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Talking with the Media

Talking with the Media. Dr. Adair Richards How to get your research noticed 29 th April 2009. My story (or why should I be talking about this). PhD 2008 – “Taking the fight to the superbugs: Interactions of synthetic DNA-binding metallomolecules with biological systems”

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Talking with the Media

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  1. Talking with the Media Dr. Adair Richards How to get your research noticed 29th April 2009

  2. My story(or why should I be talking about this) • PhD 2008 – “Taking the fight to the superbugs: Interactions of synthetic DNA-binding metallomolecules with biological systems” • During PhD – research featured on national radio, newspapers, websites • Now work as Science Communications Fellow at University of Warwick • Resident Scientist at BBC Coventry & Warwickshire

  3. Key message in Public Relations • Think Win-Win • What do journalists want? • What is the one key thing that you want?

  4. What is it that journalists want? • The answer is that it differs depending on what kind of journalist they are • Characteristics can include: Under pressure/Lazy Investigative/Opportunistic Suspicious/Cynical • The easier you can make their job, the happier they are – provided they don’t feel they’re being taken advantage of • However, journalists are often intimidated by academia and don't know where to find credible academic stories and media friendly researchers (particularly scientists!)

  5. How to generate useful publicity • Firstly, what is the point of publicity? Why bother? • The public fund our work, so we have a duty to tell them about it • Education and Dialogue with the public • Institution and Funding Body will get to know and like you more • Very useful when you want something later (e.g. a job, research funding, getting a paper in a conference)

  6. How to generate useful publicity • What’s the newspeg? • Target your audience and then contact them • Use the advice and expertise of the Warwick Press Office (Peter Dunn) • Write a good press release (topic too large to cover here) • Try to speak to a real person! • Make everything as easy for the journalist as possible • Send it out early on Friday morning

  7. 10 Top Tips and Common Pitfalls • Be bold – Never undersell (or oversell) yourself • Style is no substitute for substance • Know your target audience well • Establish credibility • Don’t overestimate their knowledge or underestimate their intelligence • Don’t do anything you or Warwick might regret later • Stay positive and take rejection lightly • Don’t patronise or use too much jargon • Start with the local media • Be 100% reliable • Make your own luck

  8. Resources – taking this further • Shameless Plug – Science Communication Seminar 29/5/9 2-4pm http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/csde/gsp/sessions/gsp113 • PGCert Transferable Skills Module – Science Communication (Contact Alison Rodger a.rodger@warwick.ac.uk) • Royal Society Media Training Day http://royalsociety.org/page.asp?tip=1&id=2411 • Warwick Communications Office • Search the Internet for relevant articles • Experience is often the best training! • Feel free to contact me Adair.Richards@warwick.ac.uk

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