March 2003

Emory University's Tips For Attracting National Media Attention

Emory's Office of University Media Relations focuses on two major objectives in its media promotion efforts:

• To communicate Emory's identity in every interaction with reporters. We want to give reporters a sense of who we are, not just what we do. When you get a national reporter on the line, it's so hard not to launch into a laundry list of story ideas, hoping something will "stick." Emory is about rigorous academics, research and service, and we let reporters know that as often as possible, accompanied by referrals to the faculty, staff and students who live the university's identity.

• To focus on cultivating one-on-one relations with media representatives. We do so in a variety of ways including email and telephone calls, media visits (both on-and off-campus), and by offering faculty expertise to media outlets that want to organize professional development programs on topics in the news for their employees.

Communications tools and methods that have helped Emory to attract national media attention and coverage include:

• Electronic newsletters: We periodically send an electronic newsletter to national reporters. The newsletters include a one-graph promo blurb with a Web link to the full story. Although story pick up is certainly desired, it's not the main objective--the goal is for reporters to get a sense of what Emory is about and to call us the next time they need a source.

• Research: In preparation for media forums on campus, we did a phone survey of top local and national bureau reporters to find out what they wanted to know about. We planned our programs accordingly, resulting in local and national coverage.

• News Web site: We maintain a lively, up-to-date news Web site, which has been an especially important source of information for local and national reporters during the current war in Iraq and ongoing Middle East crisis.

• On-and off-campus visits: We've hosted on-campus luncheons and forums for many years with great success. Topics this past year have included the impact of a probable war with Iraq, the role of the South in national politics, and aspects of the nation's booming Latino population.

• Faculty briefings: Several of our faculty have gone downtown to give briefings to groups of reporters at both CNN and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution as part of professional development programs organized by individual media outlets.

• Teaming with other university offices: Alumni and development officers often host events in major media markets. Sometimes these programs are of interest to national reporters based in that city.

• Staging an event in a major media market: Several years ago Emory organized a media luncheon at the National Press Club in D.C. to announce the results of a major international research project on the spread of religious diversity in the former Soviet Union and other emerging democratic regions. About a dozen reporters, including representatives from The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report, attended resulting in coverage from national news services and major dailies.
  
  One of the reasons the luncheon was a success was because we invited representatives from think-tanks unaffiliated with Emory to speak as well, drawing more media to the event and also lending it more credibility.

• Attending national conferences: During a national meeting of the Religion Newswriters Association that took place in Atlanta, we organized breakfast roundtable discussions with members of our religion and theology faculties. This event resulted in stories in the Dallas Morning News and AP; we also had 50 requests from reporters for copies of faculty books that we displayed at the event.

• Making the job easy for reporters: We use the business school's fiber-optic studio to arrange satellite interviews with the major networks, particularly in response to breaking news stories. We also have installed an ISDN line in our office, which has proven quite popular with National Public Radio.

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Annual CASE Conference for Media Relations Professionals "Attracting National Media Attention"
2-3:30 p.m., Thursday, March 27, 2003
Panelists: Amy Argetsinger, The Washington Post; Ulrich Boser, U.S. News & World Report; Nancy Seideman, Emory University; Greg Winter, The New York Times

This tip sheet is based on a panel presentation delivered by Nancy Seideman, Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs and Director of the Office of University Media Relations

Contact information: 404-727-0640, nseidem@emory.edu, http://www.emory.edu/central/NEWS/