Research and media relations

Working with online, print, radio and TV

Carl Stiansen and Dionne HamilMedia Relations Officers

Durham University

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Introductions

• Who is who

• Media experience

• What you want to get out of the session

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Objectives today

• To demonstrate how the media works in practice with regards to research

• To introduce the process of gaining media coverage and achieving ‘impact’

• To help you to handle the media• To help you to deliver positive messages

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Media coverage helps:

• Profile building

• Offers of collaboration, funding

• Inform public debate

• Reach potential ‘customers’

•Boost Impact/ engagement

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What makes news?

A news story is…Relevant to the audienceTopical ControversialNewFirst/best/worst/greatestVisual Challenging to status quo Interesting

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Power of the image• Contact your media office and keep them

informed• Expert comment

• Background information for journalists (briefings)

• Major press releases• Regional releases – regional and community

• Case studies, people, images and video always

help to sell a story into the media

Appealing to the media

• On average, news editors in North East England receive 200 news releases, by email, per day• About half are deleted on reading the subject header• Only a very small percentage are used

(Survey by Sunderland University)

Formats • News desks have an insatiable appetite for good

stories. The following are common broadcast media formats :

1. Features

2. Interviews: live and pre-records

3. Cuts for news / NIBS

4. Panel discussion

5. Expert comment

6. Documentary

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Active engagement

• Use and communicate your area of expertise

• Beware of controversial areas

• Prepare for difficult questions

• Be confident and be aware

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Exercise: Communicate your research

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Tell us about your research:

Working in pairs, write down answers to the following questions:

• What is the main finding of your research work/or the main goal?

• What are the key implications e.g. in terms of policy/people/results?

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From here

Think about case studies, images, stats, implications etc

Ask your funding body about training opportunities

Talk to your press office and tell them early