Research and media relations Working with online, print, radio and TV Carl Stiansen and Dionne Hamil...

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