10 tips or recommendations for a good communication
General criteria for selecting a news item:
- Significant scientific results / publication
- Start of a project / novelty / world premiere, new angle, etc.
- Link to immediate or future news
- Funny / incongruous topic / Out of the ordinary student project
- Project with an impact on society / important campus news / event
Depending on its nature, the news will be promoted through different channels:
- Website (faculty, institutes, centers, geoblog)
- Social networks
- Press release
- Direct media contacts
- Newsletters
- UNIL magazines Allez Savoir / Uniscope
- Alumnil network
Think you have a project that fits the above criteria?
Contact us at communication-gse@unil.ch.
The 10 tips
Scientific publication
Alert us as soon as your paper is accepted (or minor revision status) by sending an email to communication-gse@unil.ch
It gives us time to prepare the material. Journalists consider information as "outdated" as soon as it is published. If they are warned in time, they have the possibility to come and do interviews under embargo. We can also negotiate an exclusivity with the media that is the most relevant for the broadcast.
Images
Please let us know if there is any visual material available (please mention the copyright & image rights) or if we need to identify/produce some for the topic.
A picture is worth a thousand words and there are sometimes key moments to take pictures or film in order to make the content more impactful and appealing. If TV journalists are interested in a topic, we can make these images/films available to them right away.
Partners
When the research is conducted with a partner (stakeholder, co-authors, ...) who wants to communicate in parallel, please inform us via communication-gse@unil.ch.
We can get in touch with the communication department of the other institution, in order to be properly mentioned, to participate in the preparation of the press release, to benefit from the aura of our partner, without being forgotten / neglected.
Media follow-up
In case of direct contact with journalists, please notify us as soon as possible by email at communication-gse@unil.ch.
This allows us to follow up on media relations and promote publications/reports on social media as soon as they are released.
FGSE identity
In the media, mention your affiliation to UNIL and to the Institute and / or Faculty when you express yourself as a professor / specialist / expert (distinguish as much as possible between your positions as an expert and your personal opinions).
This practice reinforces the identity of our entities, and anchors the theme of geosciences and the environment in the framework of UNIL. It also allows us to better monitor the media impact, by doing keyword searches.
Proofreading
After an interview, don’t hesitate to ask the reporter to proofread your quotes.
It gives you the possibility to rectify possible inaccuracies, and to check that your title, your affiliation, are correct, to avoid a recovery, a distortion or a decontextualization of your words.
Social Networks
We invite you to follow and interact with FGSE's X, LinkedIn and Instagram accounts, respecting the following charter (behavior recommendation in French).
Social networks allow us to reach different audiences (students, general public, journalists, etc.) with great efficiency. The more interactions there are with the post, the more the networks' algorithms will highlight it. When used properly, social networks are an excellent complement to a classic communication.
Branding
When you are in the media, the public may look for you on the internet. Is it clear that you belong to UNIL? Is your Unisciences account / LinkedIn / Google Scholar / Research Gate, etc. up to date?
It brings consistency and avoids confusion among the public. Controlling your image is important for yourself and the institution.
Ambassador
When you attend an off-site conference and want to promote it, feel free to make a post from your personal account on social media, tagging the faculty. We will share it.
This allows you to show the public that you are a significant player in your field, the diversity of your activities, your links with the City.
Support
If you have to speak in a media and you don’t feel comfortable (radio, TV), do not hesitate to contact us via communication-gse@unil.ch to get prepared.(SNF courses available)
Quelques recettes simples vous permettront de faire face à l’exercice sans stress et d’optimiser votre intervention.
