About Janine Zacharia
There is an art and a science to telling an organization's story, and few people have practiced both from as many angles as Janine Zacharia. A veteran foreign correspondent, Zacharia advises leaders, particularly in Silicon Valley, on communicating honestly and effectively inside their organizations and out, at a moment when a company's truths can easily be lost in a deluge of misinformation and disinformation.
Zacharia honed her storytelling craft writing and broadcasting for the Washington Post, MSNBC and Bloomberg News. In sessions designed for executives and high-potential junior managers, she consults on how and when leaders should talk to the press, especially during consequential events like product launches or crises. “People get very nervous when they have to speak to a journalist, no matter the reason,” she explains. “I'm really good at helping leaders identify which interviews they should accept and explaining what value they'll get out of it. It's essential to train leaders in the C-suite with these media skills.”
Janine's Keynote Topics
Today’s society has unprecedented access to information with equal trouble making sense of the news. How do leaders cut through the media noise when communicating the truths about their organization? According to Janine Zacharia, Stanford University Department of Communication lecturer, renowned journalist and executive communications expert, whether a leader needs to explain a company-wide restructuring or communicate the key differentiators for their newest product or service, they must be able to speak and write with clarity and a keen understanding of the current news environment. In this engaging talk, Zacharia offers practical tips on effective communication for executives to include how to sell ideas to the world – in client meetings, at conferences and to the media – how to differentiate products, strategies for avoiding the creation and spread of misinformation and disinformation, and techniques for becoming smart consumers of information. Also able to deliver workshops on writing fundamentals and op-ed writing bootcamps, Zacharia helps leaders sharpen their news judgment, learn to gather critical information from reluctant sources, and formulate probing questions in service of effectively communicating compelling narratives.
How can meeting organizers ensure their event’s discussions are engaging, insightful, and seamlessly structured? Versatile and skilled moderator Janine Zacharia brings a unique blend of rich storytelling, business acumen, and deep knowledge of foreign policy and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence to every conversation she guides. Whether it’s a fireside chat, a high-stakes panel, or an executive interview, Zacharia’s artistry for steering conversations is the difference between an event that feels disjointed and one that delivers real value. She does more than just keep time and manage questions – she ties the agenda together with clarity, creativity and fairness to translate complex topics into digestible takeaways that ensure maximum impact. A full package and an event organizer’s dream, Zacharia’s dynamic moderating skills and rare ability to activate stimulating conversations sets the stage for balanced, intelligent discussions that engage both panelists and audiences.
At any given point in a career, a leader will have to tell their brand’s story, whether speaking at a big annual conference, talking to the media, launching a new product or educating new colleagues and direct reports who are being groomed to run the business. The responsibility of telling a brand’s story is huge, says Janine Zacharia, renowned journalist and executive communications expert, and it’s an aspect of maintaining brand reputation that cannot be overlooked. In this illuminating talk, Zacharia draws from her Stanford University Department of Communication course to offer executives a storytelling framework that solves a number of problems, from ensuring product launches have a cohesive message to turning down the temperature in the media when mitigating a crisis. Attendees walk away with the tools to better influence and inspire teams and the public through a well-structured, sticky story that creates experiences that all who listen can draw on for years to come. Beyond a keynote, Zacharia is highly sought after for personalized executive storytelling and communication training.
Janine in the Media
‘Think Like a Creator, but Behave Like a Journalist’: Symposium Surveys an Evolving Media Landscape
How Did We Get Here? A Conversation on the Crisis in the Middle East
Janine Zacharia on Covering Israel and Palestine Amid the ‘Fog of War’
Janine Zacharia - Realpolitik, Media Control and Democracy's Decline
Media Roundtable: Coverage of Russia's Month-Long Invasion of Ukraine
Reporting the War in Ukraine
Opinion: Greywater Rain Systems Save Water, Alleviate Sprinkler Guilt
Facebook Isn't the Only Cacophonous Informational Ecosystem Undermining Our Democracy
The Real Problem With the AP’s Firing of Emily Wilder
Too Dangerous to Disregard
Motivation, Provenance of Disinformation is Pivotal in News Reporting
Time is Running Out to Fight Disinformation in 2020 Election
How Janine Works with Organizations
Each engagement is built around your goals and audience.
01 · WORKSHOPStorytelling 101: How Leaders Can Shape Brands and Inspire Teams
How should leaders think about their brand’s story internally and how can they effectively tell it to the world? Janine Zacharia, Stanford University Department of Communication lecturer, renowned journalist and executive communications expert has decades of experience gathering critical information from reluctant sources and formulating probing questions. When preparing to face the media, customers or a workforce, there’s no better authority to train executives to eloquently communicate a brand’s story.Through interactive workshops that can be arranged on a one-time or an on-going basis, Zacharia helps leaders grow their impact beyond their academic or corporate domain to speak and write with clarity and confidence. In one-on-one coaching or small groups, she can address areas of executive communication for the C-suite, high potential leaders, and internal communications teams including, but not limited to: Media and questioning training Mock interviews Keynote speech training Storytelling workshops for sales Op-ed writing bootcamp to learn how, when, and why to write an op-ed and how to think beyond the written piece How to pitch to the media
Janine is an extremely skilled interviewer. Her questions drew out the most interesting and important information from our panelists. The audience was attentive throughout the program because Janine kept the conversation moving and relevant.
Diane Demée-BenoitConsulting Coordinator, Marin Conversations, The Commonwealth Club of California
Bring Janine to your next event
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