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Are you crisis ready?

Are you confident your organisation could cope if a bad news story went viral and you were besieged by the media? 

When a critical situation breaks, how you communicate can shape your reputation.

One stray word could plunge you further into crisis, while the right response can help you take control of the narrative and handle both media scrutiny and online criticism with confidence.

Be Ready When the Headlines Hit

Crisis training to protect your reputation

Rough House Media’s expert-led crisis training will equip you and your team with the skills, tools and self-assurance to stay calm, make the right decisions and communicate effectively when the pressure is on.

They will gain the clarity, confidence and practical tools to handle journalists, interviews and public scrutiny when in the eye of the storm.

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Protect your organisation from damaging threats

What you gain from crisis training

Whether you’re drafting your first crisis plan, testing an existing strategy or preparing spokespeople to face a hostile audience, we’ll strengthen your understanding of the best approach, provide frameworks you can use to plan your response, and ensure your team is ready to respond effectively when it matters most.

All our training is tailored to your specific needs. 

What our courses cover

Whether you’re drafting your first crisis plan, testing an existing strategy or preparing spokespeople to face a hostile audience, we’ll strengthen your understanding of the best approach, provide frameworks you can use to plan your response, and ensure your team is ready to respond effectively when it matters most.

All our training is tailored to your specific needs. 

The benefits

  • Greater awareness of the risks you face
  • Clear understanding of what to expect
  • Stronger ability to communicate quickly and effectively under pressure
  • Spokespeople who can communicate with clarity, empathy and authority 
  • Better understanding of roles and responsibilities during a crisis

Who our courses are for

Our courses are aimed at all those who need some understanding of how to respond to a crisis. This generally includes:

  • Senior leadership teams
  • Communications teams
  • Social media team members
  • Crisis spokespeople
  • Those on the front-line, such as receptionists and switchboard operators
Choose Your Course

Three training options

Choose the right course for your team

Our courses are tailored to your specific needs and led by experienced journalists. They develop your confidence, knowledge and skills so you can respond with authority, empathy and credibility to critical situations, ensuring your reputation is protected from harm.

You’ll discover how crises escalate, how the media responds and how to communicate well under pressure. 

Crisis Interview Training

Delegates learn how to handle challenging interviews when their organisation is under fire.

They pit their wits against a hostile reporter, learning how to hold their own and deliver their key messages with calm authority no matter how tough the interview.

We simulate real-life scenarios so your senior spokespeople can practise before the real thing.

Crisis Management Training

Our bespoke courses will help you build a crisis communications strategy that will protect your reputation effectively and restore public trust.

Topics include assessing risks, shaping strong messages and creating a robust crisis plan, as well as providing a step-by-step guide to handling an unfolding crisis

Crisis Simulations

Our fast and furious crisis simulations will put your team through their paces while a rapidly unfolding critical situation evolves.

They are designed to test the ability and judgement of both senior leaders and PR teams as you put your crisis plan into practice.

Choose from a paper exercise, or a more complex simulation with calls, social media and video. 

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Why work with us?

Crisis training from newsroom experts

Every Rough House trainer has decades of experience in national journalism and broadcasting. We know how newsrooms work, what makes a story, and crucially, how the media responds to breaking news.

That insider knowledge helps us prepare you to cope with the most challenging circumstances. Our expert tutors will guide you through every aspect of crisis communications, so you’ll learn how to shape effective messages, correct misinformation, manage tough questions and project confidence when the pressure is on.

Our training is supportive, hands-on and tailored to your real-world challenges.

