BROWN BAG WORKSHOP:
MEDIA TRAINING
Office of Communications &
Marketing
Today’s media landscape
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Print/Online
New Media (Huffington Post)
Television
Radio
Social Media
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Blogs
Facebook
Twitter
Pintrest
Where people get “news”
Source: Pew Project for Excellence in
Journalism
Why work with the media?
• Promotion of your scholarship or expertise
• Contribute to Georgia Regents University and Health
System’s reputation
• Tell our story
Why work with Media Relations?
• We are the spokespersons for the enterprise
• We have relationships with the media
• We have experience with traditional and non-traditional
media
• We are knowledgeable about applicable state laws (Open
Records Act, Sunshine Law)
• We vet media requests
• We advise on appropriate venues and reporters
• We are trained to handle crisis communications
• We are former members of the media
Timeliness: Why it’s important
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Deadlines are constant
Reply to media inquiries as quickly as possible
Expert’s obligation
Helps to develop reporter/expert relationships
Media outlets usually work together in which
increases your chances of national &
international exposure
Media Exposure: How do we get it?
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Responding to media inquiries
Media releases
External pitches
Op-Eds
Established relationships with institutional
experts
• Public Relations Listservs
• Crises
Roles
• Interviewer
– Reporters don’t work for us
– A good reporter is:
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Balanced/Honest
Quick
A generalist
Curious
• Interviewee
What to do when a reporter calls you
• Alert the Media Relations Department before scheduling a time to
speak with the media. We will advise on how to proceed and assist
in scheduling an interview.
• We’ll ask the questions
– Identify the media outlet
– What is the story about?
– Who else are they talking to?
– Who is the right expert?
– What is the deadline?
• Relax – you’re the expert, remember?
What to do when a reporter calls you
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USE LAYMAN’S TERMS!
Don’t “dumb down.”
Lose the jargon
Tell it to your mother
Know your audience
Don’t assume any prior knowledge on the
reporter’s part
Soundbites
• Realize up front that reporters will use about 10 seconds of
what you say
• Analogies and visual examples work well
• Arm yourself with some keepers about your area of expertise
– Dull: Premature babies don’t have enough surfactant and
may benefit from an endotracheal tube
– Keeper: When babies are born premature, the sacs in their
lungs stick together when they breathe in and out. By
providing a natural lubricant, through a tube in their
airway, we can fix that problem.
Bridging
• Know in advance what you are going to talk
about and LISTEN CAREFULLY to questions
• Find a way back to the point you want to make
• Expand or narrow the scope of the question
• Do not speculate. If you don’t know the
answer, say so.
• Do not repeat false statements or “toxic”
wording
Don’t expect…
• To receive a list of questions prior to the
interview
• To approve the reporter’s story ahead of time,
but you can offer to be available to fact-check
• To tell the reporter what he or she should
write about
• The headline to reflect the content of the
story
On Camera Appearance
• Clothing & Makeup
– No sunglasses
– No striped, checkered, plaid, or big prints
– Consider storing an extra jacket/tie in the office
– Women, wear more makeup than you typically do
• Physical
– Speak to the reporter (taped)
– Speak to the camera (live)
– Avoid crazy eyes
– Avoid swivel chairs
– Sit up straight “puppet on a string”
Dressing for TV
• Women
– Bright, flattering colors
– Minimal jewelry
– Flattering makeup
– Professional look
– Avoid busy patterns
• Men
– Conservative colors
– Blue dress shirt
– Professional look
– No busy patterns
– Shave
Quick Tips
• Stand if you’re talking on the phone – it
prevents multi-tasking, improves your
breathing and you think better on your feet
• NOTHING IS OFF THE RECORD!
• Try to avoid “No Comment”
• You can limit the time of the interview
Media Relations Contacts
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Christen Carter, Director
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chrcarter@gru.edu
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706-721-5733
Toni Baker, Medical College of Georgia
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tbaker@gru.edu
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706-721-4421
Danielle Harris, Hull College of Business, College of Education, & College of Math and Sciences
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deharris1@gru.edu
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706-446-4805
Denise Parrish, Clinical Affairs: Georgia Regents Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Georgia
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mparrish@gru.edu
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706-721-9566
LaTina Emerson, College of Dental Medicine, College of Nursing, and College of Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
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lemerson@gru.edu
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706-721-4706
Jennifer Scott, Medical College of Georgia (student news), Research, and University Partnerships
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jscott1@gru.edu
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706-721-8604
Steven Uhles, Cancer Center
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suhles@gru.edu
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706-721-2335
Sharron Walls, College of Allied Health Sciences
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shwalls@gru.edu
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706-721-7955
GRU Paging Operator
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706-721-3893
The operator will direct you to the on-call media relations representative (24/7)