That is definitely further than most institutions go, Mike. If you’re able to share, is your upper management actively aware of that practice? Did you have any issues with them in starting it? Or do you just do it because you believe it’s best practice?
I’d be keen to hear about other places that redistribute press releases from other institutions that aren’t representing a field but an institution. For example, the AAS wire service, interactions.org, and lightsources.org lists redistribute on behalf of astronomy, particle physics, and lightsource science.
Hi David
Yes, the management know but I am given the freedom to design and implement the institutional media strategy. As part of that I think it makes strategic sense, from time to time, to provide journalists with what I judge to be good quality information on the topic that my organisation also works on. However, I do this primarily because I know that the information will be of value to the journalists I send it to.
Cheers
Mike
That’s great to hear, Mike! So many organizations have upper management that don’t play nicely with an effective approach to media relations. It probably helps that you work for an institution that is 1) aimed at solving a particular problem, rather than defined by a bricks-and-mortar set of facilities like a university, and 2) international. I’ve found those are great circumstances for having the room to do PIO work effectively, and have done precisely what you have done with distributing and promoting work from other orgs with the blessing of management. I was also fortunate to work in a university public information office whose head was happy for us to send journalists elsewhere. We didn’t go so far as to actively distribute work by others, but it was still great (and effective) to able to take a wider view.
That is definitely further than most institutions go, Mike. If you’re able to share, is your upper management actively aware of that practice? Did you have any issues with them in starting it? Or do you just do it because you believe it’s best practice?
I’d be keen to hear about other places that redistribute press releases from other institutions that aren’t representing a field but an institution. For example, the AAS wire service, interactions.org, and lightsources.org lists redistribute on behalf of astronomy, particle physics, and lightsource science.
Hi David
Yes, the management know but I am given the freedom to design and implement the institutional media strategy. As part of that I think it makes strategic sense, from time to time, to provide journalists with what I judge to be good quality information on the topic that my organisation also works on. However, I do this primarily because I know that the information will be of value to the journalists I send it to.
Cheers
Mike
That’s great to hear, Mike! So many organizations have upper management that don’t play nicely with an effective approach to media relations. It probably helps that you work for an institution that is 1) aimed at solving a particular problem, rather than defined by a bricks-and-mortar set of facilities like a university, and 2) international. I’ve found those are great circumstances for having the room to do PIO work effectively, and have done precisely what you have done with distributing and promoting work from other orgs with the blessing of management. I was also fortunate to work in a university public information office whose head was happy for us to send journalists elsewhere. We didn’t go so far as to actively distribute work by others, but it was still great (and effective) to able to take a wider view.