How academics can comment on the current news agenda

an on-demand BlueSky Education Masterclass

Agenda

Consider these scenarios…

Perhaps… a journalist gets in touch, describes the story they’re writing and asks if your expert faculty can provide some comment. Their voice, the journalist says, will provide the much needed analysis of the subject matter to help readers understand story, help to steer the discussion into new, unexplored areas and prompt further discussion. 

It’s a golden opportunity, but the deadline is just a few hours away. Your faculty are busy, cannot commit on such a short time-frame. Maybe by next week, but not now.

And it’s an opportunity missed.

Or… An important story is dominating the global news agenda. The media are crying out for expert spokespeople to make sense of what’s happening and your institution has just the right person for the job. You might have even pre-emptively reached out to newspapers or broadcasters to put your expert forward, and received a favourable response.

But, your faculty member is cautious of the offer on the table – does not want to comment publicly and is concerned of the impact it may have on their work or reputation.

And you have to decline.

Maybe… you’re lucky enough to have a fantastically keen professor who is very happy to engage with the media. Who has taken time out of their busy day to provide comment to a journalist – has spoken at length about their research and its findings.

And, despite this, the journalist does not include the comment in their article.

And you have disappointed faculty to appease. 

If any (or all!) of the above scenarios are familiar, then this webinar is for you.

Unfortunately, once you’ve missed a couple of deadlines, or sent the “sorry we are unable to help” email a few times, those golden opportunities begin to dry up. Instead, other institutions step in and lead the way.

But, there are ways to prevent these scenarios from happening – and we’re willing to share a few tips with you!

During our free webinar, hosted by Kerry Ruffle and Peter Remon, we will show you how to more effectively engage your faculty with the global media – tapping them into the current news agenda and encouraging them to share their perspectives in a way which not only meets those all-important deadlines, but entices journalists to want to find out more! We’ll explore how such activities can help your institution to reach the audiences that matter, put you ahead of your peers and, most importantly, make a significant positive impact on both your institution and the experts within them.

Hosted by

Kerry Ruffle
Head of Education PR Practice

A former BBC journalist, recognised in the graduate management education arena as a leading authority on communications for the industry, Kerry has more than a decade of experience in the media and public relations.

She is experienced in advising prestigious institutions on ambitious media strategies and delivering impactful results, working with high-ranking institutions that includes the likes of Imperial College Business School, HEC Paris, the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill University, Durham University Business School, Nyenrode Business University, the University of St. Gallen and the London School of Economics’ Department of Management, as well as international programmes such as TRIUM, CEMS The Global Alliance in Management Education, and Henry Mintzberg’s IMPM programme.

Peter Remon
Senior Account Manager

Peter has cemented relationships globally with key journalists and editors, achieving prominence for clients across a breadth and depth of significant publications, from trade specific media like International Finance Magazine and QS TopMBA, to national and international goliaths such as Handelsblatt, Le Monde, US News and World Report, and the Financial Times.

Peter also writes under his own name for key publications such as HRZone, Medium and Data Driven Investor.

Register now to watch on-demand