Speaking to the media—especially in a live, on-air situation—can be daunting for both new and seasoned municipal leaders and elected officials. Bright lights in their face, a microphone capturing every word, and a camera capturing every facial expression can make them seize up or panic.
To help elected officials increase their comfort in crisis situations and beyond, Tripepi Smith hosted its inaugural media training at the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority’s (California JPIA) Elected Officials Summit in Huntington Beach. Tailored for elected officials with more than three years of service, the Summit welcomed 24 participants from Lemon Grove to Buellton for hands-on learning.
“The Elected Officials Summit offers a forum to learn and share insight about effective and ethical leadership,” said California JPIA Senior Training Specialist Ryan Thomas. “Media training for elected officials is important to risk management because it equips them with the skills to maintain public trust, deliver consistent messaging, navigate tough questions, perform damage control, and ensure personal safety.”
Tripepi Smith team members led hands-on exercises to simulate a press conference and one-on-one media interviews, sharing lessons that could apply to any public speaking scenario. The curriculum included message mapping and lessons on how to deliver messages clearly and advocate for agencies. Participants received recordings of their interviews so they could self-evaluate afterward.
The training was led by Principal Katherine Griffiths and Director Cameron Grimm, with assistance from Senior Business Analyst Kaetlyn Hernandez, Business Analyst Cailyn Thompson and Junior Business Analyst Kendall Lowery. Videographers Josh Hernandez, Ethan de la Pena and Christina Haverilla captured footage of the press conference and interview set-ups.
“Understanding media training and projecting confidence on camera are essential skills in today’s public arena,” said Tripepi Smith Director Cameron Grimm. “The Elected Officials Summit presented a valuable opportunity for us to engage with public officials and we extend our thanks to the California JPIA for inviting us to share insights that were beneficial to their members.”
If you are interested in hosting a TS media training session for your company, please visit TripepiSmith.com/Services/Communications-Training.
About the California JPIA
Providing innovative risk management solutions for its public agency partners for more than 45 years, the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA) is one of the largest municipal self-insurance pools in the state, with more than 125 member cities and other governmental agencies. Members actively participate in shaping the organization to provide important coverage for their operations. The California JPIA provides innovative risk management solutions through a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services, including liability, workers’ compensation, pollution, property, and earthquake coverage, as well as extensive training and loss control services. For more information, please visit the California JPIA’s website at cjpia.org.
About Tripepi Smith
Tripepi Smith is a California-based marketing, technology and public affairs firm that serves for-profit, nonprofit and public agencies. Its unique mix of marketing and technology prowess provides a competitive advantage to agencies seeking to leverage the internet to achieve their communication goals. The firm provides full content creation services, including: ghost writing, collateral development, photography, video production, aerial imagery, search engine optimization, email marketing campaigns and website design and execution. Tripepi Smith clients include: City of American Canyon, City of Culver City, City of Cupertino, City of Daly City, City of Duarte, City of Grover Beach, City of Santa Paula, City of Indian Wells, City of La Cañada Flintridge, City of Lake Forest, City of Livermore, City of Napa, City of Paramount, City of Tracy, CalChoice Energy Authority, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Costa Mesa Sanitary District, Rowland Water District, California City Management Foundation, Renne Public Law Group, West Coast Arborists, Scripps College, Blind Children’s Learning Center and Climatec.