Faculty members have a great deal of expertise on subjects that matter to the public, and reporters want to help share that knowledge with their readers, listeners, or viewers. Working with the news media is an exciting opportunity to help educate the public while building the visibility of your program and the University. This workshop will provide simple, actionable tips for working with the news media: beginning with an overview, the workshop will also include some hands-on work to enable faculty to begin to see the path to becoming a faculty expert. Topics include: understanding the media’s needs, delivering your message effectively in a news media interview, and partnering with the Office of University Communications & Marketing. 

Presenters

• Bond Benton, Associate Professor, School of Communication and Media - Dr. Bond Benton comes to Montclair State University with a wide range of international experience, earning his PhD from the University of Vienna and working abroad with the U.S. Department of State for nearly 10 years. “I worked with local, non-American staff at embassies throughout the world,” Benton said. “The primary purpose of the projects I worked on was improving internal communication between the various constituencies that make up State Department posts.  In many instances, I worked with these groups on the communication, marketing, and storytelling they did in the host countries to improve the American image abroad.” In addition to his impressive work overseas, Benton has also established himself in the world of higher education, teaching at SUNY Fredonia before making the move to Montclair.
• Andrew Mees, Media Relations Director -  He is currently the Media Relations Director at Montclair State University. As the primary media contact for the institution, he oversees a comprehensive, proactive plan to generate earned news media coverage in order to increase awareness of the University and its faculty's expertise.