Even the most carefully crafted initiative faces a fundamental challenge: People tend to resist change. Those who benefit from the current system often push back the hardest, making the success of your initiative depend less on its content and more on your ability to build strategic support through effective communication. Media engagements are high stakes, requiring you to anticipate and address potential opposition. This course will help you strengthen your initiative by identifying challenges and preparing for media responses, including negative ones.
In this course, you will analyze stakeholder interests and motivations to uncover opposing perspectives and craft strategies to transform potential opponents into allies. Building on this foundation, you'll create a powerful network of validators who will strengthen your initiative in the media in four ways: Establish your credibility, refine messages for specific audiences, share powerful personal stories of impact, and create media interest through unexpected allies. Finally, you will weave your validators' stories into your media content to create a compelling narrative that addresses opposition and drives support.
You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:
- Strategic Media Relations for Public Leaders
- Persuasive Writing for Public Impact
- Persuasive Speaking for Media
