FAQ: Working with Strategic Communications
If you are a researcher interested in working with Strategic Communications to reach audiences outside the Lab – which may include DOE, the news media, the scientific community, the general public, and others – this FAQ is for you. For guidance on reaching internal Lab audiences, please contact communications@lbl.gov. For specific information regarding video and photography resources, including head shots, visit Creative Services. For branding questions, contact cyoungquist@lbl.gov.
Why should I consider publicizing my research?
- Exposure of your research among a broad range of audiences increases the potential impact of your research by making it more likely it will be seen by other scientists, potential collaborators, and funding opportunity leads.
- Awareness of the potential impact of your research helps project the Lab’s reputation as a global leader in science.
- Research results can help inform decisions on important public issues.
- As a federally funded institution, we owe it to the taxpaying public to share the news of our most impactful results. Science communication is an important part of our jobs, and it’s fun.
My research has been publicized in Elements. I’m all set, right?
Not necessarily. Elements is the Lab’s platform for reaching Lab employees. To reach external audiences, including DOE, we use the Berkeley Lab News Center, as well as social media and other types of outreach.
What kinds of stories is Strategic Communications interested in?
We write articles and features about ongoing Lab research. We make decisions about what to write based on a number of factors, including broad public appeal, the Lab's current strategic research priorities, and other considerations. Occasionally we do profiles of researchers with interesting, unusual, and/or unexpected stories to tell, or expert Q&As that describe the value of the research in addressing current societal challenges. If you’re unsure of the newsworthiness of a topic, give us a call.
If your item does not meet our criteria for an article, it still may be worth publicizing through other platforms, such as our social media channels. If you’re unsure of the newsworthiness of a topic, give us a call to discuss.
When should I contact you about a journal publication?
If you have research results that you believe might be of interest, contact the appropriate communications person as soon as your journal article has been accepted. Please don’t wait until you hear of a publication or embargo date; that’s often too late for us to develop an article.
When contacting us about a pending publication, please:
- list the top three important things about the study findings
- attach a copy of paper (even in draft or embargoed form)
- provide a short, layperson’s summary explaining why you think the research is of interest to a general audience.
Does a news story need to be tied to a publication?
No. The Strategic Communications office has many channels for writing about scientific and technical achievements and trends, and about the people at the Lab and what they do. If you have an idea for a personal profile, a feature story, or any other type of article, let us know. We’re happy to hear from you.
We also have ways to reach external audiences other than a news article or release. Some possibilities include a Twitter chat, Ask a Scientist video, Reddit Ask Me Anything, Instagram takeover, public speaking, and media “expert” interviews. Contact Strategic Communications to discuss the best strategy for disseminating news of your work.
What makes for a good news release?
It’s important to understand that we develop content for an external audience that includes nonscientists, and our science writers are experts in doing so.
We cannot write an article about every journal publication – we simply don’t have the staff for that. We make our decisions based on the answers to these questions, so it will help us make a determination if you know the answers to these questions:
- Is a Lab researcher a first, senior, or corresponding author?
- What Lab audiences might be most interested in this story? The general public? Other scientists? DOE?
- Is this work a significant breakthrough or an incremental step in this research?
- Does the research connect to a major Lab initiative?
- Did a Lab facility or staff member play a central role in obtaining these results?
- Is the Lab noted in the paper's list of author affiliations?
- When is the paper to be published, or has it been published already?
- Does it relate to an issue currently in the news?
How are Lab news releases distributed?
We publicize our releases in several ways:
- We post them at news.lbl.gov, which has about 40,000 unique visitors per month.
- We post them on Berkeley Lab’s social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook.
- We send them out to a general mailing list that includes about 4,000 subscribers.
- We post them to science wire services (EurekAlert and NewsWise), which gives restricted access to embargoed releases to thousands of science journalists.
- We may send them directly to select journalists.
- News media coverage can result in broad exposure among audiences important to you and the Lab.
- You may share them directly with colleagues or important contacts.
Whom should I contact?
Strategic Communications has a number of science writers who can help with your story, time permitting. The contacts and their beats are listed here. Alternatively you can also contact the communications lead for your Area:
- Biosciences Area/JBEI/JGI: Lida Gifford
- Computing Sciences Area/NERSC/ESnet: Carol Pott
- Earth & Environmental Sciences Area: Christina Procopiou
- Energy Sciences Area/Molecular Foundry/ALS: Melissa Summers / Ashley White
- Energy Technologies Area: Karyn Houston
- Physical Sciences Area: Asmita Patel
After the article is published, am I done?
No. When your story comes out, plan on being available for media inquiries. Requests may come via phone and email, so be prepared to devote some time to answering reporter queries. Because we are now in a 24-hour news cycle, you may need to respond to requests as they come in.
What should I do when a reporter calls?
Respond promptly, but don’t answer any questions right away. We recommend that you ask what the reporter is working on, what publication they are working for, and (most important) what their deadline is. Set up a future time for an interview, then contact our office or your area’s communications lead for guidance. We are here to support you in gaining accurate coverage of your research while avoiding common mistakes. We can check out the reporter’s past work, discuss potential pitfalls, and give you tips and advice.
Where can I get media training?
We have resources to offer, including three short videos (What to do When a Reporter Calls, Preparing for an Interview, The Interview). You can also ask the science writer you worked with for tips or contact the Strategic Communications office.
What about embargoes?
We abide by all journal embargo rules. All publications allow scientists to share draft/embargoed versions of papers with their Strategic Communications staff. Embargo policies usually allow releases to go out to the media several days ahead of publication, so it’s important to finalize the release well ahead of the scheduled journal publication date. When issuing a press release on embargo, we clearly list the embargo date and time at the top. Doing so can help attract media coverage at the time of the publication’s release.
Can Strategic Communications help with multimedia?
Let us know what types of multimedia (photos, illustrations, animations, videos) are already available to accompany the release, and whether you have any ideas for new multimedia materials. These can be important in increasing the audience/engagement of a press release. We have some capacity to generate new multimedia items.