Choose Your Course
"We had an excellent Crisis Comms training session. Rough House put together a tailored programme which covered all the aspects we'd highlighted. On the day, they led us through really useful and engaging content which has helped us establish next steps. We also received a useful resource pack post-session. Our trainer was a brilliant facilitator with extensive knowledge and experience in all things media. Their advice and tips on dealing with crisis comms were invaluable."
Sarah Tridgellhead of marketing and comms, Astroscale
"Rough House is brilliant to work with. Their knowledge, experience and skill shine through in what they do. The media training days we have had with them are testing, engaging and fun. Colleagues who have taken part universally feed back that they feel so much more equipped and confident after the sessions. Looking forward to working with Rough House again in the future."
Chris SteelDir of Comms, Avenues
"I had brilliant feedback from the team – Rough House made them feel at ease in front of the camera, they came away armed with techniques for media interviews and they couldn't wait to put their training into real life scenarios. What was so amazing was the personalised service with the interview questions aimed at their role in the organisation. I would highly recommend Rough House to other organisations."
Francesca Corbett Bowel Cancer UK
"The Rough House team were great, very supportive and clear with what we were trying to achieve with each exercise. We’re far better equipped for dealing with a crisis situation. Team members now have the knowledge and understanding of key considerations and who should be kept informed in a crisis. Rough House approach is professional and informed as the team have worked in so many relevant industries/companies, with so many different relevant experiences."
Nicky PysdenBrewers Crisis Comms training
"We've worked with Rough House Media as media trainers for over ten years and have always been very impressed by their service. People are often nervous about media appearances and interviews but the team are great at helping them overcome their fears and understand how the media works. Their knowledge of the media is excellent and they're always helpful, flexible and effective."
Ceri-Jane HacklingCerub PR
"Ann and the Rough House team have been both helpful and diligent in helping us to ensure that the Charities Aid Foundation is putting its best foot forward when we speak publicly about the work we do on behalf of charities and donors. They have delivered practical, accessible media training that boosts confidence and enables us to communicate clearly about our mission to improve lives through philanthropy. Thanks to the team for all of their support. "
Caroline MallanCharities Aid Foundation
"We had an excellent, jam-packed session on presentation skills. The whole agenda was focused, engaging and practical and each activity had clear focus and added value. We were each filmed presenting and applying our newly learnt skills, which whilst daunting, was done in a supportive way, with specific, constructive feedback for all of us. Martine was inspiring and no-nonsense as the training lead. A genuine day to remember, well worth prioritising the time in a busy schedule."
Michelle NorthDep Dir of Service, Chartered Management Institute
"The smartphone video course was excellent, everybody really enjoyed it. It was very interactive,with lots of really useful tips and techniques. Everybody found the software really easy to use and enjoyed shooting some scenes and sequences. I really think they've got the confidence to make some short videos that will really benefit the team. The trainers were excellent, really hands on, the pitch was right so it catered for people of different levels, with different technical abilities and skills."
Esme TurnerCompanies House
"The team were great, easy to communicate with and our trainer Paul was very knowledgeable and helpful.We now as a team have a greater awareness what is involved in creating video content, as well as the equipment, software and time needed. The team now feel more confident that we can plan and edit basic videos that suit our needs. We covered a lot of ground in one day - it was an intense day but worth it! We would recommend Rough House to others."
Frankie TaylorGardens Trust
"It was a real pleasure to work with Rough House – they were very professional and helpful throughout the process, and our spokespeople found the training very helpful. It definitely stretched them and challenged them, and they felt they have improved their skills in this area. I would definitely recommend Rough House, and will use them again if we need further spokespeople trained."
Rachael OliverHead of Communications, General Pharmaceutical Council
"If you're looking for media trainers, Rough House really knows their stuff. They'll work with you to design customised training scenarios so your spokespeople can really practice using relevant key messages and talking points, something ours have found really valuable."
Maggie EckelICE
"I have worked with Rough House Media a number of times and for different organisations, each time the training has been on point and well structured. The skills provided for staff in both presentation skills and engagement with the press has enhanced their confidence and enhanced the impact of the organisation. The Rough House Media team are always flexible and great to work with, which really helps an organisation to meet its objectives."
Stuart NeilCommunications Director, International Chamber of Shipping
"The team delivered us a brilliant crisis simulation exercise. We developed a scenario together and they provided interjects, role played a number of pre-defined roles and mocked up calls from journalists, social media posts, interviews, etc. Our senior management team found it incredibly useful, and we have already put lessons learnt into place, to improve our crisis response in future. Would recommend and hope to work with the team again."
Stephanie WilliamsBusiness Risk and Insurance Manager, Kew Gardens
"TLM used Rough House Media to produce in-house safeguarding videos. The team was very responsive, worked collaboratively with us and made the whole experience enjoyable. Rough House went over and above the original brief and produced a high quality product that is already having a significant impact."
Damaris VillenuevaLeprosy Mission
"Rough House delivered a fantastic and thorough half-day session for one of our key spokespeople ahead of a campaign launch. Ann really understood our organisation's key messages and any potential media questions, and gave great feedback and eased any nerves or concerns. Our spokesperson quickly developed and grew in confidence over the session. Would recommend the Rough House team for media training."
Laura Mehers Media and Communications Officer, National Literacy Trust
"Our presentation skills session was brilliant - really focused on practical advice and frameworks to improve our skills. We each gave short presentations and the feedback we each got was personalised, constructive and supportive. Martine was also an inspiring session lead - one of the group described the session as 'life-changing'! Would strongly recommend this training - best bang for your buck in terms of cost and time commitment that I've come across."
MeganOpen Innovation
"Solvay used Rough House to produce some safety videos and from start to finish of the process, they impressed us with their creative input and efficiency whilst working to a tight schedule. We were never in doubt the final product would reflect well on our site and this proved to be the case. Communication relating to planning and preparation prior to filming, was of a very high standard. This allowed the two days of filming to run smoothly and to be a very enjoyable experience."
Wayne BarrattSolvay
"I really enjoyed the training and thought that Sue was great – really engaging and high energy. I felt that I learned a lot and now have some excellent tips and techniques that I can use when next presenting, esp to larger audiences."
Caroline AustinSustrans
"The training packages were excellent - thorough, carefully researched, tailored to individuals and designed to build confidence and enhance strengths as well as address weakness across a range of interview and media scenarios. A good investment in premium training delivered by highly experienced professionals."
Niall ScottDirector of Comms, University of St Andrews
"Rough House Media brilliantly helped us turn a corner with our media training for some of our senior spokespeople. A half-day session was delivered with authority but also with bags of empathy. An excellent understanding of the key issues we face and how to navigate them from industry experts who've been there, seen it and done it."
Victoria Ribbans,dep head of comms, Westminster Abbey

Practical insights from people who've worked inside the newsroom

Learn from our experts

Deepen your understanding of crisis communication with our expert articles. 

Each expands on the techniques we cover in our crisis training, from preparing crisis statements to protecting your organisation’s reputation when the spotlight is on.

Getting your crisis planning right

Crisis Communications Strategy - Essential Insurance

Why every organisation has to have insurance to protect them against anything that might go wrong.

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What to Put in a Crisis Communications Manual

The key sections and templates every crisis communications plan should include.

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Seven Top Tips for Handling a Crisis

How to create a practical crisis plan tailored for charities and public bodies.

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Clear, confident messaging

A 10-Step Guide to Writing a Crisis Statement

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Why ‘No Comment’ Is No Option

 
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Crisis communications: sample holding statements

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Choose Your Course

Handling a hostile interview

How to avoid a disastrous doorstep interview

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Alternatives to no comment

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Overcoming Nerves in a Media Interview

Techniques to stay calm, focused and authentic when facing journalists.

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Take a Look