Work with the comms team
There are several things you can do to help the communications team work with you in the most effective way.
Get in touch early!
Give us as much time as possible to work with you on plans and preparations and keep us posted on developments like publication dates. If you have a study coming out that you think will be newsworthy, let the press office know as soon as it’s accepted.
Let us know your target audience
In an ideal world, who do you want to read or listen to your research story and what do you want them to think, feel and do as a result?
Share your collaborators
Let us know if collaborators at other institutions or your funders have plans to promote your work and put us in touch.
Think about visuals
Often stories become much more appealing to reporters if there are compelling photos, video, illustrations or infographics to accompany it.
Consider what success looks like
Everyone wants their story to be front-page news. But success can also look like good engagement on your social media, or gaining the interest of a potential funder. Let us know so we can help find the right networks and communities of interest.
Ask questions
Ask us to help with anything you’re unsure about, perhaps a mock interview or guidance on key messages- we’re happy to help you prepare.
The comms team will always advise on the best course of action for any news from your story. While some research may be to technical for mainstream media, the University engages with specialist media outlets and agencies and will tailor any content to the specific audience.