Media Training vs. Public Speaking Coaching: What's the Difference?
- John Huck
- Jun 24
- 6 min read
Media training vs public speaking sounds like a small difference, but it’s not. Speaking to a crowd is like riding a bike with training wheels. You’ve got support. You’ve got control. Most of the time, you know where you’re headed.
Speaking to the media is like riding as the wheels come off if you're not prepared. It’s faster. Riskier. And if you don’t know how to steer through it, you’ll wipe out. I’ve seen it firsthand: CEOs who crush keynotes and town halls but freeze during a two-minute live shot or spiral during a hostile Q&A. The spotlight changes. The pressure changes. So should your prep.
In this piece, I’ll walk you through what separates media training from public speaking, why that difference matters more now than ever, and how to decide what kind of training is right for you or your team when you work with Huck Communications.
What Is Public Speaking Training?
Public speaking is the skill of delivering a message to a live audience in a setting you usually control. That could be a keynote, a company-wide meeting, a pitch, or a panel. You set the tone. You choose the words. You decide what story gets told and how it unfolds.
It’s part performance, part persuasion. A strong public speaker keeps people engaged, makes complex ideas feel simple, and ends with a clear takeaway. And when it’s done well, it looks easy, even though it rarely is. In fact, it's still one of the things that people fear most, behind spiders and heights.
Public speaking is important for any leader. It builds credibility and confidence while helping others connect to your mission or message. But here’s the thing. Public speaking is built for structure. It runs on your timing and your terms.
That changes the second a microphone is in your face and you’re not the one calling the shots. That’s where media training comes in.
What Is Media Training?
Media training is the skill set you need when you're not in control of the conversation. It prepares you for interviews, press conferences, live shots, podcasts, and any situation where a journalist, host, or camera crew is steering the interaction.
Unlike public speaking, you don’t get a script. You don’t get a do-over. The questions may be tough, vague, or off-topic. The goal isn't to perform. It's to stay calm, clear, and on message no matter what comes at you.
Media training teaches you how to deliver soundbites that stick, how to redirect when needed, and how to communicate under pressure without sounding robotic. It’s part preparation, part damage control, and part reputation insurance.
If public speaking helps you lead the room, media training helps you survive the spotlight. Both matter, but they require very different muscles.
The Nuances of Media Training
There’s a layer of awareness that comes with media training that doesn’t usually show up in a typical public speaking setting.
Here are just a few of the things media training helps you handle that don’t usually apply to public speaking:
Always assume your mic is live. Whether the interview has officially started or not, never say anything near a camera or microphone that you wouldn’t want aired or quoted. Hot mics have ended careers.
Skip the casual small talk. If you tend to overshare or vent without a filter, don’t engage in pre-interview chatter. It might feel harmless, but if a reporter’s in the room, nothing is truly off the record unless it’s made clear up front.
Know what “On the Record,” “Off the Record,” and “On Background” actually mean.
On the Record: Anything you say can be published and attributed to you.
Off the Record: The journalist agrees not to report the information, but only if both parties confirm that agreement ahead of time.
On Background: Information can be used, but not directly attributed to you by name.
Avoid answering on impulse. A short pause is better than saying something you’ll need to walk back. A little silence buys you time. It also keeps you in control.
Public Speaking vs. Media Training: Which Is Right for You?
A lot of smart, experienced people assume that if they’re good at public speaking, they’ll be fine in a media interview. Or if they’ve done press before, they can easily give a keynote. That’s where things fall apart.
These are two very different skill sets. Public speaking is about delivery. You control the setup, the story, and the energy in the room. Media training is about adaptability. You don’t control the questions, the format, or what part of your answer gets pulled and posted online.
Without the right prep, leaders end up rambling, sounding defensive, dodging tough questions, or saying too little out of fear they’ll say the wrong thing. That’s how you lose the room, or worse, lose the message.
One of the clearest examples of this happened at CES in 2014. Famed Director Michael Bay froze when the teleprompter failed. Here’s a guy who handles multimillion-dollar movie sets, but in that moment, without a script, he couldn’t even riff a conversation. He wasn’t media trained, and the clip spread online before the event was even over.
The smartest leaders know where their strengths are and where they need backup. They don’t guess. They get training that fits the job they’re walking into.
Who Should Get Public Speaking or Media Training?
If you speak on behalf of a company, a campaign, or a cause, chances are you need both. But here’s how to figure out what kind of support to prioritize.
You need public speaking training if you’re leading meetings, giving keynotes, pitching to investors, or presenting at conferences. This kind of coaching focuses on structure, delivery, pacing, and how to hold attention in a room. It helps you connect with people and make your message land the way you intended.
You need media training if you're giving interviews, answering tough questions, responding to crisis situations, or representing your brand in the news. This is about staying focused under pressure, speaking clearly in unpredictable settings, and avoiding the kind of slip that turns into a headline.
If you’re a founder, executive, spokesperson, or public-facing leader, don’t leave this stuff to chance. Prepare for the platform you’re stepping into.
What to Expect Working with John Huck for Public Speaking or Media Training?
When you work with me, you’re not getting a recycled playbook or a one-size-fits-all coaching session. You’re getting real-world experience from someone who’s worked both sides of the mic.
I’ve anchored breaking news, interviewed people under pressure, and trained leaders who needed to get their message right the first time. Whether we’re prepping for a keynote or a media appearance, the process is practical, fast-moving, and built around your real-life scenarios.
We’ll figure out what platform you’re walking into and reverse-engineer what success looks like. We’ll work on clarity, delivery, and body language. We’ll run mock interviews or stage rehearsals. And we’ll troubleshoot the habits that might be holding you back, from over-explaining to freezing when the unexpected happens.
I can work one-on-one with your company leaders, focus on group training to get better communication systems in place, or even help prep your marketing and public relations team for what the next reporter or journalist will be hoping to get out of them.
My services don't involve just preaching to a room about best practices. We work on real-world scenarios in front of the camera and review the work together. Your strengths, areas for improvement, and "tells" will be known quickly.
How Does Crisis Communications Play Into Media Training and Public Speaking Training?
Crisis communication is where everything comes together. It’s the moment when leadership, messaging, and delivery are under a microscope and the pressure is on. Whether you’re addressing a mistake, a public incident, or just trying to calm the noise, how you speak matters as much as what you say.
Media training becomes essential here. You need to know how to stay on message without sounding evasive, how to handle loaded questions, and how to control the narrative even when you’re not controlling the format. You don’t get to ramble, react, or over-explain. Every word counts.
Public speaking training also plays a role. When you’re in front of employees, stakeholders, or a concerned audience, your presence has to project calm and confidence. You’ll need to lead the room, even when people are unsure or upset.
I can also work with your leadership team to avoid the guessing game before the worst-case scenario. Having a crisis communication strategy ahead of public relations issues, safety incidents, or disasters.
If you'd like to learn more about working together, contact me for a no-obligation meeting to discuss the best path forward.
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