Your program and UC ANR benefit from media exposure. News media outlets extend research results and recommendations to a large audience, informing taxpayers and decision-makers about the work made possible by their investment in UC Cooperative Extension. The following tips will help make your encounters with reporters positive and productive.
For UC ANR writing standards, see the UC ANR Style Guide.
Training Videos
Media Outreach and Training
Pam Kan-Rice and Mike Hsu of UC ANR Strategic Communications present tips and techniques to help academics cultivate relationships with journalists and prepare for media interviews in person, over the phone, and via Zoom. Watch Media Outreach and Training on YouTube.
Engaging Journalists Through Social Media
Daniel Swain, UC ANR climate scientist with the California Institute for Water Resources, shares his journey into science communication and offers advice on becoming a trusted source for journalists and the broader public. Watch Engaging Journalists and Online Communities on YouTube.
Media Relations Tips
Cultivate Relationships
- Allow time in your schedule to work with the news media.
- Follow reporters on social media and engage with their posts. Tag them when you have new, relevant information to share.
- Respond to media emails and phone messages as soon as you can. Many reporters need sources quickly — tomorrow is almost always too late.
- Help reporters find online background information, including research reports, newsletters, journal articles, and other story sources.
When a Reporter Calls
- Ask a few questions before the interview begins:
- What is the reporter's name and affiliation?
- What is the story about?
- Who is the audience?
- If you are not the best source, direct the reporter to another academic or to the Strategic Communications team.
- Find out the reporter's deadline.
- Tell the reporter you will call back. Take a few minutes to form your key messages, then return the call.
Preparation
- Prepare three key messages in simple language with no jargon. Condense each key message into two or three sentences.
- Anticipate tough questions and rehearse your answers.
- Compile background information about the subject for the reporter, including your name, title, organization, phone number, and email address.
- For in-person interviews, gather visuals. Meet the reporter at a research site or laboratory. Set up demonstrations, prepare examples or analogies, and offer simple, clear graphics and photos.
Tips for TV
- Be professional and polite at all times, even when the camera is not rolling.
- Look at the reporter, not the camera.
- If standing, stand tall with arms relaxed at your sides.
- Avoid distracting gestures.
- Answer in short, targeted statements.
- Avoid wearing solid white or patterned shirts.
During the Interview
- State your key messages early and often. You never know when the interview will end.
- Answer the reporter's questions and add the specific points you want to make.
- Be honest. If you don't know an answer, say so.
- Never say "no comment." It raises suspicion. Instead, explain why you prefer not to answer the question.
- Be aware of questions that may evoke conflict. Tell your story with positive words and do not repeat a negative statement from the reporter's question.
- For radio and TV interviews, be precise and to the point. Sound bites are only a few seconds long.
- Close the interview by restating your main messages.
- Invite the reporter to call back for more information or to clarify points.
- Ask the reporter to note that you are with UC Cooperative Extension and/or UC Agriculture and Natural Resources, as they often conflate UC ANR with the campuses.