Media Relations Support for Researchers

The media relations team at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine reaches local, national and international audiences by publicizing research breakthroughs and pitching unique stories. Our department works with faculty, staff, researchers and students to promote the Faculty of Medicine by working with the media.

We inform and educate the public by distributing news releases, writing stories for our website, hosting events and responding to media inquiries. We work, and build relationships, with journalists through our daily interactions. A significant part of the faculty’s profile comes from expert commentary on daily events.

• Media Relations Services
• Guidelines and Approval Process
• Timelines and Processes
• What Makes a Good Story?
• Tip Sheet for Dealing with the Media (PDF)
• Public Service Announcement (PSA) Policy

If researchers are interested in attracting some form of media attention, the media relations department can provide feedback about the likely level of media interest in the subject matter, along with pointers about how and when to contact media to achieve your goals. We prepare all material, set timelines and pass information along to the media. Researchers should contact media relations EARLY on in the process of a project. Even if there is no definite date of publication in place for research, it is important to inform media relations early in the process and provide a lay summary of your work.

Marta Cyperling, Media Relations Manager
Faculty of Medicine
Phone: (403) 210-3835
Email: marta.cyperling@ucalgary.ca

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Media Relations Services

• advise faculty members on any media relations questions, including planning an event, pitching a story and providing tips for interviews
• develop a media plan
• pitch stories to the media
• organize press conferences, media availabilities
• prepare written materials for release to the media
• write for the web
• respond to media calls
• communicate with other media people to coordinate sending out news releases timed to publication dates
• provide media training and tips
• advise on social media opportunities

Guidelines and Approval Process

When a researcher approaches our department with a study and asks for media support, or we find out from a journal that one of our researchers will be published, we have an approval process before we start a communications plan. Please be aware that such guidelines are always a dynamic work in progress. As a starting point:

• “For a research finding to be newsworthy and credible, it must represent either a fundamental basic science finding of outstanding or unusual interest, published in a high impact journal OR a bona fide health outcome/understanding of great interest, published
  in a well recognized or high impact journal."
• Our department sends all studies, with written papers to the relevant institute directors and department heads to evaluate from a scientific perspective before developing a communications plan.

Timelines and Process

• a lay summary of the research findings
• a half hour meeting with the researcher in order to fully comprehend the research findings and ask follow up questions
• approval by the researcher of the written news release
• a minimum two to three-hour window for a media availability, when the researcher is available to be interviewed 

What Makes a Good Story?

• TIMELY
• BROAD INTEREST to a non-scientific audience
• has a BROAD IMPACT