Working with the Media
The News Service is staffed by professional journalists with extensive experience in dealing with the media on a daily basis. The News Service works with all media, from on-campus to international, in all formats — print, broadcast and electronic. Our staff issues press releases, organizes press conferences and handles the university’s overall media relations. We will assist in publicizing news that has a university connection through faculty, staff or other officials. Our office also maintains a list of faculty experts whom outside media can contact for expertise on timely topics. If a reporter contacts you, our office will provide training and support, or serve as a media liaison if necessary.
If you have a paper soon to be published, a research project newly under way, a grant award you wish the community to know about, an event you want people to attend or any other publicity need, the following guidelines should help you get started. Further information is available by calling the News Service at (650) 723-2558 and asking for the reporter on duty.
What is newsworthy?
A story or event may be very important to its sponsors, but whether it will receive press coverage depends on many factors, including the nature and significance of the news or event, the timing, and even what other news is happening that day.
Every media outlet, including Stanford Report and the Stanford Daily, which is an independent student publication, makes its own decision about coverage on a daily basis. In many cases, though not all, the News Service will be able to advise you whether to expect coverage.
Generally, a story must have some unusual aspect to warrant wide attention — a scientific breakthrough, an exceptionally large donation, appointment of a well-known scholar, a timely event or development, etc. Media coverage of any story or event never can be guaranteed.
However, news of a less spectacular nature frequently will receive local coverage and often will be covered in the campus press. Please bear in mind that items that appear in Stanford Report, Stanford Report Online and @stanford are read by a wide audience that includes faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, parents, donors, community leaders, friends of the university and others who have an interest in Stanford.
Stories generally run only once in any newspaper.
