When an organisation faces a media crisis, a leadership transition, or simply the daily task of shaping how the public sees it, everything comes down to one function: how well-prepared its public relations specialists are. That preparation — not theory alone — is what this programme by the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy is built to deliver, through the most advanced methods and best practices in the PR field.

Public relations as a modern discipline is barely a century old, yet its roots reach back to ancient civilisations, where tribal chiefs relied on magicians and priests skilled in persuasion to manage relations with their communities. Every company passes through stages of structure, growth and, at times, crisis — financial, media-related or production-related — and it is public opinion, correctly measured and understood, that shapes how policies respond to those stages.

To succeed in today's PR industry, professionals must be excellent communicators: confident speakers, skilled writers and, just as importantly, active listeners, since virtually everything in this field is a form of interaction with other people.

How Will Participants Benefit?

• Develop a PR strategy that integrates public relations activities with the corporate business strategy.
• Build a lobbying campaign that shapes both corporate policy and the legislative process.
• Apply best practices for dealing with the media and using their influence within a lobbying campaign.
• Run an online pressure campaign using key social media tools and platforms.
• Develop a pressure strategy that integrates public affairs with corporate business strategy.

Who Should Attend?

• Directors and owners of public and private companies.
• Senior management officers and key administrative personnel.
• Operations managers and project managers.
• Corporate board members and executive directors.
• Professionals working in media, public relations and business.
• Officials in governmental institutions and related administrative bodies.
• PR directors, communications managers and PR professionals.

Module 1: The Strategic Weight of Public Relations Today

• The importance of public relations.
• Public relations in governmental institutions and their functions.

Module 2: Media, Information and Transparency

• The information function of media work.
• Hidden sources of information in the media.
• The concept of media and transparency.

Module 3: News Values and the Craft of Media Production

• News values and the art of media production.
• Media and society.

Module 4: Internal Communication and Managing VIP Relationships

• Building internal communication inside media institutions.
• The skill of dealing with high-profile figures.

Module 5: PR Management Skills and Strategy Development

• Public relations and its link with the media.
• Strategies for managing public relations.
• PR management skills inside media institutions and the skill set of PR staff.
• Mutual understanding at the core of public relations in governmental organisations.

Module 6: Planning, Campaigns and Hands-On Application

• Planning and organising PR campaigns.
• Dealing with the media during lobbying campaigns.
• PR strategies over the internet.
• Practical training in managing PR and lobbying campaigns.