UBC Media Relations, UBC Science communications, and unit communicators work with researchers to promote new publications, significant funding or gifts, project milestones, and events of broad interest. UBC Media Relations also connects journalists to expert advice.
Highlighting major journal publications and project milestones
Alert Media Relations, UBC Science communications and your unit communicators when your paper is accepted–that will give us time to discuss options for promotion and co-ordinate materials. Let us know:
- What your promotional goals are, and your target audience
- Details on the affiliations and lead authorship of the paper
- The journal name, embargo timelines and details on your availability for interviews
- A lay-person summary of your findings
- An idea of what visuals we can share with the story
Avenues for distribution
Depending on your research finding, media potential, and your goals, there are a variety of avenues available for promoting your work:
- UBC Media Relations release emailed directly to journalists
- Pitching via MR team of stories relevant to a broad array of journalists
- Submission to the wire services via MR or UBC Science
- Targeted pitching of stories to small lists of media
- Working with researchers to craft an op ed
- Open access forums like The Conversation Canada, US, etc
- Posting to UBC.ca, UBC Today, unit, faculty sites
- Long form stories for UBC Beyond, UBC Magazine, UBC Science FOCUS
- Advertising – either social media or external publications
- Social media support at UBC, UBC Science or unit-level
Could your story make the news?
Use Media Relation's COSMO tool to determine if your story has media potential -- COSMO will also suggest alternative tactics for disseminating your news.
Providing expert advice
To connect UBC researchers with reporters seeking factual information and expert opinion, Media Relations maintains an online UBC Experts Guide. UBC Science researchers are encouraged to become a UBC expert, or if already an expert, ensuring that their information and coordinates are accurate and up-to-date.
Join the UBC expert guideUpdate your expert guide profile
Resources for interacting with journalists
Resources from UBC’s Media Relations on media training, writing op-eds, online harassment, using community event listings, and more.
UBC Media Relations resourcesUBC Media Relations contacts
In-depth research dissemination: Focus digital magazine
UBC Science’s e-magazine publishes long-form stories, shorter Q+As, and editorials featuring collaborative research tackling real-world problems. Feature stories use engaging, approachable language to highlight how UBC Science researchers are working with other units or external collaborators to help advance solutions to grand challenges. We also develop high quality videos to accompany suitable stories. Paid advertising campaigns promote Focus stories to targeted audiences. Articles reach audiences of over 5,000 people.
Researchers and unit communicators can contribute to Focus as guest writers or suggest story ideas. We provide editorial and graphics support to make your writing shine. You can submit story or op-ed ideas to Geoff Gilliard at gilliard@science.ubc.ca.