To Report an Event, Program or Story to the Office of Marketing and Creative Services

As we continue to develop a stronger presence with the media, we encourage faculty and staff to become more involved and take a proactive role in notifying our office of events, new programs, special guest speakers, scholarly activities, and areas of expertise. Events should be reported at least four to six weeks in advance or as soon as you are aware of the event/situation.

Please use the NewsAlert form to notify the media relations team of possible news items, or contact the media relations officer, at extension 2925 or e-mail news@pointloma.edu. For urgent news, call (619) 807-4620. 

Keep Us Informed

If a situation or event arises that may attract media representatives to the campus, or if a reporter is already on campus to cover a situation or event, please inform the media relations officer (ext 2925) immediately so that we may work to assist the media in the most appropriate fashion.

In the unfortunate event of an emergency or crime on campus, please notify the media relations officer prior to speaking to the media. We must be prepared for any type of media attention.

Faculty Experts

What does it mean to serve as an expert? Faculty and staff can serve as experts to media contacts in their individual areas of expertise. Reporters continuously contact the media relations team looking for experts to discuss subjects related to current trends. Faculty and staff can fill out the expert directory questionnaire to be included in this database. Your information will be kept confidential and will be given out only with your permission. Experts, feel free to contact us at news@pointloma.edu if you have questions or to update your information.

Working with the Media

As PLNU faculty and staff, you have the potential to serve as a great source of information to the public. Keep in mind that sharing information with reporters influences the credibility and integrity of both you and the university. Additionally, keeping the community and alumni aware of faculty and staff research findings generates even more support for students and the campus. Perhaps most importantly, by speaking to the press you have the opportunity to communicate your message or findings to thousands, perhaps millions of people.

Still, the idea of speaking to a reporter can be intimidating. To help prepare you to speak to reporters, the media relations team has compiled a list of tips for working with the media. If you have further questions, have been contacted by a reporter, or anticipate talking to the media, please contact the media relations officer at (619) 849-2925.

If a media representative contacts you, please adhere to the following:

• Ask the representative/reporter if they have already spoken to a media relations contact at the university. If we have directed them to you, we will let you know first.
• If they have not yet spoken to the media relations team, but you know you are the appropriate expert in the field, speak with them as you feel comfortable and afterward, contact the media relations team and let us know to whom you spoke, provide an overview of the conversation, and indicate if follow-up is needed. If you feel uncomfortable, please let the member of the media know that you will call them back and contact our office. We are available to facilitate any interview and can direct the conversation if need be.
• If the topic is not within your area of expertise, redirect the reporter to the media relations team. Email or phone us with the reporter's name, number, topic and deadline.

Tips for working with the media:

• Timely responses are critical because reporters are under constant deadlines. Reporters need a response in minutes, not hours or days.
• Remember, talking with the media is an opportunity, not a challenge.
• Come prepared with an objective and two or three secondary themes you want to share, no matter what type of question a reporter may ask.
• Know with whom you are interacting by obtaining the reporter's name and publication. Find out exactly how you can help and when the deadline falls.
• Caught off guard by a call from a reporter? Tell him/her you will return the call within the hour. Use this time to collect your thoughts and prepare yourself to answer questions.
• Cooperation with the media is very important. A no comment response may suggest that you are trying to hide something or evade the question. If this is your answer, try to explain why you cannot make a comment, i.e., that speculation or conjecture is not appropriate.
• Face-to-face interviews are preferable when material needs an in-depth explanation. This is difficult because of distance and deadlines, but is preferable if possible for clarity.
• Reporters expect honesty, fairness, a professional attitude, background information, an institutional response, and concise, clear-cut, factual information.
• Anticipate tough questions. If the questions make you uneasy or you would just rather not respond, address them briefly and continue with what you want to say.
• Reporters will not show you a story before publication; it conflicts with journalistic ethics and professionalism. However, you should ask them to read you your quotes once the story has been written. Then you can check it for inaccuracies.
• If you are misquoted, contact us and we will tell the reporter, not the editor.

What to do when a reporter shows up in your office:

• Introduce yourself to everyone in the group.
• Become familiar with the subject and discover the reporter’s agenda. Find out who else they talked to, what they had to say, etc.
• Locate the cameraperson and tell them where to set up to shoot. This is your interview, so you determine the location.
• While the crew is setting up, contact the media relations officer (619) 849-2925 or via email at news@pointloma.edu and prepare your response.
• Have two positive themes ready relating to the subject to communicate your message to the audience. Use those themes in responding to each question.

Tips for speaking on camera:

• When you are on camera, you are PLNU. Your job is to walk away having well represented PLNU.
• Remember, you are only talking partly to the reporter. Talk through the reporter to the community.
• Determine two to three messages you wish to convey. Do so in the context of the interview. Reiterate as possible.
• Use short, simple sentences. Avoid jargon that may not be understood by someone who is not in the field.
• Body language is important. Listen with your face. Do not affirm negatives with nodding.
• Show that you care and speak from the heart.
• Do not answer the same question twice and do not let the interviewer change the subject. Respond with, “I believe I’ve already answered that. Do you have any other questions?” or “I believe you are here to discuss (subject). Do you have any other questions about (subject)?”

For additional tips or if you would like to participate in a media training session, contact the media relations officer at (619) 849-2925 or email at news@pointloma.edu.  

Media interview DOs and DON'Ts:

Do:

• Take the lead in the interview.
• Concisely state your point or institution's position.
• Explain a subject and emphasize the facts (clarify facts when appropriate).
• Correct mistakes or misunderstandings.
• Try to be as open, honest, and friendly as possible.

Don't:

• Guess.
• Hypothesize.
• Ever say something off the record or disclose confidential items.
• Dwell on an individual's inadequate behavior.
• Act passively.
• Be rude or aggressive, even if the reporter is.