working with journalists as a pio: five do's and don't's
TRANSCRIPT
Working with Journalists as a PIO:Five Dos and Don’ts
Ivan Oransky, MD
Executive Editor, Reuters HealthAdjunct Asst. Professor,
New York University Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting ProgramBlogger, Embargo Watch and Retraction Watch
National Association of Science WritersNew Haven, Connecticut
November 6, 2010
Don’t
1. Call to make sure I got your emailed press release
Don’t
1. Call to make sure I got your emailed press release
2. Pitch me stuff I never cover In my case: basic science, facility openings, studies that haven’t been published or presented at a reasonably prestigious conference
Don’t
1. Call to make sure I got your emailed press release
2. Pitch me stuff I never cover In my case: basic science, facility openings, studies that haven’t been published or presented at a reasonably prestigious conference
3. Embargo studies that are already published
Don’t
1. Call to make sure I got your emailed press release
2. Pitch me stuff I never cover In my case: basic science, facility openings, studies that haven’t been published or presented at a reasonably prestigious conference
3. Embargo studies that are already published
Don’t
1. Call to make sure I got your emailed press release
2. Pitch me stuff I never cover In my case: basic science, facility openings, studies that haven’t been published or presented at a reasonably prestigious conference
3. Embargo studies that are already published
Don’t
4. Ask me to agree to an embargo that you plan to let someone else break
Don’t
4. Ask me to agree to an embargo that you plan to let someone else break
Don’t
4. Ask me to agree to an embargo that you plan to let someone else break
Don’t
5. Send embargoed material before I’ve agreed to any embargo, then expect me to uphold it
Don’t
5. Send embargoed material before I’ve agreed to any embargo, then expect me to uphold it
Do
1. Convince your researchers to return my staff’s phone calls -- by deadline
2. Get to know what I’m interested in, by reading it, and seeing what I do on Twitter
3. Send me stuff you think I’d be interested in that isn’t from your institution
4. Send me stories from high-impact journals that don’t embargo
5. Convince your researchers not to talk in jargon