Communicating Research to the Media. Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research Ulla Kaltiala, Communications and Media Relations / UEF

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1 Communicating Research to the Media Doctoral Programme in Clinical Research Ulla Kaltiala, Communications and Media Relations / UEF

2 Recent research headlines from the UEF Significant Horizon 2020 funding for testing cell therapy in stroke patients Increasingly accurate information on adaptation of cells to cell stress New insight into regulation of neuroinflammation Use of benzodiazepines and related drugs common around Alzheimer's diagnosis Feelings of hopelessness may increase dementia risk Antipsychotics initiated frequently and used for long term in Alzheimer's patients Even mild depression puts a burden on Alzheimer's family caregivers Sedentary lifestyle and overweight weaken arterial health already in childhood Long sleep and high blood copper levels go hand in hand > The visibility of your research depends on your activity!

3 Distribution of UEF press releases CMRO (Viestintä) helps you draft your press release and distributes it to the media We use CisionPoint, EurekAlert and AlphaGalileo news services to distribute press releases Some of our mailing lists: National (282 recipients) Dissertations, national (322) Health and Medicine, national (383) & international (3779) Mental Health, international (811) Fitness and Exercise, international (1040) New mailing lists are created when needed

4 UEF // Press releases and online news Source: Press releases and online news UEF Philosophical Faculty Faculty of Science and Forestry Faculty of Health Sciences Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies Aducate Other All

5 Press releases / Faculty of Health Sciences, A.I. Virtanen Institute Pharmacy Dentistry Nursing Science Public Health & Clinical Nutrition 41 Medicine

6 UEF in online media in 2014 Source: Meltwater News Report national news hits, top 3 media: Yle Uutiset, Karjalainen, Savon Sanomat international news hits, most often in American, British and Indian online media Some popular topics: Cynical distrust, diet, physical activity and dementia risk Children s physical activity linked to academic performance Wild blueberries can help tackle the adverse effects of a high-fat diet

7 Why keep the media posted on your research? Universities have a duty to disseminate knowledge The Faculty of Health Sciences encourages active communication to the media and the general public Both the media and the general public are interested in health issues researchers can provide reliable information Your financers may expect it Publicity may create positive attitudes and opportunities It can be personally rewarding

8 Communication plan for research group / project What are your communication goals and target audiences? What are your main messages? What kind of measures to implement? Website, press releases / interviews, blogs, events for public Resources & responsibilities Monitoring, evaluation & development > Communication plan template available at

9 Common pitfalls in communicating your research Name of the presentation / Author

10 Pitfalls Not communicating enough 50 % of senior scientists within the EU are sometimes in contact with the media only 20 % have regular contact with the media Why not make it a routine? Every time you publish, take a moment to consider if the results are worth a piece of news. Survey of Researchers and Media Professionals. European Commission, Directorate-General for research 2007.

11 Pitfalls Research jargon and too much detail Using complex jargon makes your press release incomprehensible, so it will be ignored by the media. Too much detail makes it difficult to get the key points. Write compact press releases in simple everyday language and explain foreign terms.

12 Pitfalls Misinterpretations UEF press release: Leg-stand test predicts hip-fracture risk in women Newspaper: If you can stand on one leg for ten seconds you have no risk of hip fracture

13 Other pitfalls Nothing newsworthy to tell Forgetting to mention if the results are only preliminary Offending someone s interests

14 What makes a good press release?

15 A good press release can be used as a news story as such is brief one page max answers the question WHO has done (found out) WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW and WHY is it important?

16 Key elements of a press release Catchy headline First paragraph summing it all up Subsequent paragraphs providing additional information Contact information, original paper & possibly other background information

17 The headline must grab interest A good headline grabs your attention and makes you want to read the rest of the story. The headline should contain a piece of news (main result of your research). Keep it short. What you leave out of the headline can be told in the text that follows.

18 The first paragraph sums it all up Main results and their relevance Who was involved, where & when the results were published The first paragraph is the most important part of the press release. It could be used on its own as a mini piece of news.

19 the subsequent paragraphs provide more information Relevant details, consequences, further actions Subtitles can be used to highlight important aspects Quotes can be used to comment on the results

20 Contact information, original paper & links A press release must contain the researcher s contact information, including name, , phone number, and institution. Provide information on the original paper (link) You can also give links to other background information.

