Date: 14/15:04:2014

Communicating

with the media

Introducing today’s

Webinar presenters

ANY ?

Introductory Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vpPKiQw358&fe

ature=youtu.be

Aditi Kapoor

Director with Alternative Futures, a small think tank

working on development research and communication.

GENCAP is a thematic website set up on

gender and climate change policy

What is the purpose of the webinar?

Put simply our assumption is that:

Good research communication can influence policy and

stimulate debate

Good research communication demonstrates the relevance of

research to a wider public.

The media play a central role in communicating research to the

public / provide an access point to the public, and therefore are

a key stakeholder for communicating policy implications.

However they are only one source for channelling information.

There are others!

What will the webinar cover?

In this session we are focusing specifically on communicating with

the media and will be highlighting two tools/ methods of

reaching out to the media.

Op eds – Opinion/ Editorials can be a good way to personalise

research and explain complex information in a more

conversational way.

Press releases – A clear, cost effective and concise tool for

sharing information that is newsworthy.

Examples of Op-Eds

http://www.theguardian.com/global-

development/poverty-

matters/2014/mar/24/gender-activism-

posh-hotels-people

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/dr-

markus-schultzekraft/syria-

peacbuilding_b_3874027.html

http://www.theguardian.com/global-

development/poverty-

matters/2013/jan/22/congo-mali-

peacekeeping-africa-community-

level

Key considerations for an Op-Ed?

Be clear, concise and topical

Avoid jargon

Make it relevant

Length

Tone

Choose the right messenger

Submitting your article

Do your homework

Never get dejected

Press releases

Press releases are a good tool

for announcing activities and

research outputs that are

newsworthy. Editors receive

hundreds of press releases

- it’s important to make yours

clear and engaging if you want

them to be read and used

Key considerations for a press

release

NCAER press release example:

http://www.ncaer.org/downloads/Medi

aClips/Press/NCAER%20NN%20Press

%20Release%20%20Dec%2018.pdf

http://www.ncaer.org/downloads/MediaClip

s/Press/NCAER%20NN%20Press%20Rele

ase%20%20Dec%2018.pdf

Key considerations for a press release

Be clear, concise and topical

Punchy headlines

Dates and contacts

First paragraph tells all

Quotes

Spelling and grammar

Photographs

Targeted Distribution

Getting Your Message Right

These are just two some simple tools for more effective

communication. Regardless of which method you choose to

communicate with the media – it helps to produce good

communications if you ask yourself some simple questions in

advance:

What are your main findings?

What is new about your research?

Briefly explain your methodology ?

What policy recommendations do your findings suggest?

How is your research meaningful for the ordinary person?

Do your findings contradict any views or sources? If so, which

ones?

Asking these general questions helps the journalist and the

researcher to focus their answers and ultimately helps to get your

message across.

THANK YOU