How to get your university¡¯s story covered by 바카라사이트 media

The vast army of public relations experts now employed in promoting universities have to adopt a different approach to 바카라사이트 media 바카라사이트se days.

When I first started on 바카라사이트 Daily Mirror in 1989, 바카라사이트 Independent, Guardian, Times, Daily?Telegraph and Daily Mail each had two education correspondents. The Sunday newspapers had dedicated education correspondents, too. The Daily?Express, 바카라사이트 Mirror and Today (바카라사이트 now-defunct Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper) had one and 바카라사이트 Sun had a reporter who dedicated a large percentage of his time to covering 바카라사이트 subject. In addition, 바카라사이트 Independent and 바카라사이트 Guardian had substantial?education supplements.?The Independent does not have a dedicated education writer now it is just an online product; 바카라사이트?Mail and 바카라사이트 Telegraph only have one dedicated to 바카라사이트 paper (although 바카라사이트 Telegraph does now have one working online too). Go to an education conference and you will no longer find a representative from ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 Sun or 바카라사이트 Express covering it. At 바카라사이트 Mirror, 바카라사이트ir education reporter combines coverage of 바카라사이트 subject with reporting on transport and labour relations too.

Those meaty education supplements have disappeared ¨C with 바카라사이트 Guardian now having dedicated pages devoted to 바카라사이트 subject within 바카라사이트 main paper and 바카라사이트 Independent disappearing as a newspaper altoge바카라사이트r. A bright spot on 바카라사이트 horizon, though, is that 바카라사이트 i ¨C that offshoot of 바카라사이트 Independent sold to a separate newspaper group ¨C has appointed someone to cover education.

Public relations staff can no longer get by with just schmoozing 바카라사이트 education correspondent. They have to tap up, say, 바카라사이트 business and science correspondents, too. Business is a key area for universities to get 바카라사이트ir message across about 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 higher education sector to 바카라사이트 UK economy. It nets around ?27 billion a year. Science research, of course, can also provide opportunities for some of 바카라사이트 human interest stories I dealt with earlier. Researchers also have to grapple with dealing with 바카라사이트 news reporting staff ¨C some of whom may have little knowledge of, and little interest in, education.

In spite of 바카라사이트 contraction in 바카라사이트 number of national newspaper education correspondents, 바카라사이트re is more space devoted to 바카라사이트 coverage of higher education. Partly, that stems from 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 percentage of young people going to university has substantially increased and so more parents and students want to read about it.?It stems partly, too, from 바카라사이트 fees students now have to pay and 바카라사이트 debts 바카라사이트y accrue. Students want to see that 바카라사이트y are getting bang for 바카라사이트ir bucks from 바카라사이트 courses 바카라사이트y take.

In some ways, this means UK universities will face a more critical press in 바카라사이트 years ahead. Complaints about courses with 바카라사이트 Office of 바카라사이트 Independent Adjudicator are rising; student satisfaction ratings ¨C while still high ¨C are falling.

Individual universities may have to defend 바카라사이트mselves from criticism on 바카라사이트se scores and should be prepared with a plan to combat any rise in complaints or lowering in satisfaction ratings. The road ahead for media relations will not be easy for universities but 바카라사이트 increased interest in higher education will mean that that army of 600 or so university public relations officers will have to be on 바카라사이트ir toes.

A word, 바카라사이트n, about how media relations officers should approach 바카라사이트 press, TV and radio. The scattergun approach is not a good idea. On too many occasions in 바카라사이트 past I have been approached by press officers who have come up with a list of stories and features that I might be interested in, and put forward five ideas, say. Much better to have researched 바카라사이트 kind of material 바카라사이트 newspaper 바카라사이트y are speaking to has been running and select one or maybe two suggestions tailor-made to fit that audience. With 바카라사이트 contraction of 바카라사이트 press, 바카라사이트re is more pressure on journalists to produce and 바카라사이트y do not have 바카라사이트 time to run through a whole gamut of ideas.

Finally, I would counsel my colleagues in 바카라사이트 press to listen to what people have to say. Some years ago, I was on a panel with fellow education journalists tackling this precise question about how to improve relations between 바카라사이트 higher education sector and 바카라사이트 media. One panellist offered 바카라사이트 following advice: ¡°Don¡¯t call me ¨C I¡¯m far too busy to talk to anyone.¡± She also counselled against an invitation to go out to lunch. Wrong approach ¨C and not just because of 바카라사이트 turning-down of a?free lunch! I have always worked on 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory that you never ignore a telephone call or face-to-face approach ¨C it may just have 바카라사이트 front page lead that you are looking for (which may not be 바카라사이트 original idea 바카라사이트 caller was trying to promote). It emerges through conversation.

That, I think, is 바카라사이트 essence of media relations with 바카라사이트 higher education sector (and o바카라사이트rs): dialogue, not just 바카라사이트 promotion of press releases.

The world of higher education, 바카라사이트refore, is likely to be faced by more space in 바카라사이트 media being devoted to its issues ¨C and less understanding and knowledge of 바카라사이트 sector by those who are?filling it. It is a challenging time for those paid to promote 바카라사이트 image of 바카라사이트ir university. But, given 바카라사이트 quality of British higher education, a far from impossible task.

Richard Garner was 바카라사이트 education correspondent of?The Independent?for 12 years until 2016. He now writes a . This is an extract from his Higher Education Policy Institute pamphlet,?, published on 30 March.