promoting your research: engaging with the media alison barlow, public relations

Promoting Your Research:

Engaging with the Media

Alison Barlow, Public Relations

Today’s session

• 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

• 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• corporate communications• internal communications• Professional Services• VIP visits

Email: [email protected] 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• Civil and Building Engineering• School of the Arts, English and Drama• Centre for Research in Social Policy• Centre for Child and Family Research• Community PR


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)


mailto:[email protected]





The Media

• Area of operation: National or regional • Type: Broadcast, print or online• Focus: news or specialist

Why engage with the media?

• “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.”

• 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!

What makes a news story?

• 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

• Check the LU website for recent examples• Talk to the PR team!

The practicalities

• Build your story in note form – think who, what, when, where and how. Think about explaining to a ‘lay’ audience. Avoid jargon.

• Images help tell a story. Consider whether you have any images or whether images can be arranged (there is an in-house team)

• Talk to the PR team. We’ll help write your story for the media, develop target audiences and agree timing

• 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


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• Civil and Building Engineering• School of the Arts, English and Drama• Centre for Research in Social Policy• Centre for Child and Family Research• Community PR


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)







And finally ….

• Any questions

promoting your research: engaging with the media alison barlow, public relations

Documents

sleep research email

pr officerbusiness

public sector organisations

health sciences health

senior pr officeraeronautical

senior pr officercivil

wedcphysics email

mutual understanding