21 Several forms of vitamin E protect against memory disorders Elderly people with high serum vitamin E levels are less likely to suffer from memory disorders than their peers with lower levels, according to a study published recently in Experimental Gerontology. According to the researchers, various forms of vitamin E seem to play a role in memory processes. The study was carried out in cooperation between the University of Eastern Finland, the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare, Karolinska Institutet, and the University of Perugia. Studies investigating the link between vitamin E and memory disorders have usually focused on a single form of vitamin E, namely α-tocopherol, which is also used in vitamin E supplements. However, vitamin E exists in eight different natural forms, tocopherols and tocotrienols, all of which have antioxidant properties. This recently published study comprises a sample of 140 over 65-year-old Finnish persons with no memory impairment at the onset of the study. During the eight-year follow-up, it was discovered that higher total serum levels of vitamin E, and higher levels of γ-tocopherol, β-tocotrienol and total tocotrienols in particular, seemed to protect against memory disorders. According to the researchers, the results show that the entire vitamin E family plays a role in memory processes. Accordingly, measuring the levels of vitamin E from serum is the most reliable way to determine whether they are sufficiently high. The study comprised part of the more extensive Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Dementia (CAIDE) study, which focuses on the association between the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and memory disorders. For further information, please contact: Professor Hilkka Soininen, University of Eastern Finland, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Neurology, tel , hilkka.soininen (at) uef.fi Research Director Miia Kivipelto, University of Eastern Finland, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Neurology, ad Karolinska Institutet, miia.kivipelto (at) ki.se, tel Research article: Francesca Mangialasche, Alina Solomon, Ingemar Kåreholt, Babak Hooshmand, Roberta Cecchetti, Laura Fratiglioni, Hilkka Soininen, Tiina Laatikainen, Patrizia Mecocci, Miia Kivipelto. Serum levels of vitamin E forms and risk of cognitive impairment in a Finnish cohort of older adults. Experimental Gerontology, Volume 48, Issue 12, December 2013, Pages , ISSN ,

22 Wild blueberries (bilberries) can help tackle the adverse effects of a high-fat diet Eating bilberries diminishes the adverse effects of a high-fat diet, according to a recent study at the University of Eastern Finland. For the first time, bilberries were shown to have beneficial effects on both blood pressure and nutrition-derived inflammatory responses. Low-grade inflammation and elevated blood pressure are often associated with obesity-related diseases. The study focused on the health effects of bilberries on mice that were fed high-fat diet for a period of three months. Some of the mice were fed either 5% or 10% of freeze-dried bilberries in the diet. The researchers assessed the effects of the diets by looking at inflammatory cell and cytokine levels, systolic blood pressure, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and weight gain. Mice on the high-fat diet experienced significant weight gain and detrimental changes in glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation factors and blood pressure. Bilberries diminished the pro-inflammatory effects of the high-fat diet, indicated by an altered cytokine profile and a reduced relative prevalence of inflammation supporting T-cells. Bilberries also prevented elevated blood pressure caused by the high-fat diet. Bilberries constitute an integral part of the Nordic diet and they could be better utilized also elsewhere in the world. Bilberries are associated with several beneficial health effects and their use involves plenty of traditional wisdom. The beneficial health effects of bilberries are thought to be explained by polyphenols, especially anthocyanins, the levels of which are significantly higher in bilberries than in commercially cultivated blueberries. The original article was published in PLOS ONE, and it is openly accessible at For further information, please contact: Otto Mykkänen, MSc, (otto.mykkanen@uef.fi, tel ) Pirkka Kirjavainen, PhD, Docent (pirkka.kirjavainen@thl.fi, tel )

23 After your press release be available to comment! the media may contact you (or someone else) for comments publish your text or part of it as such or ignore your press release completely

24 Dealing with the media The media may contact you because of a press release or on their own initiative. If caught unprepared, you can always suggest to call back. Find out where and when your comments will be published. Be prepared to convey a few understandable messages. Be prepared to provide material: link to web page, project description, article, earlier interview Ask to see your comments before they are published. Correct faulty information, but respect the journalist s point of view.

25 Press release checklist Publish your press release swiftly after your article has been published (in print or online) Involve your group leader & partners, keep financers posted Stick to the embargo set by the publication Contact the Communications and Media Relations Office to get help in drafting and translating your press release distributing your press release nationally and internationally coordinating your press release with research partners.

26 UEF //Communications and Media Relations Our services include Press releases and press conferences UEF website: News and Events Saima and UEF Bulletin magazines Presentation material, brochures and UEF brand merchandise Monitoring of the university s media coverage Science events for the public

27 Thank you! uef.fi