Custom Courses Public Relations and Communication

Public Relations and Media Skills Training

SAQA US AATICD-0141 | NQF 5 | Credits 10 | Duration 5 Days
From $1,242 per delegate

Description

This course equips learners with essential public relations and media skills to manage corporate communications, build stakeholder relationships, and handle media interactions effectively. Participants will learn to craft key messages, plan PR campaigns, and respond to media inquiries in a professional manner.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply principles of public relations to plan and execute communication strategies.
  • Analyze media landscapes to identify opportunities and risks for organizational reputation.
  • Develop key messages and press releases for different media platforms.
  • Implement media monitoring and evaluation techniques to measure PR effectiveness.
  • Demonstrate professional conduct in media interviews and press conferences.
  • Evaluate crisis communication plans to manage reputation during adverse events.

Target Audience

This course is ideal for communications officers, marketing professionals, and managers responsible for public relations and media liaison within their organizations.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Public Relations and Media

Objectives:
• Understand the role and scope of public relations in organisations
• Identify key PR principles and ethical considerations
• Recognise different media channels and their audiences
• Define the relationship between PR and media

Topics:
• Introduction to Public Relations: definitions and functions
• The PR process: research, planning, communication, evaluation
• Ethics and professionalism in PR
• Overview of media landscape: traditional and digital media
• Understanding target audiences and stakeholders

Day 2: Strategic Communication Planning

Objectives:
• Develop a PR communication plan aligned with organisational goals
• Set SMART objectives for PR campaigns
• Identify key messages and target audiences
• Understand budgeting and resource allocation

Topics:
• Elements of a communication plan
• Setting SMART objectives
• Message development and key messaging
• Stakeholder mapping and audience segmentation
• Budgeting and resource planning

Day 3: Media Relations and Writing Skills

Objectives:
• Write effective press releases and media kits
• Build and maintain media contact lists
• Conduct media interviews and briefings
• Apply writing techniques for different media formats

Topics:
• Press release structure and style
• Media kits and backgrounders
• Pitching stories to journalists
• Media interview preparation and techniques
• Writing for digital media: social media posts, blogs

Day 4: Crisis Communication and Reputation Management

Objectives:
• Identify potential crises and develop communication strategies
• Manage media during a crisis
• Protect and enhance organisational reputation
• Evaluate crisis communication effectiveness

Topics:
• Crisis communication principles and models
• Crisis response strategies and holding statements
• Media management in crisis situations
• Reputation management and monitoring
• Post-crisis evaluation and learning

Day 5: Integrated PR Campaigns and Measurement

Objectives:
• Integrate PR with marketing and other communication functions
• Measure and evaluate PR campaign effectiveness
• Apply digital tools for monitoring and reporting
• Present a comprehensive PR campaign plan

Topics:
• Integrated marketing communications (IMC)
• Measuring PR outcomes: metrics and KPIs
• Digital tools for media monitoring and analytics
• Reporting and presenting results
• Final project: develop and present a PR campaign

Practicals

16 hours of practicals To be conducted online or on-campus or in-house
Overview

Practical sessions provide hands-on experience in writing press releases, conducting mock media interviews, developing crisis communication plans, and creating a full PR campaign. Learners apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, building confidence and competence.

Practical Activities
  • Press Release Writing Workshop — Learners write a press release based on a provided scenario, then peer-review and revise. (4h)
  • Mock Media Interview — Learners participate in simulated media interviews (print, radio, TV) and receive feedback. (4h)
  • Crisis Communication Simulation — Teams respond to a simulated crisis, drafting holding statements and managing media inquiries. (4h)
  • PR Campaign Development and Presentation — In groups, learners create a full PR campaign plan and present it to the class for evaluation. (4h)

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course via daily exercises, scored practical assignments, and a final summative test at the end.

Practical Assignments — 30%

Practical assignments are observed and scored against a rubric during the practical sessions. Each delegate's practical mark is averaged into a single 100% score and contributes 30% to the final total.

Daily Exercises — 20%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 20% to the final total.

Final Test — 50%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 50% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Practical Assignments (rubric-scored) 100% 30%
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 20%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 50%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Practicals 30% + Daily Average 20% + Final Test 50%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 21 Sep 2026 Fri 25 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 04 Jan 2027 Fri 08 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Feb 2027 Fri 05 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Fri 05 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 21 Jun 2027 Fri 25 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Fri 10 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 20 Sep 2027 Fri 24 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Fri 08 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 20 Dec 2027 Fri 24 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 424 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,916 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 17 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Harare, Zimbabwe Winter 2026 $3,078 Register
Mon 17 Aug 2026 Fri 21 Aug 2026 Shenzhen, China Winter 2026 $7,398 Register
Mon 24 Aug 2026 Fri 28 Aug 2026 Bangkok, Thailand Winter 2026 $6,318 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 12 Oct 2026 Fri 16 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 08 Feb 2027 Fri 12 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Fri 18 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 12 Jul 2027 Fri 16 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 11 Oct 2027 Fri 15 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 10 Jan 2028 Fri 14 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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