Media tools

MaC will consider the following ways of contacting the media when choosing the best media tools for your news:

• Press release - Our traditional format for releasing news. The press release is usually less than a page in length, preferably no more than three paragraphs written as a news story. A release can include quotes from the source(s), gives context to the news being reported and preferably includes details about interview and visual opportunities for reporters.
  
  
• Media advisory - A one-page alert that simply tells the media the "who, what, when and where" of an event. Advisories often are used to announce press conferences, research demonstrations, campus ceremonies and other newsworthy events.
  
  
• Expert list - MaC keeps a running list of campus experts willing to speak to reporters on various issues. When new breaks, we e-mail information about specific experts to reporters.
  
  
• Press conference - Press conferences at UNCW usually are reserved for major announcements, such as the naming of a new chancellor, a Nobel Prize or a groundbreaking for a new building.
  
  
• Tip - We often contact select reporters or TV producers by phone or e-mail to tip them off to a particular story idea or campus expert. A news tip also is used when reporters must be alerted quickly and there is no time for other forms of communication.