Event report
Paid Training : "Make The Headlines" with William Herkewitz
A practical training designed to help business leaders develop stronger media strategies, deliver clear messages and handle challenging interviews.
On Friday, 19 June and Friday, 26 June 2026, the French Chamber of Commerce in Kenya hosted the two-part “Make the Headlines” Practical Media Training Workshop at Gem Forest, led by journalist and communications professional William Herkewitz.
The first session, Building Your Media Strategy, focused on understanding how journalists work, identifying compelling business stories, developing media-friendly narratives and transforming company announcements into pitches that reporters want to cover.
The second and final session, Owning the Interview, explored what happens once a journalist agrees to speak with a company representative.
Participants learned that a successful media interview begins well before the camera or microphone is switched on. William encouraged interviewees to clarify the journalist’s angle, intended topics and interview format beforehand, while also identifying any sensitive subjects or red lines.
A key focus of the session was the preparation of concise talking points. Rather than attempting to answer every possible question, participants were encouraged to define two or three core messages and support them with relevant data, examples and stories.
William also introduced the importance of strategic repetition. By returning to the same central message through different stories, examples and perspectives, interviewees can make their message more memorable and increase the likelihood that it remains in the final edited article or broadcast.
The training was structured around three practical techniques:
Practice: conduct mock interviews before important media engagements;
Pause: take time to process a question and prepare a clear response;
Pivot: redirect difficult or negatively framed questions towards the message the interviewee needs to communicate.
During the second half of the session, participants took part in live mock interviews based on real business scenarios, including hospitality, energy, clean cooking, customer loyalty programmes, wellness concepts and automotive events.
The practical exercises allowed participants to test their key messages, respond to difficult questions and receive immediate feedback on their clarity, confidence, delivery and ability to remain on message.
We warmly thank William Herkewitz for leading this highly practical and engaging training, and all participants for their active involvement throughout both sessions.
