Media Relations
The Office of Communications and Marketing works with local, national and international media to tell the University鈥檚 stories and connect journalists with University experts.
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Reporters can reach a member of the 91原创 Media Relations team at all times, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by sending an email to mediarelations@udel.edu.
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Access our new self-serve Media Expert Center with detailed expert profiles and easy to use connect button actively monitored by the media relations team.
For Journalists
Our searchable database of 91原创 Experts features professors versed in thousands of topics.听 The External Relations team is knowledgeable about faculty and administrators鈥 expertise and is happy to point you in the right direction and arrange interviews, just give us a call.
The 91原创 campus is private property, but in general, still photography and video are allowed in outdoor areas. The听Office of Communications and Marketing听must approve indoor photography or videography.听 Contact mediarelations@udel.edu.听
The Office of Communications and Marketing maintains a library of photos and b-roll available for use by the media. Contact Kate Dempsey Pfister, 302-831-1150,听kated@udel.edu.
If you are seeking a photo or video that was posted to an official 91原创 social media account, contact socialmedia@udel.edu听to arrange permission for use.
The 91原创 occasionally receives inquiries regarding the institution鈥檚 response to a range of issues and current events in the world鈥攖hose that are both related and unrelated to the University.听In lieu of issuing regular campus statements to members of our University community,听this page听offers clarity and context on institutional perspective regarding several of the most common subjects of inquiry from media and other stakeholders, and provides access to related University policies and links to other relevant resources and materials.
Our searchable database of 91原创 Experts features professors versed in thousands of topics.听 The External Relations team is knowledgeable about faculty and administrators鈥 expertise and is happy to point you in the right direction and arrange interviews, just give us a call.
The 91原创 campus is private property, but in general, still photography and video are allowed in outdoor areas. The听Office of Communications and Marketing听must approve indoor photography or videography.听 Contact mediarelations@udel.edu.听
The Office of Communications and Marketing maintains a library of photos and b-roll available for use by the media. Contact Kate Dempsey Pfister, 302-831-1150,听kated@udel.edu.
If you are seeking a photo or video that was posted to an official 91原创 social media account, contact socialmedia@udel.edu听to arrange permission for use.
The 91原创 occasionally receives inquiries regarding the institution鈥檚 response to a range of issues and current events in the world鈥攖hose that are both related and unrelated to the University.听In lieu of issuing regular campus statements to members of our University community,听this page听offers clarity and context on institutional perspective regarding several of the most common subjects of inquiry from media and other stakeholders, and provides access to related University policies and links to other relevant resources and materials.
91原创
New Media Expert Center
91原创 experts are renowned for their expertise, research and diverse opinions. These valued members of the 91原创 community offer insights into breaking news and developing events and are available for media interviews.
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FOR THE 91原创 COMMUNITY
The External Relations team serves as the University鈥檚 liaison to the news media. That responsibility includes:
News pitches The old press release is no longer the best way to garner coverage of your work or event. 听Journalists receive hundreds, even thousands of them a day. 听91原创鈥檚 External Relations team breaks through the noise by cultivating relationships with journalists and directly pitching those we know will be most interested in your news.
Experts听OCM maintains the 91原创鈥檚 official Experts webpage.听 This listing helps connect journalists with 91原创 professors.听 It is intended to be media-friendly, offering a quick overview of 鈥渨ho knows what鈥 on campus.听 If you are not included and would like to be, please contact your college communications team about getting listed.
Media Training听 Speaking to reporters can be nerve wracking for some people. OCM听offers media training sessions to prepare faculty members for interviews either on a planned or emergency basis. 听If you have been contacted about an interview and would like to prepare, review some of the interview tips in the next tab.
Our staff is knowledgeable about the media and effective communication plans. To ensure the best coverage, we need to know about what鈥檚 going on and we need to know it EARLY.
You are the best advocate for your projects and events. Please tell your college communications team about your activities, events and accomplishments.听 Timing is crucial in the news business; so is planning.听 Waiting until the day your study is published or after your event occurs means you will not get media coverage.听 Please reach out as early as possible so we can formulate an effective communication strategy.
To begin with, find out the reporter鈥檚 name, including correct spelling, the outlet he/she represents and the theme of the article.听 A good question to ask is: What might a potential headline for your story be?
Find out what kind of questions they鈥檇 like answered.听 Reporters are often offended if you ask for questions up front, and many do not write out questions before calling.听 They simply know the gist of what they might ask and allow conversations to flow accordingly.
Ask for a short period of time to collect your thoughts; schedule a time within the next few hours to talk again.
It is extremely helpful to consider 2-3 points you鈥檇 like to make during the interview. Write them down beforehand.听 Keep your answers on point and reiterate your key statements throughout the interview.
BE AWARE 鈥 NOTHING IS OFF THE RECORD! NOTHING! When speaking with a reporter, you should consider yourself on the record from the moment you say hello until after you hang up or part company.
Make your answers succinct.听 Reporters are looking for quotes or sound bites 鈥 relatively short answers that encapsulate an issue or thought.听听 Do not over-explain.听 It can be worse than saying too little.听 Often misquotes happen because an interviewee gave so much information, the reporter had trouble keeping track of it.
