How do we communicate our research to the media?

The newsworthiness of research is not assessed using the same criteria as its academic quality. It is not worth writing to the media about a subject that is understandable only to the research community.

What do we communicate?

Typically, we do media work on research results on the threshold of publication, sometimes also on new projects and significant new funding. Various milestones in the process of commercialising research results can also be pitched to journalists.

What tools do we use?

We have many tools for doing media work. For example, we can tip off selected journalists about interesting topics, send a media release to a wider group of journalists, or invite media representatives to campus to discuss with our researchers. Sometimes a well-timed social media post is better than an in-depth story; in other situations, we can approach the topic in the form of a personal interview. In addition, research is presented to journalists and others at Aalto events and exhibitions, see for example Cooler Planet.

Instructions: When you want to communicate your research to the public

1. Prepare: Be prepared to answer additional questions related to the topic. What is new in the research/results? Why is it interesting to the wider public? Is there a particular target audience through which media work should be planned? Does it have applications, now or on the horizon? Does the research involve visually interesting material, images, or video?
2. Anticipate: Allow enough working time for us in Aalto Communications. Be in touch early, as working a media release into its final form can easily take several weeks. Typically, we need around three weeks for producing a media release. We typically publish a release on research results at the time of the article’s publication, or possibly under embargo before that.
3. Be available: We work in close cooperation with you and your active input is needed. Typically, after giving initial information, we conduct an interview, after which your participation is still required for checking all language versions of the release. In addition, media work depends on your availability to journalists at key moments, even at short notice.
4. Build networks and follow the media debate related to your field. Identify when you have something to contribute to societal discussion. Expertise can and should be offered to the media even without a recent project or research publication! Be alert, participate, and be in touch with communications. We also actively seek spokespeople from our faculty and staff on current topics.