Media Relations Guidance

Interviews

  • Before agreeing to do an interview, run it by the comms team for the specific CSU/Bridging Barriers initiative. It’s possible that there is a current event or political development brewing and the timing is not right for an interview.
  • Ask for questions or at least the gist of the interview in advance. If it’s a print interview, ask to provide email responses, if preferred.
  • If it exists, read the news release or pitch before the interview for a refresher on messaging. Write down a couple of the key points to make.
  • Google the reporter to get a sense of what they write about and any biographical information that might be helpful for small talk/introductions.
  • Use as little jargon as possible. Focus on why your research matters to the layperson.
  • Speak in complete sentences in responses.
  • If it’s a TV or radio interview, watch out for filler words (“like” or “um”). It’s better to pause than use filler words.
  • Turn off cell phones and/or take off smart watches, because they can be very distracting, even on vibrate.
  • Answer the reporter’s questions and stop talking rather than try to fill the silence.
  • Many reporters’ last question will be something like, “Do you have anything else to add?” or “Is there something I didn’t ask you about?” Have a short summary response ready, even if it’s repeating a point already made.
  • Have a glass of water nearby.
  • If someone encounters a question they don't know the answer to, it is acceptable to acknowledge a lack of expertise, but express a willingness to find the answer or seek help from someone who does. Keeping a notebook nearby can be useful for jotting down such queries.
  • Send a brief note of thanks to the reporter after the interview but keep it straightforward, such as “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me and learn more”, etc. Don’t be overly chummy or say something like, “You’re amazing and I know the story is going to be great.” Good journalists are impartial and don’t want to feel beholden to interviewees.

Find more guidance in this article.

 

Op-eds

  • Coordinate with Matt Pene in University Marketing & Communications
  • To have the best chance of getting published, an op-ed must be timely and ideally submitted within 24 hours of a related news event.

Timely topics for op-eds

  • Misinformation and disinformation
  • Large language models
  • AI Policy
  • Racial justice
  • The future of work
  • Infrastructure and Transportation

 What not to do

  • Don’t be self-promotional or UT-centric
  • Don’t just analyze the situation or be overly broad
  • Don’t be too technical, avoid jargon and don’t use acronyms

 Op-ed tips

  • Have a topical reference
  • Offer specific recommendations or a call to action
    • The more provocative, the more likely it is to be published
    • Op-eds take a stand; they do not announce news or market programs/initiatives
  • Make a single point and put it on top (you should be able to sum it up in a sentence)
  • The emphasis should be on "where do we go from here" rather than "how did we get here"
  • Use active voice
  • Avoid tedious rebuttals
  • Make the ending a winner; go full circle
  • Aim for a length of 650 words or less

Find guidance from the New York Times on writing op-eds.