You’re the voice: make it clear, make it understood

Anna Payton, Marketing Officer, NCVER

You’re the voice of your research

no one knows your work better than you,

but ...

your message must be clear

and easily understood

Why use the media?

but it’s agenda isn’t always the same as

yours

it can be a vital ally

Spoilt for choice1500 to 2000 emails weekly for 50 to 60 stories – HES, The

Australian

and getting coverage of VET

stories harder than stories on schools and universities

news values -• impact• timeliness• prominence• proximity• novelty• conflict• currency•human interest

Audience

your target audiences are the end-users of media and the media itself

Targeting your audience & mediastrong personal angle – general

news

labour market stories – career

sections

stories with a policy focus – HES, The Conversation, APO

social policy/education stories appeal to ‘Life Matters’ on

ABC National Radio

Tailor your message

balance between accuracy, completeness and readability

clarity

structure – use the inverted

pyramid of all media stories

language

Telling the story when the media calls

Talking points – key messages that are clear, succinct, logical, conversational, and avoid jargon & acronyms

Timing

be accessible and responsive

Conclusions

good coverage is highly valuable for your

research, for you as a researcher , and your

organisation

Acknowledgements & references

John Ross, Higher education journalist, The Australian

References Ross, J. & Payton, A. (2012). Interview with John

Ross on vocational education and training stories in the media. Unpublished.

Rodgers, P. (2011). NCVER Media Awareness Training. NCVER, Adelaide. [in-house workshop]

Questions?