Below are summary points from the interview with Danny Freeman, reporter at NBC 7 San Diego.
- Morning meeting at 9 a.m. and by 10 a.m. the reporter has their story for the day with a deadline 5 to 6 hours later.
- To put together a story, a reporter needs to think about what the story is and find interviews with experts to bring context to the issue and put it together for the afternoon broadcast.
- Reporters can accommodate a professor’s schedule and complete an interview in 15 minutes, including set-up time.
- Professors have dedicated their lives to subjects that are challenging, important and often hard to understand. Professors are a resource for reporters to provide clarity and context for a story.
- Think about who the story impacts based on your research, the subject you teach or the book you’ve written
- If you can help to find the person who is impacted by your research/study, that will be the biggest determining factor on whether we can get the story on the air — this provides the personal touch that pairs with your expertise to put a full story together.
When we need context, when we need the bigger picture… that’s when we come to the experts.
The University of San Diego Media Relations team presents Meet the Journalists, a series of video interviews for USD professors and administrators to gain better insight into the media. Hear from journalists, reporters, editors and producers who cover higher education or rely on faculty experts to provide context to news stories. Watch all eight videos on the Media Relations website.