tompkins at The Poynter Institute. The concept involves tying your story to a “motivator” for engaging an audience with your story. What will “motivate” someone to care?

The five great motivators are:

Money
Family
Safety
Health
Community

For example, if you’re trying to get a message out about a regulatory change, you need to frame the story so the average audience member can understand the issue through one of the motivators above, and what it would mean to them.

It sounds like a simple concept, but it can actually be a pretty tough thing to do consistently. Under the pressure of deadlines, workloads, and heaps of conflicting information, I’d often see folks struggle to attach a clear motivator to a story, or simply overlook it, as they aimed to deliver their work on time. I suspect it’s a common challenge for anyone trying to communicate a message or tell a story.

One of the best ways of overcoming the challenge was taking a pause and coming up with a simple focus phrase for each story centred around “who did what”. For example, “a patient’s relief at getting a family doctor”, “investors lose after business fails”, or “neighbours fear coyotes”. The phrase focused on putting the audience in a situation they could relate to, and therefore care about.

There was one other motivator that Mr. Tompkins mentioned, but was usually best avoided – Innate Curiosity. This was usually the motivator that would get used when someone was struggling to attach their story to one of the initial five motivators. You’d often hear “but it’s just really interesting!” or “this is really important!” as the reason for wanting to use innate curiosity as a motivator and do a particular story. But what’s “really interesting” or “really important” to one person is often of no interest or importance to another person. The solution was always to go back to the drawing board and find a way to attach the “interesting” or “important” story to one of the original five motivators to ensure it resonated.

Welcome to the new StratOak.com!

Thu, 02 May 2024 15:58:42 GMT

Welcome to the new StratOak.com!

The last couple of months have been very busy. Lots of conversations and coffees with great and talented people getting their perspectives on the communications industry, where the opportunities are going forward, and how StratOak can best serve its clients. Thanks to everyone I spoke with for their willingness to connect, share, and support. Your generosity has been incredible!

This site lays out the key areas of focus for StratOak:

· Strategic Communications

· Media and Presentation Training

· Your News Direct -- In-House Newsrooms

My goal at StratOak is to put my experience to work for you. Twenty years of experience as a reporter, producer, and executive running some of the most successful Canadian newsrooms through a huge period of industry change has taught me a lot, and I’m here to help.

Take a look around, and let me know what you think!

Michael

mmelling@stratoak.com

57f56654

How AI can be a helpful follow-up tool after a Media Training session

Using AI to help you practice thinking on your feet

Artificial Intelligence can help with your communications, but verbal skills still need to be prioritized.

An underrated public speaking skill

Thinking out loud without rambling requires frameworks, judgement and control

“Authenticity” does not mean “oversharing”

Leaders and spokespeople are often given the advice to be “authentic”, but what does that actually mean? ﻿

Media Training: Comms skill or leadership skill?

Why media training is more than just a comms skill for your team – it’s a leadership skill

Positioning your team for a world of declining trust

Canadians are concerned about online misinformation & the ways your organization can navigate

Three red flags that key messages are weak

Facts and evidence build solid foundations

Lead the interview: Don't miss the opportunity

One big thing often missed in planning for an interview and why it’s important to train for it

The five audience motivators | Michael Melling | StratOak

How a great concept used by journalists to tell compelling stories can apply to your storytelling too

How solid is your key message plan?

3 reasons why an outside expert helps add clarity: ﻿

Why do Media Training now?

5 reasons why your organization can’t afford to put off media and key message training

Politicians pushing back

“I’m sorry, but you can’t believe everything you read in the Globe and Mail.” – PM Mark Carney

Go Local!

Focus where trust is high ﻿

No questions please!

Shouting reporters push back at Pearson plane presser

Local news, followed by health news tops the interests of Canadians

Canadian Medical Assocation study shows Gen-Z's top source of news is social media, but that doesn't mean they trust it

Is there a different way to drive team engagement?

Things to consider in telling your story

Why should anyone care?

Thoughts on what interests an audience

Welcome to the new StratOak.com!

Leaders and spokespeople are often given the advice to be “authentic”, but what does that actually mean?

3 reasons why an outside expert helps add clarity:

Focus where trust is high