Drafting a press release and advice on talking to the media
Drafting a press release
After you have let us know about your news item, we will draft a press release, when drafted, we will send it to you for checking. This process takes time, so please give the Press Office as much notice as possible, particularly if the information needs to be released on a specific date.
Advice on speaking to the press
All staff are encouraged to contact the Press Office before speaking to the media.
If you take a call from the media and decide to speak to the reporter, ask who they are, which outlet they are from and what subjects they wish to talk about?
If you decide to talk to them directly:
- you can buy yourself time by saying you will call back
- if you say you are going to call back, please do so, even if it is to say you do not wish to be interviewed
- think about what you want to say – mark down three points
- do not speak ‘off the record’ as this may not be honoured
- try to avoid jargon when talking about your research
- if the conversation goes into an area you were not expecting, you can ask them to email questions to give you more time to consider the answers
You have the option of contacting the Press Office before having the conversation.
Advice on doing radio and TV interviews
If you take a call from the media and decide to speak to the reporter, ask who they are, which outlet they are from and what subjects they wish to talk about?
- write down three or four points you feel you want to make before the interview and any brief relevant statistics
- ask if the interview is live or recorded. If the latter, you have the option of stopping the interview at any time and restating your answer
- speak in everyday language – if you must use technical terms define them and do not speak in acronyms. Give concrete examples of why your work is important and its potential
- Keep your answers brief (no more than 30 seconds) but do not answer questions with either 'yes' or 'no'
- ask what the questions will be before the interview begins, to give you time to prepare
- try to mention the University of Bath during the interview
- talk with enthusiasm
Making a complaint about media coverage
If you wish to make a complaint about the media’s coverage, it is best to contact the Press Office first.