In this two-hour workshop, you will learn some of the skills required to communicate more effectively with members of the news media and other interest groups. The skills learned in this workshop will ultimately help you respond more quickly and confidently to journalists who ask you to comment on breaking news (i.e. cold calls), but they will also help you devise new ways of promoting your work on your own or with the help of a UGA communications professional.

Encourage your faculty to participate

Course Signup

Please contact James Hataway to schedule a session. Workshops can be delivered in person or via Zoom.

Course Learning Outcomes

  • How to “distill” complex ideas into language that non-experts can understand and appreciate
  • How to work effectively with print journalists. You will learn what to expect when a journalist calls or visits, how to answer difficult questions, how to schedule time effectively, how to guide non-experts through complicated science/scholarship)
  • How to work effectively with broadcast (i.e. television and radio) journalists. You will learn what to expect from a basic radio/TV interview, how to dress, sit, stand or hold oneself during an on-camera interviews, how to respond effectively to pointed questions in a short amount of time, how to speak to a lay audience.
  • This component of the course will involve an exercise in UGA’s studio so that faculty can see and hear themselves on camera.
  • How to work with UGA communicators to promote research and scholarship.

Course Outline

First hour:

  • Introductions
  • “Distilling” complex subjects: You will be asked to share information about you work. This could be something you’d like to actively promote, or it may be something you’ve found it difficult to discuss with non-experts. We will help you think of ways to share that with lay audiences.
  • Dos and don’ts for working with journalists: In this section of the course, we will discuss specific techniques for working with journalists that will not only help you share your knowledge with journalists, but also how to make sure it’s shared accurately. We will also discuss techniques for dealing with difficult or leading questions, uninformed reporters and other problem scenarios.

Second hour:

  • An introduction to broadcast interviews: Your instructor will introduce the fundamental technologies used to conduct broadcast interviews and what to expect if you are interviewed for either a live or recorded segment.
  • Your instructor will explain the importance of proper attire and how to look and sound your best when interviewed on radio or television.
  • You will have an opportunity to sit in front of a real camera in UGA’s broadcast studio and practice as your instructors ask you questions. We will record and share these videos privately with you.

Course conclusion:

  • You are more than welcome to ask questions at any point during the training workshop, but we will leave some time at the end for additional questions and discussion.
  • Your instructors will also hand out their business cards, and they encourage you to get in touch any time with questions, concerns or opportunities.