Media Training
Stetson's experienced and dedicated marketing team is responsible for sharing the university's newsworthy accomplishments, campus activities and faculty research with the media. We assist journalists by arranging interviews with faculty, administrators, staff and students.
Share Your Expertise
Reporters frequently call us looking for an expert to interview for their story. If you would like to be included in our list of subject matter experts, please get in touch.
Media Training
If you are interested in becoming a subject-matter expert for media interviews, please contact Cory Lancaster at [email protected] or 386-822-7214. Media Training can be scheduled for small groups or individuals on an as-needed basis.
Working with the Media
- Journalists often work on tight deadlines. Please get back to them as quickly as possible. Journalists can be assigned a news story at 10 a.m. and be expected to file it by noon. If you are not able to do the interview within the time they specify, tell them when you will be free to talk and they may be able to adjust.
- Often a single journalist will produce stories for television and a media website. They may interview multiple sources, so there could be a delay between your interview and when the story publishes.
- When you share your interview on social media, mention the journalist and media outlet to show your appreciation for their work.
- If you need time to collect your thoughts before responding to a journalist's questions, feel free to tell them that you will call them back within a specified, short time (5-10 minutes).
- Focus on three key points that you want to get across in the interview. Too many messages will be harder to remember and you may not have time to fit them all in.
- Use short, compelling sentences to communicate your points. Finding a simple anecdote or metaphor that most people can relate to will help to illustrate what you mean. "Stetson's carbon reduction over the past two years is equal to taking 2,000 cars off the road for five years."
- If discussing your research, try not to use too many statistics in recorded comments because they are hard to follow. Limit yourself to one statistic per 10-second sound bite.
- Anticipate questions that might arise and prepare potential answers and ideas ahead of time. Don't rehearse answers word for word, just be ready to express your ideas succinctly and thoughtfully.
- Avoid jargon, which takes time to explain. Instead, choose language that will be easily understood by a general audience.
- For television, wear comfortable clothes without busy patterns and a minimum of jewelry or anything else that might distract the viewer's eye.
- Never speak off the record and always assume that everything you say from the moment you enter the building (or answer the phone, or shake hands) could be quoted.
- Correct the record, politely, if the reporter has inaccurate information. You both will be happy you did.
- Speak in conversational terms, be brief and non-technical. Keep in mind that 10-second sound bites are great for TV and social media.
- State important facts first and remember your key points. Your time is limited so be sure to get your points across.
- Use short anecdotes or metaphors to illustrate your ideas.
- If you don't know something, say so in a friendly way.
- Don't stray from your area of expertise even if the reporter encourages you to do so.