How to deal with media and journalists as a researcher

Cluster

Communication Skills

Target group

Members of the Doctoral Schools

Content

Science is thoughtful, complex and ongoing, while media want clear and short messages with some news value. Given that tension, it’s quite a challenge for you as a scientist to get your topic in the press in a satisfying way.

This workshop trains you how to survive an interview with a journalist.
It applies for both written and online press, radio and television. We concentrate on content: how to keep the best possible grip on quotes, title and main message.

• We look at how you can prepare yourself: by reflecting beforehand on a good, newsworthy key message.
• We listen to a few exemplary interviews with scientists and discuss how you can react to tricky questions.
• This workshop is hands-on. You prepare for and practice being interviewed yourself.

The workshop consists of 2 live sessions: 1 group session and 1 individual session when you practice being interviewed by the trainer and get feedback on a practice press release or tweet that you wrote yourself.

Time schedule and Venue

Teacher

For 10 years, Ann De Ron worked as a full-time (science) journalist for the newspaper De Morgen, the magazines Knack and the Dutch new Scientist (used to be ‘Natuur & Techniek’), the press agency IPS and many others. She holds a Master degree in Sciences and a Bachelor in Intercultural Management.

Ann has been training researchers at UGent in popular scientific writing since 2008, and since 2016 also in ‘Dealing with the media as a researcher’.

Registration fee

Free of charge for the members of the Doctoral Schools. The no show policy applies.

Registration

Language

English

Number of participants

15

Evaluation criteria

100% attendance, active participation