Cornell University Press Relations Office

Fielding media inquiries | Handling broadcast interviews | Writing Op-Eds | Writing press releases

Tips for fielding media inquiries

Members of the media are regularly on campus, or contacting people on campus, to report on the news out of Cornell. Generally, media come through our office first, and we suggest that they do, but they may call on staff, faculty or students directly. You may always re-direct media calls to our office, and we welcome that. But if you are called upon for an interview and choose to respond directly, or if you have set up a phone or broadcast interview through our office, here are some tips to keep in mind to help reduce the chances of being misquoted or misunderstood.

• Be sure to contact the Press Relations Office, especially if you have any misgiving about taking part in the interview.
• Ask the reporter to report who s/he is and from what media outlet or organization they are calling.
• For broadcast media inquiries, find out if the interview is live or will be taped for later broadcast. Remember that you can't edit anything you say on a live program, so you will probably want to take some time beforehand to be prepared for the interview.
• Ask what the story is about and what the questions will concern, and then repeat back to the reporter what your understanding is about the interview content. This is essential in order to ensure that you are the proper person/expert for the reporter to speak with and also to make sure that your responses are framed accordingly. Some reporters may not know exactly what they're after, or have little knowledge on the subject, and may be looking for a quote from a credible source to pad their story. This is fine as long as you come to an agreement with the reporter, first, on what information you will (and won't) be providing and in what context that information will be reported
• Don't be afraid to say "no" to a media request. If you feel you are not the best source for a story or are uncomfortable with the content or direction of the piece as described by the reporter, simply say so and thank them for thinking of Cornell, direct them to the Press Relations Office or suggest another Cornell expert who might be a more appropriate source on the topic.
• Prepare for your interview by developing the essential points you want to get across and write them down. Referring to those points will help you stay on message.
• Once you begin speaking with a reporter for a print story or recorded interview, the assumption is that you are speaking "on the record" at all times. This means that anything you say may be reported or quoted in the story. If you would like (before or at anytime during an interview) to offer the reporter some background information, but do not wish to be quoted on the information, you may ask "Can we go off the record?" Make sure the reporter agrees that you will be speaking off the record and won't be quoted, before you proceed. If you subsequently feel comfortable providing the information for the story, you can agree with the reporter to go "on the record." These agreements need to be understood by both you and the reporter before you continue.
• Even if you are speaking for a live program, take your time thinking about your response. Don't let the reporter or producer rush you. For taped interviews, if you feel like you need to think about something before making a statement, or you need to check your notes or confer with a colleague, that's fine. Simply agree to pause, or call the reporter back when you are ready to continue.
• Speak slowly and clearly and keep your response as brief as possible.
• Stay on message. The reporter may try to move you to tangential topics, topics outside of your expertise, or topics that call for speculation you aren't willing to engage in. There is no need to answer such questions, and you're under no obligation to do so. Simply repeat the statements and "essential points" that you are comfortable making.
• Ask the reporter to read back your quotes - to make sure they are quoting you correctly - and make any neccessary corrections or clarifications. Most print reporters will balk at reading back their stories, but most will agree to read back your direct quotes or go over facts for accuracy.

Additional tips for handling TV broadcast interviews

• Contact the Press Relations Office for assistance and for help in setting up interviews.
• If possible, wear a shirt of a basic (not print) color but, do not wear white.
• If possible, you may wish to apply a small amount of powder to prevent shine. Women may also wish to apply a small amount of blush and mascara (upper lashes only) as the camera tends to "wash out" subjects.
• Get direction beforehand and pay close attention to where you should be looking when you reply to questions: either directly into the camera or off to the side to a reporter or producer.
• Relax and keep your responses clear, straightforward and brief.
• Finally, ask about the story's air/publication date and time, and contact the Press Relations Office if you haven't already to give us that information. We track Cornell appearances in the news, but always appreciate a heads up on queries that did not go through our office. We will be glad to send you a link to the story as it appeared or obtain for you a tape of any broadcast interview.

Tips for writing Op-Eds

• Contact the Press Relations Office for assistance in formulating, editing and placing your opinion piece.
• An opinion piece is oriented 180 degrees from an academic paper. Academic papers describe facts/evidence and then reach conclusions. With an Op-Ed piece, you hit the reader between the eyes with the first paragraph: Make a clear, strong point, and THEN make your supporting arguments.
• Don't get hung up on caveats, as you do in academic research. A few are fine but too many make your argument weak. Remember, this is not an academic paper; it should be an interesting, persuasive argument that is based on your opinion(s). The ideal OpEd is interesting, enjoyable to read, and offers the reader some appealing 'food for thought.'
• Give your Op-Ed some "snap." Editors like provocative Op-Ed pieces. "Provocative" doesn't mean irresponsible or insulting, it simply means writing a persuasive argument that gets right to the central point, is crystal clear, concise and interesting, and which may run counter to conventional wisdom.
• Opinion editors like strong opinions that raise questions/perspectives that haven't been raised before on an issue. They like Op-Ed pieces that make the readers, say, "I didn't think of that." In addition, editors tend to prefer opinion pieces that offer tangible solutions to issues raised by the author.
• Timeliness: Even great Op-Eds will be rejected if they don't strike a chord with issues that are timely and relevant to readers' lives at a particular time. The New York Times Op-Ed page, for instance, often clusters several opinion pieces around an issue.
• Most Op-Ed pages look for columns in the 750-word range. Always check the desired word length for the publication you're submitting your piece to before writing.
• Be aware that newspaper editors aren't like the editors in peer-reviewed journals. They want to preserve your writing style, but they have style and clarity concerns that apply to all articles appearing on their pages. Newspaper editors have daily deadline pressures, which means the editing process will be accelerated compared to you are used to encountering. When working with a news editor, think seconds and minutes rather than weeks or months. Don't confuse (and possibly irritate) them with excessive changes and inquiries. If they give you a chance to make changes, assume they will be the last changes you can make before the presses roll.

Tips for writing press releases

• If you have an important press release with broad or university-wide significance, please contact the Press Relations Office. We can work with you on wording, pitching strategy and managing distribution of the release, so you can get the best results for your news.
• Keep the press release "headline" short and punchy and to the point. If you need to add a sub-headline to introduce additional crucial information, do so. Remember that reporters and editors receive hundreds of press releases every day so you need to grab them quickly. Editors rarely read a press release beyond the headline and/or first sentence or two. If you haven't grabbed them by the end of the first paragraph, you've probably lost them.
• Keep the release to one page if possible and never more than two.
• Make sure all pertinent information (topic/date/time) is clear and in the first paragraph and that all contact information for interested reporters is clear. Remember you aren't writing a story that needs to be creative. Think Dragnet: "just the facts."
• If possible, try to get and include a quote from an administrator, major participant or expert source. These comments can do alot to elevate the credibility of a releaseand grab the attention of a harried reporter or editor. If necessary, the Press Relations Office can help obtain quotes from administrators.
• Consider the timing of your release and where you want the release sent. Many times news does not receive coverage because a release was timed poorly for the outlet in question. Contact the Press Relations Office for help and counsel on determining the timing of your release, its placement, and for help with distribution.