North Kesteven District Council
Description and aims
To create and deliver specific media training developed for individual Officer and Councillor roles and responsibilities.
About North Kesteven District Council
Since the District Council was formed it has taken account of the different types and sizes of communities it represents. It recognises that it is just one provider of services to the people of North Kesteven and to meet their needs properly, it must work in partnership with others.
How the project is being undertaken
In negotiation with North Kesteven District Council a continuing series of media sensitivity training courses have been developed and successfully implemented to specifically address the media skill gaps of councillors and council officers – focused on local TV appearances and print journalism issues.
A series of real life scenarios are developed from the council’s actual experiences and delivered by ex-television and national newspaper journalists to see how the candidates react in given situations.
The results are then fed back with the opportunity to practise again in front of the cameras in a full broadcast TV studio environment. The candidates are also ‘door-stopped’ and played out live on Siren FM, the University of Lincoln’s community radio station, ensuring that the training experience is as ‘real’ as possible.
Impacts and benefits
The organisation gains access to industry professionals, many with years of expertise interviewing councillors and officials on all manner of issues in front of the cameras. The ‘real’ environment the training takes place in gives the candidates the experience and hopefully builds confidence to overcome the fear of broadcasting.
The University gains up-to-date knowledge of the people in charge of our local councils, transfers the faculty’s academic and industry knowledge and forges links to encourage working partnership for continuing and future projects.
For more information about the project
If you would like to hear more about or see this project, please contact Kay Marriott, Business Development Manager, Media & Humanities, The University of Lincoln.
Email: kmarriott@lincoln.ac.uk
Telephone: 01522 886660