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What we offer

Research coverage

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What we offer, cont’d

How do we decide what to cover?

How we work with you

Please give us as much advance time as possible – 3 or 4 weeks is ideal (even before you know the pub date). Just get it on our calendar
Keep us up to date re: pub date
We will ask for an interview or for quotes (depending on timing)
Unless it’s a very large study for which we’ll issue a press release (more later), we probably only want quotes from one person (lead author)
We will send you our story for review. Please focus on any errors, not on wordsmithing (that’s on us)

Communications outlets �managed internally

BPH website
BPH social media: LinkedIn; X; Facebook; Instagram; YouTube
Berkeley Public Health News: newsletter goes out once per week (less frequently in Nov/Dec/Jan; no newsletter in July; ~20k subscribers; open rate ~50%)

External communications outlets

Press releases & media relations

Media lists

Muck rack
Internal list
We do not have access to “the wire” (EurekaAlert). But sometimes with Berkeley News or orgs who pay for access (It’s about $173 per release – this may be something labs/divisions are willing to pay for)

Press releases

We don’t issue for every paper we cover
Only if findings are truly novel or groundbreaking or timely (The first study to show…)
Sometimes we pull out an angle that is more likely to get press coverage
When we collaborate w/ other institutions or orgs, only one press release goes to media.

Working with the media

Sometimes media come to us and we’ll try to find them an expert
Expert finder – on our site and on Berkeley News site
Sometimes we contact the media directly – through a press release or an email. If we get a large number of requests, we may not be able to honor every one
Remember that reporters work on tight deadlines
The Daily Cal wants to write about everything. We try to help them out

Questions?

Elise Proulx

Director of Communications, Marketing & Events

510-306-6416