Tips for Working with the Media – MSU News

Responding to media inquiries

Optimistic media protection is a crucial a part of the college’s communications efforts,
together with its public outreach and its recruitment and retention of scholars. Responding
promptly and precisely to the information media helps guarantee right details about the
college is printed.

School and employees are free to answer requests from the media relating to their analysis,
scholarship, educating or skilled experience. In such instances, please contact the Information Service author who covers your faculty in order that we will observe the upcoming
MSU media protection.

If media inquiries contain problems with university-wide significance and/or are of a
controversial or delicate nature, they’re to be referred to College Communications.

If a member of the media contacts you and also you want to focus on the matter, or
in the event you want to share the small print of upcoming occasions or optimistic information tales about
the college, please contact Michael Becker, MSU Information Service director, at 994-4565
or [email protected]. 

Information releases

Information releases issued by the college are sometimes written by the MSU Information Service
or one other member of the College Communications employees. All college information releases
meant for off-campus or exterior audiences needs to be routed by way of the suitable
media specialist with College Communications and/or the Information Service.

If in case you have details about an accomplishment, award or achievement among the many college students,
school or employees that you just imagine needs to be acknowledged in a college information launch,
contact the Information Service to debate a possible story. Equally, when you’ve got concepts
for information releases that might positively painting the college, its work or its neighborhood,
direct these solutions to the suitable media specialist. Equally, College
Communications needs to be notified about detrimental occurrences which can be prone to rise
to the extent of receiving media protection.

Normal recommendation for working with the media

Coping with a member of the media — whether or not they’re working for print, tv
or different medium – might be nerve-wracking. Listed below are some tips to assist ease nervousness
whereas offering correct data and serving to the reporter meet their wants.

• If a member of the media reaches out to you instantly, get the identify of the reporter,
  the media group they work for and their deadline for receiving data
  from MSU. Attain out to a member of the Information Service to advise them of the contact.
• If you happen to interview with a reporter, discover out after they anticipate the story will likely be
  launched and the place will probably be obtainable (in print, on-line or when it would air on TV/radio).
  This data needs to be included when the notification is made to the suitable
  Information Service employees member.
• Be immediate, useful and sincere in your coping with the media. All contacts from the
  media needs to be returned as quickly as attainable, in deference to reporters’ deadlines.
  Be sure to perceive every query from the media earlier than answering. If you happen to can’t
  reply the query, or are uncomfortable offering a response, take the reporter’s
  quantity and advise them that somebody who can present the data will contact him/her
  as quickly as attainable. Then comply with up by contacting the suitable media specialist
  or the Information Service director.
• Don’t provide speculations or gossip.
• Don’t reply a reporter’s query with “no remark.”
• Don’t be condescending or underestimate the reporter’s intelligence, however be sure
  the reporter understands your responses.
• Present your cellphone quantity and/or e-mail handle to allow them to strategy you with follow-up
  questions.
• Keep in mind that in responding to the media, you might be seen as representing and talking
  for the college. Keep away from sharing your private opinions, and in the event you do, clearly and
  fastidiously determine them as your opinions.
• Refer inquiries about authorized points; personnel points; campus crises or emergencies;
  and questions of college integrity, akin to ethics or points that will lead to
  hurt to others to the director of the Information Service or vice chairman of College
  Communications.
• Any media inquiries that contain identifiable details about particular school,
  employees or college students needs to be directed to the director of the Information Service or vice chairman
  of College Communications.
• Solely public data on school and employees could also be offered with out the worker’s
  written approval. Public data might be discovered on the MSU Listing.