Promoting Your Research:
Engaging with the Media
Alison Barlow, Public Relations
Today’s session
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LU Public Relations: what we do and who we are
Overview of ‘The Media’
Why it is important to engage with the media
What makes a news story
The practicalities: developing a news story,
engaging with the media
• Questions and answers
Public Relations Office
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Based in Marketing and Communications in Hazlerigg
Pro-active and re-active media relations
Publications
Internal and corporate communications
VIP visits
“Public relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of
earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It
is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and
mutual understanding between an organisation and its publics.”
Chartered Institute of Public Relations
The PR team
Hannah Baldwin, Head of Public Relations
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corporate communications
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internal communications
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Professional Services
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VIP visits
Email: H.E.Baldwin@lboro.ac.uk Tel: 01509 222239
Judy Wing, Senior PR Officer
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Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering
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Chemical Engineering
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Chemistry
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Design School
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Information Science
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Materials
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Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (Wolfson and
WEDC)
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Physics
Alison Barlow, Senior PR Officer
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Civil and Building Engineering
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School of the Arts, English and Drama
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Centre for Research in Social Policy
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Centre for Child and Family Research
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Community PR
Email: A.J.Barlow@lboro.ac.uk Tel: 01509 228696
Email: J.L.Wing@lboro.ac.uk Tel: 01509 228697
Amanda Overend, PR Officer
• Business and Economics
• Geography
• Social Sciences
• School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences (Health and
Physical Activity, Sleep research)
Rob Knott, PR Officer
• Computer Science
• Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering
• School of Sport Exercise and Health Sciences (Performance Sport,
Sports Development Centre, Sport Technology Institute)
Email: A.J.Overend@lboro.ac.uk
Email: R.A.Knott@lboro.ac.uk
Tel: 01509 223491
Tel: 01509 228686
The Media
• Area of operation: National or regional
• Type: Broadcast, print or online
• Focus: news or specialist
Why engage with the media?
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“Public relations is the discipline which looks after reputation, with the aim of
earning understanding and support and influencing opinion and behaviour. It
is the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain goodwill and mutual
understanding between an organisation and its publics.”
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Raises the profile of Loughborough University – student recruitment, research
partners, enterprise partners
Raises the profile of your research and you as a researcher – potential future
research partners and/or funders
Funders increasingly looking for return on their investment – think impact, think
REF!
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What makes a news story?
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Research that is brand new – funding announcement, start of the research,
interim results, final report
Does the research show a new pattern or trend (must be able to prove it)
Does the research tie in with a topic on the current national agenda? Does it tie in
with a current news story, a new report or government announcement?
Does it relate to a key anniversary or date?
Being controversial
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Check the LU website for recent examples
Talk to the PR team!
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The practicalities
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Build your story in note form – think who, what, when, where and how. Think
about explaining to a ‘lay’ audience. Avoid jargon.
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Images help tell a story. Consider whether you have any images or whether
images can be arranged (there is an in-house team)
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Talk to the PR team. We’ll help write your story for the media, develop target
audiences and agree timing
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Crucial:
• be available for follow up enquiries
• be prepared to talk to the media and be interviewed if necessary (PR team
can support you. Informal and formal media training can be arranged)
• be prepared to react quickly
Other uses for your stories
• News@lboro
• Departmental web pages
• The View Magazine
What now?
• Keep in touch - we don’t know about your work unless you
tell us (but don’t be disappointed if we don’t think it works for
the media!)
• Remember your PR contact - we are happy to hear your
ideas and chat them through with you
• Spread the word with your fellow researchers and colleagues
in your department – we won’t know about their stories
unless they tell us
The PR team
Hannah Baldwin, Head of Public Relations
•
corporate communications
•
internal communications
•
Professional Services
•
VIP visits
Email: H.E.Baldwin@lboro.ac.uk Tel: 01509 222239
Judy Wing, Senior PR Officer
•
Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering
•
Chemical Engineering
•
Chemistry
•
Design School
•
Information Science
•
Materials
•
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (Wolfson and
WEDC)
•
Physics
Alison Barlow, Senior PR Officer
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Civil and Building Engineering
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School of the Arts, English and Drama
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Centre for Research in Social Policy
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Centre for Child and Family Research
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Community PR
Email: A.J.Barlow@lboro.ac.uk Tel: 01509 228696
Email: J.L.Wing@lboro.ac.uk Tel: 01509 228697
Amanda Overend, PR Officer
• Business and Economics
• Geography
• Social Sciences
• School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences (Health and
Physical Activity, Sleep research)
Rob Knott, PR Officer
• Computer Science
• Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering
• School of Sport Exercise and Health Sciences (Performance Sport,
Sports Development Centre, Sport Technology Institute)
Email: A.J.Overend@lboro.ac.uk
Email: R.A.Knott@lboro.ac.uk
Tel: 01509 223491
Tel: 01509 228686
And finally ….
• Any questions