Disaster Communication Class Gets Camera-Ready Through OCM Media Training

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 11, 2022) – Class was in session last Tuesday afternoon inside the University at Albany’s digital media studio, where a group of future disaster management professionals participated in an interactive experience to prepare for media interviews.

The media training session was the first offered to students by the Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM), which traditionally hosts a select group of UAlbany faculty experts for a similar training session once per semester.

Each training includes a presentation with tips and tricks that can help to confidently prepare for media interviews, along with hands-on practice from inside the digital media studio. Located in the sub-basement of the Lecture Center, the space includes equipment for live streams and satellite T.V. interviews, along with a backdrop for studio portraits and an audio booth for voiceovers and podcasts.

Last week’s training participants were a mix of seniors and graduate students from the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity (CEHC) and Rockefeller College who are part of CEHC Associate Professor Jeannette Sutton’s EMH 496/596 Communication for Safety, Security and Disasters course this semester. She invited a few additional student researchers from her Emergency and Risk Communication Message Testing Lab.

The group was interviewed by members of the OCM team in both a satellite and face-to-face interview setting, with questions focused on extreme heat events. They watched their recorded practice sessions from inside the digital media studio and received immediate feedback.

“Effective communication skills have become even more important as disasters increase in frequency and impact,” Sutton said. “The opportunity to work with UAlbany’s Office of Communications and Marketing on media training was fantastic. It gave students the hands-on practice that will serve them well should they find themselves speaking to the media on the street or briefing decision makers from a remote location.”

OCM will be hosting its next faculty expert media training session before the end of this semester. Those interested are encouraged to reach out via email.

Photos: Patrick Dodson