Media Relations Services

Guide to Publicity & Media Relations Services

What We Do?

In the Knox College Public Relations office, we work with local, state, and national media to promote the College, its faculty, staff, and students. We look for ways to publicize the quality and quantity of scholarship and creative work conducted by Knox faculty and students, the diversity of the College community and their energy and enthusiasm for learning.

Public Relations staff develop and pitch news stories and story ideas on faculty research and expertise to media outlets. Whenever possible, we also develop stories on student research and accomplishments. Public Relations staff also manage media relations regarding College administrative policies and activities.

Photography
Photographs of campus events and activities should be requested and scheduled through the Public Relations office. Requests should be made at least two weeks in advance of the event.

News on the Web
The Public Relations Office maintains a news site on the Web. All press releases and news stories are available on the Web at www.knox.edu/news.

Knoxletter
The Knoxletter is prepared by the Public Relations office. A request for media relations services also constitutes a request for placement in the Knoxletter. Your news item will appear in one or more editions of the Knoxletter.

Posters
Generally, on-campus promotions such as posters are the responsibility of the individuals planning an event.

Media Relations Staff

Karrie Heartlein, Director of Public Relations, ext. 7340
Peter Bailley, Associate Director of Media Relations, ext. 7715
Adriana Colindres, Features & Profiles, ext. 7650
Colleen Culbertson, Knoxletter Editor, ext. 7337

How We Can Help You?

• Promote to the media your research and educational efforts that are of interest to the general public.
• Provide advice on how to respond when a reporter calls.
• Help write opinion-editorial pieces and letters to the editor.
• Let you know when your name appears in the news.

How You Can Help Us?

Many of you are doing work that could be of interest to the general public. Please let us know when you are doing something that might be the genesis of an interesting story.

Generally, the Public Relations office can assist in promoting:

• Research findings
• Exhibitions of creative works
• Speakers, performances, or other public presentations

We may also find interest among the public in:

• Unusual or new classroom techniques or topics (For example, collecting bats from area homes for study)
• Collaborative work between/among disciplines
• New uses for technological innovations (e.g., class chats or weblogs)
• Interesting or unusual people, objects, or locations connected with the College.

Deadlines

Notify the Public Relations Office as far in advance as possible about upcoming speakers, performances, or exhibitions that are open to the public.

Garnering good coverage takes time. Reporters plan feature stories two to three weeks ahead, requiring as much detail as possible as far in advance as possible.

For dated materials such as presentations and performances, please observe the following guidelines for meeting the deadlines of media outlets

• Radio & television require two weeks notice
• Newspaper outlets require two weeks to 10 days notice
• Programming on ETC-TV and the Illinois Channel must be supplied two months before it is aired