Office of Communications: Resources
Media Relations Policy
In compliance with University of Georgia Public Affairs Policy and Procedures, the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences endorses the following policy regarding faculty and staff media relations activities.
The CAES Office of Communications (OC) and its identified representatives are the official liaisons between media and the CAES faculty and staff.
In that role, OC will:
- Seek to promote identified messages, faculty experts and college-related issues to media through media relations efforts, including media contacts, print and broadcast news stories and scheduled media events.
- Consult with, advise and train faculty and staff on developing media relations skills and compliance with UGA and CAES media relations policies.
- Stay abreast of issues in the media that CAES experts can or should address.
- Request, promote, respond to and monitor media opportunities for CAES faculty and experts.
- Monitor CAES coverage in media outlets.
- Coordinate and seek approval for media relations activities as outlined in UGA guidelines with appropriate UGA Public Affairs personnel.
CAES faculty and staff members who work with media should:
- Seek and complete OC-approved media relations training as needed and required by CAES policy.
- Notify OC media representatives of pending media relations opportunities when possible, especially if a pending request involves areas that are legally or politically sensitive to CAES. Often these issues have a UGA-designated spokesperson who will speak to the issue with media.
- Participate in media activities as appropriate to the faculty or staff position and expertise within the CAES and UGA media guidelines.
- Stay abreast of CAES positions on issues to be addressed in media opportunities.
- Coordinate media appearances on campus or other CAES property with OC when possible. UGA Public Affairs policy is that any commercial video (not news) media that comes on a UGA campus must be preapproved by their office, especially if the video taping will involve students. If you get such a request, please contact your OC media representative to get the proper UGA approval.
Procedures
- All proactive media activities by CAES faculty and staff must be coordinated with the Office of Communications, including story pitches, press conferences, media tours, etc.
- OC Public Affairs specialists provide CAES-approved media relations training for college faculty and staff members to give them an appropriate level of media relations expertise to handle media requests made directly to them. This training is in coordination with the national land-grant media relations training curriculum, and documented training credits from other land-grant universities are accepted. Faculty or staff members who have not had that training or demonstrated that media relations expertise should consult with their department's OC media representative before responding or forward the media request to their OC media representative.
- All media contact that expresses opinion reflective of an official UGA or CAES position on an issue must have prior approval from UGA Public Affairs, including, but not limited to, opinion editorials and letters to the editor on behalf of faculty members representing CAES. OC editors will work closely with faculty who wish to publish opinion pieces to seek and ensure appropriate approvals. Any such communication representing the faculty members' personal opinion as private citizens and not associated with their faculty status or CAES area of expertise does not require any approval. However, a courtesy copy to OC is appreciated.
- Every media activity instigated by OC, including news releases, story pitches, etc., will be coordinated with and approved by cited faculty members with strict adherence to media deadline requirements.
If you have questions about the CAES media relations policy, want to share a story idea, wish to schedule department or personal media training or want to know more about other media relations opportunities, contact the OC media representative listed below or OC coordinator Anne Young (706/542-5580; apyoung@uga.edu). County Extension faculty should contact the OC media representative in their district.
ALEC, CAES administration, CAES Crisis Communication coordinator, Columns correspondent, Office of Environmental Science, Georgia 4-H, Metro-Atlanta Extension faculty, Poultry Science, UGA Public Affairs and PS&O Communication liaison:
Faith Peppers — 770/640-4840; pepper@uga.edu
Food Science, Alumni & Advancement, CAES Griffin Campus, NW Extension District, UGA OVPR liaison:
Sharon Omahen — 770/229-3219; sharono@uga.edu
Animal/Dairy Science, CAES Tifton Campus, SW Extension District:
Brad Haire — 229/386-3800; bhaire@uga.edu
Entomology, Plant Pathology:
John Harrell — 229/386-3310; jharrell@uga.edu
Ag Economics, Bio/Ag Engineering, Crop/Soil Science, Athens Campus, NE Extension District:
Stephanie Schupska — 706/542-8981; schupska@uga.edu
Horticulture, Extension FACS liaison, CAES Global Programs, E. Ga. Extension Center, SE Extension District:
Vacant Position