Get Your Research Into The Media

Get yo ur re se arc h
feature d in th e m ed ia
with Lindy Alexander

Lindy Alexander
Ex-social worker (completed
PhD in 2015) turned award-
Before
winning we gowriter
freelance any further, let's make sure
we're on the
Regularly use commentary fromsame page.
academics and researchers in
my feature articles
The Freelancer's Year blog for
aspiring and established writers
What we're going to cover today:
The 2 main types of stories in the media (and how your
research fits into both)
3 key ways to get media coverage of your research
What journalists are looking for when they interview you
How to ensure you have a compelling story to tell based on
your research
Develop a pitch that you can send to an editor, podcast,
radio station etc
What are some of the benefits of having
your research featured in the media?
Benefits include...
Educating (informing people about a topic)
Solving a problem (answering a question they have)
Entertaining (gaining and keeping interest)
Building trust (by positioning yourself as a
leader/expert)
Helping (to explain a certain phenomenon or
experience)
Getting your research featured in the
media may mean ...
Being quoted in an
article
Writing an article
yourself
Being interviewed for
radio, a podcast or on TV
There are two main types of stories in the
media - hard news and soft news.
Hard news is also known as
'breaking news'
Time-sensitive
Fact-driven
Matter-0f-fact
As a researcher, you can
provide the hard news, or you
can respond to it.
An article based on a report published in a peer-
reviewed publication. Here the researcher
provides the hard news.
An article based where a researcher responds to
the hard news of celebrities and high-profile
figures sharing their experiences of trauma and
loss on social media.
Feature articles (also called 'soft news' are very
different from hard news stories )
Often feature stories

will focus on deepening
an understanding of
individual perspectives
and the human element
of hard news stories.
Researchers' voices are often used in feature
articles to provide expert commentary, gravitas
and objectivity.
The feature articles most likely to draw on
your research are ...
Investigative articles
Q&As
General (interest-led) features
How-to articles
Opinion pieces
Trend articles
Cultural commentary

Journalists are often looking for expert commentary.

This article I wrote for an employment site was about
why employees leave their jobs.
Hard news stories often have multiple 'entry' points
for researchers.
Multiple research perspectives
Domestic violence
Celebrity and fan culture
Law
Victim-blaming
Toxic masculinity
Social media

Has there been anything in the news lately that

relates to your area of research or expertise?

Or are there any occasions related to your

research? (e.g. World Environment Day, National
Missing Persons Week, Spinal Health Week)
How to get media coverage or exposure
about your research
1. Get interviewed and quoted (e.g. via

SourceBottle, as part of your professional
association or through the university)
2. Write an opinion piece (an 'op-ed')
3. Pitch your idea (to an editor - not just of a
magazine or newspaper but could be an association
publication or The Conversation, a podcast, radio
station)
1. Be interviewed (via SourceBottle)
Examples of SourceBottle requests
Create an account, find opportunities that fit
and then respond
The best responses ...
Get back to the journalist quickly
Are short, clear and concise - get right to
the point!
Give a little bit of information (a sentence
or two)
Include your phone number/contact details
Include your credentials/background
Includes a sentence
about their point of view
(that cover letters are no
longer relevant) and
says they're happy to
expand in an interview.
Includes a bio ("About
me") that establishes
credibility
Includes phone number
at the bottom of
message
Remember...
This isn't necessarily a 'one-off' event. If a journalist finds
that you're reliable and can give interesting quotes -
they'll call you on again and again as their go-to expert
Even if a callout on Sourcebottle isn't asking for academic
input, you can always respond and offer your expertise.
Don't forget about professional associations that
have media spokespeople (journalists often look
there)
In an interview, make sure you can ...

Explain your findings in a way that a 12-year-old

could understand
State why your findings are important (how they
relate to 'real life')
Common misunderstandings about your topic
3 most important things for people to understand
about your topic
2. Write an opinion piece
Writing an 'op-ed' is one of the fastest and easiest ways to
get media coverage
You'll need a compelling beginning - State your opinion in
an attention-grabbing way in the first couple of sentences
and then explore the topic in the following paragraphs.
Sub-topics like a personal story, some background
information or arguments against the commonly held
beliefs around the subject matter.
Writing an opinion piece
Make sure your piece fits within the word limit of the
publication (which may be anywhere between 500 – 1000
words. This is more than a letter to the editor, which is
usually only 50 - 100 words).
Almost every newspaper (print and online) will run at least
1 opinion piece each day. Look for the editor’s email
address or submissions email address given on the website
or printed in the newspaper.
An opinion piece in The Guardian
3. Pitch your idea
You can pitch your idea to an

editor of a newspaper, magazine,
online outlet, to a radio station,
TV channel, podcast and more.
But the most important thing is
that you have a story idea - not a
topic.
A topic is a broad theme or subject (e.g. early childhood
education or missing people or Harry Potter) but a story
is focused on something very specific within that topic.

This is often called the angle.

In order for your research to be interesting to the media,

you'll need an angle.
Topic vs Story with an angle
Children's behaviour vs. The impact of authoritarian

parenting on young children's behaviour
Fashion vs. Young designers using 3-D printers as a
sustainable option to reduce waste
Food security vs. The foods being brought back
from extinction.
What is your research topic? What are
some story ideas within your topic?
Your pitch
A great subject line

Say what the story is about (briefly!)
Identify the angle (Why now? So what?)
Identify the research/stats (briefly!)
Your bio
Your pitch
Subject line: Story idea:

Laughing gas during
labour found to harm
the climate
Subject line: Story idea:

Is a carbon neutral birth
the next frontier?
Dear X [editor's name],
My name is X and I'm a researcher based at the University of New England.
I'm wondering if you'd be interested in a story about the environmental

impact of using nitrous oxide ('laughing gas') during labour.
My research found that XXX (briefly summarise).
I would welcome the opportunity to write an article for X [publication] or similarly,

I'd happy to be interviewed by one of your journalists about this important finding.
Thank you for your consideration of this idea,

X [your name]
Let's craft a pitch or op-ed based on your
research
You can find me:
On my blog: The Freelancer's Year
(www.thefreelancersyear.com)

On Twitter: @alexander_lindy

On Instagram: @thefreelancersyear

Email: [email protected]

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Get yo ur re se arc h

with Lindy Alexander

Often feature stories

Journalists are often looking for expert commentary.

Has there been anything in the news lately that

Or are there any occasions related to your

1. Get interviewed and quoted (e.g. via

Explain your findings in a way that a 12-year-old

You can pitch your idea to an

This is often called the angle.

In order for your research to be interesting to the media,

Children's behaviour vs. The impact of authoritarian

A great subject line

Subject line: Story idea:

Subject line: Story idea:

My name is X and I'm a researcher based at the University of New England.

I'm wondering if you'd be interested in a story about the environmental

My research found that XXX (briefly summarise).

I would welcome the opportunity to write an article for X [publication] or similarly,

Thank you for your consideration of this idea,

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