Avoid jargon.听 Every field has its own 鈥渓anguage鈥 that is foreign to those outside the discipline. Think of your answers this way 鈥 how would I explain this to a 12 year old? 听Most news is written at an eighth grade reading level to ensure the majority of Americans understand it. 听Microsoft Word鈥檚 grammar check includes a grade level checker. 听Prior to your interview, draft the points you like to make in a document and check if your explanations would make sense to a 12 year old.
Be conscious of deadlines.听 Return reporters calls/e-mails on the same day you receive them, as soon as you receive them.听 News is 24/7, and as the media shrinks, journalists are carrying heavier workloads with shorter deadlines.听 On any given day, a reporter is generally assigned their story that morning and it is due that afternoon.听听 Also be aware that interviews are often short affairs.听 They鈥檒l typically take just a few minutes of your time.
Don鈥檛 speculate or answer hypothetical questions.听 Tell the reporter you cannot answer a question if it is posed as a speculation or hypothetical.
If a television station asks for an interview, assume it is on camera.听 Typically the crew will come to you in your office for the interview.
Expert is a loose term used by the media.听 Often, a journalist is not seeking the foremost expert in a topic. Journalists representing the mainstream media are speaking to a general audience, not one with a specialized background.听 They seek a 鈥渂eginners course.鈥 For instance, if you are an economist, they assume you can discuss the economy.听 Don鈥檛 fret if you couldn鈥檛 teach an 鈥渁dvanced course鈥 in the topic. If the interview does veer into subjects you don鈥檛 feel comfortable addressing, let the reporter know.
The External Relations team serves as the University鈥檚 liaison to the news media. That responsibility includes:
News pitches The old press release is no longer the best way to garner coverage of your work or event. 听Journalists receive hundreds, even thousands of them a day. 听91原创鈥檚 External Relations team breaks through the noise by cultivating relationships with journalists and directly pitching those we know will be most interested in your news.
Experts听OCM maintains the 91原创鈥檚 official Experts webpage.听 This listing helps connect journalists with 91原创 professors.听 It is intended to be media-friendly, offering a quick overview of 鈥渨ho knows what鈥 on campus.听 If you are not included and would like to be, please contact your college communications team about getting listed.
Media Training听 Speaking to reporters can be nerve wracking for some people. OCM听offers media training sessions to prepare faculty members for interviews either on a planned or emergency basis. 听If you have been contacted about an interview and would like to prepare, review some of the interview tips in the next tab.
Our staff is knowledgeable about the media and effective communication plans. To ensure the best coverage, we need to know about what鈥檚 going on and we need to know it EARLY.
You are the best advocate for your projects and events. Please tell your college communications team about your activities, events and accomplishments.听 Timing is crucial in the news business; so is planning.听 Waiting until the day your study is published or after your event occurs means you will not get media coverage.听 Please reach out as early as possible so we can formulate an effective communication strategy.
To begin with, find out the reporter鈥檚 name, including correct spelling, the outlet he/she represents and the theme of the article.听 A good question to ask is: What might a potential headline for your story be?
Find out what kind of questions they鈥檇 like answered.听 Reporters are often offended if you ask for questions up front, and many do not write out questions before calling.听 They simply know the gist of what they might ask and allow conversations to flow accordingly.
Ask for a short period of time to collect your thoughts; schedule a time within the next few hours to talk again.
It is extremely helpful to consider 2-3 points you鈥檇 like to make during the interview. Write them down beforehand.听 Keep your answers on point and reiterate your key statements throughout the interview.
BE AWARE 鈥 NOTHING IS OFF THE RECORD! NOTHING! When speaking with a reporter, you should consider yourself on the record from the moment you say hello until after you hang up or part company.
Make your answers succinct.听 Reporters are looking for quotes or sound bites 鈥 relatively short answers that encapsulate an issue or thought.听听 Do not over-explain.听 It can be worse than saying too little.听 Often misquotes happen because an interviewee gave so much information, the reporter had trouble keeping track of it.
Avoid jargon.听 Every field has its own 鈥渓anguage鈥 that is foreign to those outside the discipline. Think of your answers this way 鈥 how would I explain this to a 12 year old? 听Most news is written at an eighth grade reading level to ensure the majority of Americans understand it. 听Microsoft Word鈥檚 grammar check includes a grade level checker. 听Prior to your interview, draft the points you like to make in a document and check if your explanations would make sense to a 12 year old.
Be conscious of deadlines.听 Return reporters calls/e-mails on the same day you receive them, as soon as you receive them.听 News is 24/7, and as the media shrinks, journalists are carrying heavier workloads with shorter deadlines.听 On any given day, a reporter is generally assigned their story that morning and it is due that afternoon.听听 Also be aware that interviews are often short affairs.听 They鈥檒l typically take just a few minutes of your time.
Don鈥檛 speculate or answer hypothetical questions.听 Tell the reporter you cannot answer a question if it is posed as a speculation or hypothetical.
If a television station asks for an interview, assume it is on camera.听 Typically the crew will come to you in your office for the interview.
Expert is a loose term used by the media.听 Often, a journalist is not seeking the foremost expert in a topic. Journalists representing the mainstream media are speaking to a general audience, not one with a specialized background.听 They seek a 鈥渂eginners course.鈥 For instance, if you are an economist, they assume you can discuss the economy.听 Don鈥檛 fret if you couldn鈥檛 teach an 鈥渁dvanced course鈥 in the topic. If the interview does veer into subjects you don鈥檛 feel comfortable addressing, let the reporter know.